At first I was reluctant to see this film. The trailer showed Americans somewhere in the Balkans, observing the cruelty of war and helping out with their Western sensibilities. I've rarely seen a movie with this subject that I enjoyed.
However, A Perfect Day is not that kind of movie. Firstly, it is deeply European! The violence is only hinted at - strange for a film made by a Spaniard :) - yet the viewer is awash in frustrations of the daily life of relief workers: the UN bureaucracy, the indifference of both international authorities and whatever local ones are, the lack of recognition from the people you try to help, lack of resources and going through all kinds of wacky situations.
Yet the movie stands strangely on a pervasively optimistic note. The irony of the title doesn't come from the day not being perfect, but because it is the absolute best day in the life of these people, even when they couldn't do anything but not mess up completely.
The acting is great, the script was fantastic, it is a worthwhile movie to watch.
However, A Perfect Day is not that kind of movie. Firstly, it is deeply European! The violence is only hinted at - strange for a film made by a Spaniard :) - yet the viewer is awash in frustrations of the daily life of relief workers: the UN bureaucracy, the indifference of both international authorities and whatever local ones are, the lack of recognition from the people you try to help, lack of resources and going through all kinds of wacky situations.
Yet the movie stands strangely on a pervasively optimistic note. The irony of the title doesn't come from the day not being perfect, but because it is the absolute best day in the life of these people, even when they couldn't do anything but not mess up completely.
The acting is great, the script was fantastic, it is a worthwhile movie to watch.