Movie of the week: “27 Missing Kisses”
The light of the dying star
Where are the twenty-seven missing kisses of Nana Dzhordzhadze? If you’ve never heard about her or a novice actress named Nuza Kuchianidze, how about taking a walk in Russia on a trip full of symbolism? Instead of the tormented and dragged Russian classics, “27 Missing Kisses” is a comedy of subtle and almost naive humor, but stuffed with beautiful images, interesting interpretations and a well-knit script.
The story takes place inside Russia, at a time not very well determined, when Sibylla (Nuza Kuchianidze), a fourteen-year-old girl arrives in a small village to stay with her aunt.Already on arrival, he meets the two people with whom she would form the most unlikely love triangle: Mika (Shalva Iashvili), the same age as Sibylla, and Alexander (Evgeniy Sidikhin), the boy’s father.
Daring and provocative, Sibylla shocks everyone by her shameless innocence. Mika falls in love with her the moment she sees her, but Sibylla only has eyes for his father, an astronomer who lives night and day with his head in the stars. The small village has the most strange and curious characters. The incompetent military, the bitch wife, the repressive mother, the moralist director, etc..Throughout the summer, their lives crisscross with love, quarrels, betrayals, and solidarity, while Mika tries to get to the heart of Sibilla and her to Alexander’s.
Although being an announced tragedy, “27 Missing Kisses” is a portrait of Russia in a delicate moment of transition.Through its characters, we can imagine the picture of a once powerful country in search of a new identity. Some images are absolutely magical, like the boat that travels along the streets of the village under the light of a fae moon. Others are intriguing and entertaining, such as the use of Marx’s books helping to get sexual pleasure, the director who dies in the bed of the maidenlike French teacher, or the portentous lover who discovers that bearings and sex do not match …
Was the new Russia the young Sibylla, who shakes her heart between the uncertain future of Mika or the mature conservatism of Alexander? Or is it the old boat that, after seven years of being submerged, goes after the sea that abandoned it? The fear of the future is justified by the speech of one of the characters: “only fools are not afraid” …
Regardless of the symbolism, this is a light and fun film, technically very well done. The cinematography is fantastic, especially in the night scenes. The landscapes are beautiful, from a Russian little known but no less interesting.The cast is perfect, especially the young couple, Shalva Iashvili and Nuza Kuchianidze.
“27 Missing Kisses” took part in the Cannes Film Festival 2000, won the special Jury Prize at the Brussels Festival, and the Audience of the Montpellier Festival, both in 2001, as well as other successes in France and Bulgaria.This film is an authorial work of director Nana Dzhordzhadze, born in Georgia in the age of the Soviet Union, and who left the career of architect to launch herself in the cinema.
The Brazilian DVD edition was distributed by Europa Filmes, which is not very generous in extras.However, the screen format was kept widescreen and the sound available in the stereo original Russian, which alouds the spectator enjoy the wonderful soundtrack of the movie.Subtitles are available in English and Portuguese. As extras, only production and cast notes.
Despite some nudity scenes, the film is much lighter than soap operas and miniseries on television.In addition to being a harmonious set of sounds and images, the whimsical plot of “27 Missing Kisses” shows that you can mix humor, emotion and technique. Contrary to the claims of Uncle Sam’s propaganda, there is still intelligent life in the rubble of the iron curtain. Check it out.