Being from the US and never having seen a Georgian movie before this, I can say nothing of the culture or realism in this movie. What stays with me is Merab and his obsession with and love for Georgian dance. I get it. His family has history with performing professionally, so there's a sense of legacy and pride from that and he clearly sees making it as a dancer as his way out of his current situation. That aspect of this movie resonated with me deeply.
I wanted to love what grew between Merab and Irakli. I, again, can understand their situation given the context presented in the movie and, given their circumstances, I understand how it ended like it did.
For me, though, Merab's unraveling was very concerning. He seemed to be in such a stifled and stifling situation that something had to give and Irakli just seemed as good a catalyst as any rather than a person who really changed Merab's trajectory. In fact, there were several moments by the end that made me question what was actually real between Iralki and Merab and how much might have just been Merab building up something in his own mind. Watching him spin out of control, going from such a rigid daily life to try and do his best to provide for his family and make them proud to everything in shambles, was painful. I hurt for him when I saw his circumstances in the beginning and I hurt all the more for him at the end. That last dance was passionate to the point of madness and after multiple viewings, I still don't know if he was fighting for a position with everything that he had or letting go of the restrictions of the Georgian dances to be truer to himself. That not knowing whether I've just watched a life destroyed or a character maturing is why I'm not rating this higher.
Merab's brother, David, really surprised me, in the best way, with his interaction with Merab after the wedding and I wholeheartedly agree with him that Merab has to get out of Georgia. When those end credits start rolling, I struggle to believe that Merab will find a way out, though, and that keeps me going back to his life being destroyed and I am devastated for him. I don't really feel that Irakli or Merab's sexuality have as much to do with that despite what the movie's description implies. Merab's obsession with the dance was clear throughout and the ways he constantly pushed himself seemed destined for disaster regardless of any other factor. Iralki pointed out how Merab's positioning on some of the dance moves could result in injury and I'm just surprised that an injury didn't occur earlier or more seriously in the movie. To me, this movie is more about the dedication it takes to be any kind of professional athlete or performer and the scarcity of success in those professional arenas than anything else. That means it's still a very good and impactful movie but it just doesn't check all the boxes for me. Absolutely worth a watch if you enjoy media from countries outside your own with a focus on LGBTQIA+ elements.
I wanted to love what grew between Merab and Irakli. I, again, can understand their situation given the context presented in the movie and, given their circumstances, I understand how it ended like it did.
For me, though, Merab's unraveling was very concerning. He seemed to be in such a stifled and stifling situation that something had to give and Irakli just seemed as good a catalyst as any rather than a person who really changed Merab's trajectory. In fact, there were several moments by the end that made me question what was actually real between Iralki and Merab and how much might have just been Merab building up something in his own mind. Watching him spin out of control, going from such a rigid daily life to try and do his best to provide for his family and make them proud to everything in shambles, was painful. I hurt for him when I saw his circumstances in the beginning and I hurt all the more for him at the end. That last dance was passionate to the point of madness and after multiple viewings, I still don't know if he was fighting for a position with everything that he had or letting go of the restrictions of the Georgian dances to be truer to himself. That not knowing whether I've just watched a life destroyed or a character maturing is why I'm not rating this higher.
Merab's brother, David, really surprised me, in the best way, with his interaction with Merab after the wedding and I wholeheartedly agree with him that Merab has to get out of Georgia. When those end credits start rolling, I struggle to believe that Merab will find a way out, though, and that keeps me going back to his life being destroyed and I am devastated for him. I don't really feel that Irakli or Merab's sexuality have as much to do with that despite what the movie's description implies. Merab's obsession with the dance was clear throughout and the ways he constantly pushed himself seemed destined for disaster regardless of any other factor. Iralki pointed out how Merab's positioning on some of the dance moves could result in injury and I'm just surprised that an injury didn't occur earlier or more seriously in the movie. To me, this movie is more about the dedication it takes to be any kind of professional athlete or performer and the scarcity of success in those professional arenas than anything else. That means it's still a very good and impactful movie but it just doesn't check all the boxes for me. Absolutely worth a watch if you enjoy media from countries outside your own with a focus on LGBTQIA+ elements.
