Emilija (or "Emilija i Laisvės Alėjos") is a movie about a young girl, who wants to be an aspiring theatre actress in the socialist Lithuania in the beginning of the eighties. All she has with her is the poems her father "left" her, which inspire her to "swim at the wrong direction of the river" so to speak. As much to the horror of the census committee of that time.
While the movie is primarily based on theatre life, but also the viewer is introduced with the spirit of freedom dwelling in the underground sections of socialist Lithuania at that time. Although, the movie tends to be serious about its topics, but overall, it is not. And it's a good thing, because even the most jaded of Lithuanians, who do not like our countries movies (and some have good reasons for it), wouldn't mind seeing this movie, because it is made for the masses.
That being said, at times the movie tries too hard to portray what was it like while living under the USSR rule in Lithuania. And for this reason some of the scenes are hard to believe for me (e.g. the scene at the insane asylum, the director being deported to Syberia) As the fat police inspector said to one of the antagonists in the movie: "What do you think you are doing? Do you think this is 1950 still? You're on your own from now on".
Although, props for the plot-twist at the end. I personally liked it how the main antagonist was tied-in with Emilija's history.
Overall, in my honest opinion, at least for the moment, this is one of the best Lithuanian movies out there for the masses. And, if for some reason, this movie's distribution will reach abroad and it will have subtitles, then I recommend watching it. Although, maybe, you will be put off by the theatre acting (as one reviewer said here), but this is understandable, because we do not have a movie industry here at all.
While the movie is primarily based on theatre life, but also the viewer is introduced with the spirit of freedom dwelling in the underground sections of socialist Lithuania at that time. Although, the movie tends to be serious about its topics, but overall, it is not. And it's a good thing, because even the most jaded of Lithuanians, who do not like our countries movies (and some have good reasons for it), wouldn't mind seeing this movie, because it is made for the masses.
That being said, at times the movie tries too hard to portray what was it like while living under the USSR rule in Lithuania. And for this reason some of the scenes are hard to believe for me (e.g. the scene at the insane asylum, the director being deported to Syberia) As the fat police inspector said to one of the antagonists in the movie: "What do you think you are doing? Do you think this is 1950 still? You're on your own from now on".
Although, props for the plot-twist at the end. I personally liked it how the main antagonist was tied-in with Emilija's history.
Overall, in my honest opinion, at least for the moment, this is one of the best Lithuanian movies out there for the masses. And, if for some reason, this movie's distribution will reach abroad and it will have subtitles, then I recommend watching it. Although, maybe, you will be put off by the theatre acting (as one reviewer said here), but this is understandable, because we do not have a movie industry here at all.