Undescribable Perfection

I don't have all the words right now but this film is a work of art.

Great Film overall

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I enjoyed Tuvalu immensely. I found it to be a very touching and heart-warming look into the life of an ordinary man living in an extraordinary world. The story was great. It had elements of suspense, romance, tragedy and quirky humour. The actors also did an excellent job of bringing to life the odd and endearing characters. I also found that the film really succeeded in bringing across a mood with exquisitely bleak scenery and visuals which I found reminiscent of both "City of Lost Children" and "Brazil". Tuvalu is an incredible surrealistic journey through a world full of fantasy and wonder. I highly recommend it.

I attended the preview screening of "Tuvalu" for one simple reason - it was the first film of the day and fit into my schedule. Having read a brief synopsis of the film, I went in with mixed expectations - the review snippets lauded the film, but could a two-hour black and white film largely bereft of dialogue really be that entertaining? Please pass the crow... Set in a dilapidated indoor swimming pool (the Central Baths in Sofia), the film details the efforts of Anton, a clueless dreamer who yearns to sail the world, and Martha, the button obsessed cashier, to maintain the illusion for Anton's blind father that business is thriving. Working to sabotage their efforts is Gregor - Anton's brother - an amoral developer who is determined to raze the entire town and construct a sprawling condominium complex. Gregor engineers an accident that seems certain to doom the business and in the process steals away Eva, the beautiful woman of Anton's dreams. Will Gregor's dastardly plan succeed? It is difficult to categorize this film as it refuses to fit neatly within the confines of any particular genre. Taken on its simplest merits it is a slapstick comedy in the tradition of the Marx Brothers, Chaplin and the Keystone Cops. On this level, alone it will satisfy most viewers. A closer examination reveals a beautiful fairly tale with an innocent dreamer fighting to save his world and loved ones from evil. Finally, there is the none- too -subtle rail against the freight train of modernization, particularly relevant in many areas of post-Communist where vast construction projects are radically altering the cityscapes at the expense of history. However, one need look no further that our own city to see this -only recently have serious efforts been made to safeguard heritage buildings in Vancouver - some fear it may already be too late. Originally filmed in black and white, the stock was laboriously tinted to give the interior shots take a Sepia tone and the exterior shots a muddy turquoise- grey, providing further contrast for the story elements. The visual experience is further enhanced by masterful cinematography, most notably the underwater sequences, which take on a wondrous ethereal quality. The sound engineers have also created a richly diverse auditory realm that meshes uncannily with the onscreen action. Finally, the exaggerated expressiveness of the actors, both emotive and physical keep the action flowing seamlessly. If you are in search of an unusual, intriguing film, look no further.

It amazed me how interesting this movie was even though it had very few dialogue lines which consisted of only a couple words, and it didn't have a wall-to-wall non-stop musical score that actual silent films have. So the power of the movie basically relies on the directing, acting, editing and cinematography. As far as the plot, it was a very simple plot: an old swimming pool in an old building that wants to be demolished by an evil relative of the owner. Whereas the owner tries to make sure that the building doesn't get demolished. That's basically it.But the details are so intricate and funny that it makes the movie one of the greatest cinematic works in years. The atmosphere reminds me of films like City of Lost Children, or Delicatessen. I highly recommend this film.

I had the luck to see it at a festival for young directors in Salerno and I was surprised it won for a few votes only.There is something that recalls Chaplin and Beckett's theatre works(the acting,of course)and it also quotes Jean Vigo's L'Atalante in many shots.There is also a quotation from Nosferatu in the early minutes!This flavour of old time silent film is even more present in the wonderful photography and the surrealistic scenography.I love this film and I think that it is far better than Kusturica has done.Moreover the style,so refined, is quite different from Kusturica's works.And mind that the director had made only short films before!