A PERFECT DAY

Spain, 2015, 104 minutes, Colour.
Benicio del Toro, Tim Robbins, Olga Kurylenko, Melanie Thierry, Fedja Stukan, Eldar Residovic, Sergi Lopez.
Directed by Fernando Leon de Aranoa.

One has to be wary about a film with “perfect” in the title. Unless it is a very optimistic, hope-filled film, “perfect” has to be interpreted with irony and/or cynicism. While this is certainly the case here, it has to be said that the ending is not without hope.

This is a Spanish production, filmed in English with an international cast, American, Russian, French, and actors from the Balkans. Setting is “somewhere in the Balkans” in 1995. It is already two decades since the ferocious civil battles in the Balkans, massacres and atrocities, Orthodox versus Muslims, neighbour versus neighbour, dwelling on centuries-old heritage and hostilities.

While watching this film in the second decade of the 21st-century, the comparisons between the Balkans and the contemporary civil war in Syria spring vividly to mind – and our feelings.

The day opens with American and French aid workers trying to lift a dead body out of a well so that the villagers will be able to get fresh water. The rope breaks. A great deal of the film is spent going to various venues in search for rope – but to little avail because of peace talks and prohibitive protocols coming into force.

But, travelling with the two cars for the aid workers, the audience is taken to a variety of places in the Balkans during that day and an enforced stranding overnight on a country road – a cow blocking the path and the suspicions that it has been mined, following a similar incident earlier in the day – with a solution to drive speedily over the cow to safety.

The group goes to a store but rope is not available, needed for executions. The group goes to an outpost flying the flag – but the young volunteer is afraid to take down the flag and give away the rope. Eventually, they come across a little boy whose ball is being taken by older bullies. He says he knows where they could get some rope, takes them to his bombed out home which leads to a mixture of tragic and comic events, the rope around a fierce dog, recovering the boy’s ball in the garage – but then the discovery of what has happened to his parents. The group also finds the road blocked by a group of soldiers with several men lined up for execution, to be shot, and the guards not taking any notice of the peace talks.

The leader of the group is played by Benicio del Toro, quite a sympathetic performance. HIs associate, a sardonic loner, is played by Tim Robbins. Along with them is a young French woman part of the aid workers team, Melanie Thierry. And then they are joined by an aid work supervisor, Olga Kurylenko, who finds herself accompanying the group and stranded overnight.

The protocols get even more severe in the second attempt to raise the dead body with the United Nations officials forbidding their work in the well.

The film has a very interesting ending. All the characters and all the situations, including rain and the dead body, are pictured in recapitulation of the whole film – and, all the while, Marlene Dietrich sings quite plaintively and symbolically, Where have all the flowers gone…?

1. The title, expectations? The ironies? The end resume of all the characters and episodes and the conclusion of a perfect day?

2. The 1995 setting, the Balkans, the Civil War, clashes, Serbs versus Muslims? The 1990s and the military conflicts, destructions of cities and villages? The presence of the United Nations? Local war, neighbour against neighbour, devastation, killings? The musical score? The atmospheric songs?

3. The action taking place over one day, the range of characters, the range of incidents, frustrations, drama? Aid workers, no solutions?

4. The well and the opening, the body, trying to lift it, falling back into the well, the recurring episodes at the well, the return at the end – and the irony of the rain and the body coming to the surface?

5. Mambru, Aid worker, American from Puerto Rico, authority, trying to raise the body, the rope breaking? His work with his interpreter, the good relationship, the friendship with B? Sophie new to the work? The situation of the body, the peace talks, laws and regulations, protocols about dealing with the body?

6. Sophie, new to the work, her French background? Accompanying B? The incident with the cow across the road, the potential for mines? Her reaction to B, his driving over the cow? Trying to help with the well? The search for rope? The kids, taking the ball from Nicola? Going to the house, her accompanying Mambru into the house, discovering the bodies hanging? Having to cope? The night on the road because of the next cow? The effect of the experience on her?

7. The arrival of the supervisor, her job, writing a report? In herself, the past affair with Mmabru, his concealing the fact of his girlfriend? The break? The supervising, the preparation of the report, going to the well, her attitude towards the protocols? Seeing Nicola? The cow on the road, waiting all night, the phone calls, the urgency for her to get back?

8. Mambru’s experience, the well and the body, collaborating with B, the rope breaking, going to the shop, the need for rope for executions, going to the post, the sentry and the flag, the need to keep the flag flying? Nicola, taking him to the house, the fierce dog, the rope around the dog? Putting the medicine into the meat to quell the dog? Going to house, finding the ball? The hanged parents? Mambru dealing with Sophie? Trying to get through, the convoy on the road, the men lined up for execution, discussions with the soldiers, telling them the peace talks were cancelling war activities, their not taking notice? The cow on the road, the discussions about how to get past? The cattle coming through, following the cattle and the women, getting through, mambru and the bigger boys with the ball, discovering Nicola had sold it? Mambru’s anger, giving Nicola the hundred dollars, on the condition that he travelled to find his parents with his grandfather? The return to raise the body, setting up the ropes? The UN officials stopping the raising of the body? The need for water – the sequence with the men selling the water to the locals and exploiting them?

9. B, his life, jokes, with Sophie, the cow and the mines, driving over the cow, his sexual preoccupations, loner, the second cow? Collaboration with Mambru? Getting lost in the mountains, their talk, look for their work, going home?

10. The translator, his character, working skills, not translating all the words, the guards on the road, threat to his brother?

11. Nicola, playing, the other boys, taking the ball, travelling with the group, wanting the ball from his house, the garage, getting the ball, selling it again, the money to visit his parents and Mambru’s $100?

12. The ending, the irony? The effect, the focus on all the characters, all the events, subsequent activity – and the busload of those were to be executed? And Marlene Dietrich singing Where have all the flowers gone?