Katie Walsh | (TNS) Tribune News Service
Anamaria Marinca is known for playing strong characters in tough situations. She's the central figure in Goran Stolevski's 'Housekeeping for Beginners,' a gripping family drama where she fights against the difficulties.
Anamaria Marinca's intense cigarette smoking and fierce gaze are effectively used by Stolevski in this film. He immerses us in the chaotic but heart-wrenching world of an unconventional family, led by the underrated Marinca playing Dita, a lesbian social worker striving to keep her found family together despite challenges from the system.
Stolevski's work has a strong humanist essence, showing the bittersweetness of life across different genres and tones. His previous movies include 'You Won’t Be Alone,' a life-affirming fairy tale, and 'Of an Age,' a queer romance set in a Melbourne beach town.
The movie starts with a joyful song and dance, quickly shifting to a scene where Suada confronts a neglectful doctor with Dita's support, highlighting the film's message of blending playfulness with the harsh reality of inequality.
Stolevski, the writer, director, and editor of the film, skillfully weaves important details into the bustling family scenes, captured through dynamic cinematography by Naum Doksevski. Dita and Suada are a couple, caring for Suada's kids and a gay roommate, creating a safe space for marginalized young people.
Suada, who has cancer, requests that Dita become the mother of her girls and give them Toni's last name to protect them from discrimination. This leads to a stressed lesbian and a grumpy gay man getting married to fulfill the legal requirements.
In his restless and naturalistic style, Stolevski creates intricate and moving scenes, contrasting the fake behavior the couple must display with their intense looks. At a meeting with their child's teacher, Toni receives sympathy, but the camera focuses on the grieving expression of Dita, who is unable to openly mourn the loss of her long-time partner. Their wedding at the courthouse also carries a double meaning, as Ali sits next to his lover Toni, but only as a witness. Later, at their lively and alcohol-filled celebration at home, Ali expresses gratitude to Dita for allowing him to witness the marriage registration of the man he loves.
The movie avoids being overly precious or explanatory about the sociopolitical and economic issues that shape their reality and fill their lives: how they navigate the world, the risks they take, and the dreams they have. It portrays a kind of everyday oppression, depicted as a series of frustrating bureaucratic obstacles, despite the potentially deadly consequences of not complying.
While the subject matter is serious, there's a dry humor at play, combined with genuine warmth. Dzada Selim delivers a standout performance as the precocious Mia, and if Dita is the backbone of the family, Ali is the heart, with his ability to form connections proving valuable when Vanesa's teenage rebellions escalate.
Stolevski's scripts always contain a line that cuts to the core of life itself, and “Housekeeping for Beginners” is no exception. “The need doesn’t go away,” Dita assures Vanesa, “even as you get old. It's a tough business.” This powerfully and brutally describes a family and the human condition, expressed concisely and perfectly in Stolevski's unique style.
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‘HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS’
(Presented in Albanian, Macedonian, and Romani with English subtitles)
Rated: 4 stars (out of 4)
MPA rating: R (for sexual content, language throughout, and some teen drinking)
Duration: 1 hour and 47 minutes
How to watch: In theaters starting on Friday
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