Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams
Strand Releasing | Release Date: February 16, 2007 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
71
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 21 Critic Reviews
Positive:
16
Mixed:
5
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
It appears to have been made from the inside, not only of the characters but of the historical situation in which they struggle. Read full review
88
TV Guide MagazineKen Fox
Bolstered by a beautifully shaded performance by Karanovic as a woman attempting to escape the torments of her past while securing a future for her daughter, Zbanic's film begs a pretty complex question: Is a love story possible in the aftermath of torture and genocide? The answer appears to be a tentative yes, both on the levels of the film and filmmaking, but it isn't easy. Read full review
88
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Zbanic, who lived through the Bosnian war in Sarajevo, is an unusual talent. Here, she makes us feel the hell her characters once lived through as well as the leftover, stinging pain of today. Read full review
83
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWinda Benedetti
This is a spare and plainly told story, and it is that plainness that gives it so much punch. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
While excellent films like Danis Tanovic's Oscar-winning "No Man's Land" and Vinko Bresan's "Witnesses" have dealt with the war itself, few have dealt with the aftermath, and none with the aching power and empathy of Grbavica: The Land of My Dreams. Read full review
75
New York PostV.A. Musetto
Mirjana Karanovic (Esma) and Luna Mijovic (Sara) give powerful performances as Zbanic imbues a simple story with a powerful commentary on the Bosnian war's devastating impact on the innocent. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Jasmila Zbanic's poignant drama reminds us that the aftershocks of war linger for generations. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
The dramatic conflicts are soapy and unsubtle, but Karanovic pours intense authority into Esma's scarred psyche. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy Burr
The admirable feminist agenda occasionally trips up the narrative, but the film's performances keep it on track. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleWalter Addiego
A moving but flawed premiere feature. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Like its music, the film's emotions proceed from lament to screaming screed to chorus of hope. Read full review
70
Village VoiceElla Taylor
Grbavica is a womanly movie in the best sense: Zbanic has a deeply feminine sense of how crisis gets filtered through the domesticity of daily life. Read full review
70
The New RepublicStanley Kauffmann
It is the two leading performances that make the film seem almost to reach down and embrace us. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Zbanic's story of an ordinary life stained by extraordinary cruelty cuts deep. Read full review
70
Washington PostPhilip Kennicott
The power of "Grbavica" is not the arc of its story line, but the fullness of the world Zbanic creates. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
The war might be over, but fear and hope remain locked in a rapturous stranglehold amidst the rubble. Read full review
60
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
Zbanic is such an acute observer of women's lives in their intimate details, and constructs such fine scenes, that I think this might be the best film to emerge from the aftermath of the Balkan conflict. Read full review
60
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Throughout Grbavica the desire to forget and the need to remember are at loggerheads. At Sara’s school the psychological wounds of the war are being handed down to her generation through the separation of heroes and nonheroes. Fathers pass their weapons down to their sons. Even as you leave a war behind, you bring it with you. Read full review
60
SlateDana Stevens
Grbavica is a surprisingly vibrant, at times even joyous, study of the way life goes on even after the most intolerable suffering. Read full review
50
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
In her brave first feature, Bosnian writer-director Jasmila Zbanic tackles the theme of war's aftermath. Read full review
40
VarietyRussell Edwards
Central performance by Mirjana Karanovic is instantly endearing. Unfortunately, film coasts on thesp's ability to evoke sympathy and leaves her stranded in this yarn that's all setup and little payoff. Read full review
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