The mashup of different cinematic techniques inside the same narrative, including music video aesthetics, narration, and the breaking of the fourth wall has been one of the most recent trends of the independent/art house scene, with Wes Anderson probably being the master of the “technique”. Alexandre Koberidze attempts something similar, although more intently art-house/low budget (European if you prefer) in a movie that is artful, quite intelligent, and at the same time, self-indulgent.
“What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?” is screening at Black Movie International Festival of Independent Movies
The film begins with a chance encounter that potentially could lead to a real romance, as medical student and pharmacy clerk Lisa bumps into footballer Giorgi on the street, in a scene that could be described as cheesy, as we watch him pick up the book she dropped before the two agree on date. However, what happens next, shatters this whole concept completely, as, according to the male narrator, both of them have been cursed by an evil eye which results in them waking up the next day with a completely different appearance, and a completely different set of skills (Giorgi has no talent in football for example). Shattered by the events, the two realize that they cannot pursue any aspect of their former lives, including their upcoming date. Fate, however, seems to have some other plans, as the two end up being connected (in different capacities) to the same likeable old owner of a new bar. In the meantime, the World Cup is about to take place and a film crew is shooting a movie in the area involving a number of couples.
The most obvious aspect of the movie is that the main premise is as original as it is appealing, also allowing Koberidze to include some very entertaining elements of magic and realism, which combined with his deadpan, quite smart sense of humor, as exhibited in the dogs who are football fans for example, carry the movie for the largest part of its duration. The same applies to the overall mashup, with the director including elements of silent movies, films about film, observational documentary, music video (the scene with the children playing football is one of the most memorable in the movie) narration and the subsequent breaking of the fourth wall, plus a tour guide in Kutaisi aspect. The combination of the rather artful cinematography by Faraz Fesharaki, whose long shots are impressive to look at on a number of occasions (the one with the dog on the bridge and the football in the river for example) and Koberidze's own editing allows for all the aforementioned elements to result in a rather appealing outcome, while the art-house aesthetics combined with the anything but art-house concept of football cement the amalgamist approach he has implemented in the best fashion.
However, and the word ‘however' here is quite significant, at 150 minutes, even the artfulness and the intelligence end up being hyperbolic, with Koberidze essentially beginning a downward spiral towards self-indulgence (the own editing part does not help here at all) which, inevitably, leads the movie to become tiresome and even dull on occasion, particularly after the aforementioned football match/music video. Neither the various tricks nor the likeability of the characters (and the cast) manage to salvage the movie in that fashion, to the point that the last 30-40 minutes seem almost completely unnecessary, with the exception of the ending, which makes a comment about fate and the ways love can overcome everything and how people should not lose hope even in the face of the worst fate.
Thus, in the end, “What Do We See When We Look at the Sky?” emerges as an effort whose individual elements are truly top notch, but does not make much sense as a whole, particularly after a point.
