40
Central performance by Mirjana Karanovic is instantly endearing. Unfortunately, film coasts on thesp's ability to evoke sympathy and leaves her stranded in this yarn that's all setup and little payoff.
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What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
60
Zbanic is such an acute observer of women's lives in their intimate details, and constructs such fine scenes, that I think this might be the best film to emerge from the aftermath of the Balkan conflict.
75
New York Daily News by Elizabeth Weitzman
Jasmila Zbanic's poignant drama reminds us that the aftershocks of war linger for generations.
88
Bolstered by a beautifully shaded performance by Karanovic as a woman attempting to escape the torments of her past while securing a future for her daughter, Zbanic's film begs a pretty complex question: Is a love story possible in the aftermath of torture and genocide? The answer appears to be a tentative yes, both on the levels of the film and filmmaking, but it isn't easy.
50
The Hollywood Reporter by Kirk Honeycutt
In her brave first feature, Bosnian writer-director Jasmila Zbanic tackles the theme of war's aftermath.
91
Christian Science Monitor by Peter Rainer
It appears to have been made from the inside, not only of the characters but of the historical situation in which they struggle.
60
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
Throughout Grbavica the desire to forget and the need to remember are at loggerheads. At Sara’s school the psychological wounds of the war are being handed down to her generation through the separation of heroes and nonheroes. Fathers pass their weapons down to their sons. Even as you leave a war behind, you bring it with you.
75
Mirjana Karanovic (Esma) and Luna Mijovic (Sara) give powerful performances as Zbanic imbues a simple story with a powerful commentary on the Bosnian war's devastating impact on the innocent.