A Picture with Yuki

To keep this brief(ish), I found this an intriguing film that dealt with heavy issues of personal responsibility, prejudice, and forgiveness. These issues and the story they were framed inside are worth exploring. Overall, the film did a good job with this and was visually quite beautiful.

The main problem I had with the film was the lack of chemistry between the lead characters. I just couldn't feel them as a real couple who cared about each other beyond their stated purpose of making a baby together. In particular, I found the acting of the husband, Georgi, to be stiff. The other characters, particularly the Roma family, and the detective were very compelling. I wasn't sure about Yuki herself, but in a scene where she confronts other characters without Georgi present, I found Kiki Sugino's performance extremely moving. So I guess it was Georgi who was holding her back.

The ending didn't flow organically from the climax but felt tacked on. And the final two words spoken by Yuki would have been better left to the audience's imagination.

So I'd recommend this film with some reservations. Still it's great to see cinema from Bulgaria, and I can only hope for more and better to come.