Mariam's Day Off

The main canvas of this film is the play of emotions on Anna Gevorgyan's face- amazing as she experiences a new world, and bit-by-bit lets down her wary, wearying guard. Perhaps in this one day the seeds of hope, for transformation, are sown. This brief, low-budget, black and white Armenian film is critically acclaimed for good reason- 44 minutes is all it takes for a brilliant filmmaker and gifted actors to show what life CAN be, and "the better angels of our nature", as Abraham Lincoln put it. Simply wonderful.

We, the viewers, are witnesses to an act of goodness, in part pure and spontaneous, but perhaps born from other motivations. Of these we know nothing, except for hints in the dialogue. As in the best short stories there are no flashbacks or explanations, and much is left to the imagination.

Script and direction by Arshak Amirbekyan are flawless. Black-and-white cinematography by Andranik Sahakyan is excellent but never distracts from the action. There is no movie music: classical music is used sparingly and in the right places. Much of the movie rests on the shoulders of Ruzan Mesropyan who plays Mariam, and she rises brilliantly to the challenge, The rest of the actors are at the same level. The short running time (45 minutes) is just what the story needs; no more no less.

A superior movie in all aspects, as close to perfect as you can get. Not to be missed.