The Sarajevo selection is an initially engaging riff on 'Teorema,' with the arrival of a handsome, young stranger disrupting the dynamics of an unpleasant, nouveau riche Slovenian family.

After a world premiere in Tribeca’s international narrative competition, Slovenian director-writer Sonja Prosenc brings her third feature, the social satire “Family Therapy,” to contend in Sarajevo. The filmmaker’s latest provides an absurdist spin on the premise of Pier Paolo Pasolini’s “Teorema,” as the arrival of a handsome, young stranger disrupts the dynamics of an unpleasant, nouveau riche Slovenian family. While a fun watch for most of its run, Prosenc allows the narrative to spin out of control, running on past several natural endings. As with the director’s previous films “The Tree” and “History of Love,” all shot by the talented Mitja Ličen (“Small Body”), the glorious cinematography, strong acting and breath-taking production design provide some compensation for the flaws of the screenplay.

Related Stories

A wrecking ball swinging towards an old TV with a TV host on the screen VIP+

Late-Night TV vs. YouTube: Data-Driven Tips on Which Is Better for Celebs Promoting Films

Secret Level

'Secret Level' Director Tim Miller and Epic Games Execs Talk Hollywood's Relationship With Unreal Engine as Version 5.5 Launches

The striking opening moments, featuring a smoking car that bursts into flames along the side of a road and a family of three scrambling to safety, represent a bit of a bait-and-switch as the family pictured plays only a minor role in the film. Instead, the family of the title — the family Kralj (which translates as King, natch) — are in a fancy car speeding by the one in distress without stopping to help.

Popular on Variety

The strange, unsympathetic behavior of the Kraljs distresses 25-year-old French newcomer Julien (Aliocha Schneider), who has just arrived for an extended visit. He’s the son of family patriarch Aleks (Marko Mandić) from an earlier relationship. Clearly, father and son know little about each other, and the Kralj women, artist-gallerist wife Olivia (Katarina Stegnar) and unhappy ‘tween daughter Agata (Mila Bezjak) prove less than welcoming.

The Kralj home, where the greater part of the action takes place, is stunning. An architectural beauty of concrete and glass, situated at the edge of a forest, it is decorated in a modern, minimalist style, with smart house technology designed to keep the rest of the world out while allowing them to keep a wary eye on nearby nature.

Julien’s mere presence disturbs the family’s isolated, rigidly ordered existence. His empathy and kindness lead to literal and metaphorical fractures in their lives, but in Prosenc’s uneven screenplay these breakages don’t exactly lead to major revelations.

As in the opening moments, the film boasts an over-abundance of small incidents that initially seem as if they might move the plot in an interesting direction, but ultimately prove to be mere distraction. This particularly applies to the short scenes involving the sexual tension that Julien’s presence seems to evoke in both mother and daughter. In contrast, the extended scene showing the pretentious artworld party where Serbian Ana Đurić-Konstrakta sings, an avant-garde performance takes place, and Aleks humiliates himself, make its point quickly but runs on too long.

Prosenc’s fine actors are committed, although in some cases they don’t have a lot to work with. Mandić brings a manic twinkle in his eye as the writer manqué with an unlikely obsession with outer space, while Stegnar’s haughty ice queen melts with concern over her frail daughter (who is her child in real-life). As the deus ex machina of the plot, French-Canadian performer Schneider is the least defined, but he makes Julien a decent human being willing to accept his role in this flawed family.

In a film in which ambience trumps plot, mention must be made of Tatjana Čanić Stanković’s glorious production design, the costumes by Gilda Venturini and Dubravka Skvrce, and, in particular, the striking score by the Slovene musical duo Primož Hladnik and Boris Benko who perform and record under the band name Silence.

Read More About:

Jump to Comments

‘Family Therapy’ Review: An Absurdist Satirical Spin on Pasolini Loses Focus

Reviewed at Sarajevo Film Festival (Competition), Aug. 18, 2024. (Also in Tribeca Film Festival) Running time: 123 MIN.

  • Production: (Slovenia-Italy-Croatia-Norway-Serbia) A Monoo production in co-production with Incipit Film, Wolfgang & Dolly, Incitus Film, Living Pictures, in association with TV Slovenia, ARRI, Storyline, NuFrame with the support of MEDIA Creative Europe, Pop Up Film Residency Paris 2022, First Cut Lab Re-Act 2023, First Cut Lab + KVIFF 2023, Slovenian Film Center, RTV Slovenija, MIX, FVG Fondo Audiovisivo, Friuli Venezia Giulia Film Commission, Croatian Audiovisual Center, Film Center Serbia, Filmkraft Rogaland Norway, Zefyr Media Fund Norway, ARRI International Program. Producer: Rok Sečen, Sonja Prosenc. Co-producers: Marta Zaccaron, Fabiana Balsamo, Tamara Babun, Matiija Drniković, Jarle Bjørknes, Dimče Stojanovski.
  • Crew: Director: Sonja Prosenc. Writer: Sonja Prosenc. Camera: Mitja Ličen. Editor: Ivana Fumić. Music: Silence.
  • With: Aliocha Schneider, Marko Mandić, Katarina Stegnar, Mila Bezjak, Kristoffer Joner, Ana Đurić-Konstrakta. (Slovenian, French, English dialogue)

More from Variety

Most Popular

Must Read

Sign Up for Variety Newsletters

By providing your information, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy.We use vendors that may also process your information to help provide our services. // This site is protected by reCAPTCHA Enterprise and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Variety Confidential

A Variety and iHeartRadio Podcast

ncG1vNJzZmiukae2psDYZ5qopV9nfXOAjp%2BgpaVfp7K3tcSwqmiekaK2rcWMrZ%2BeqpGlxm6%2BxK%2Bgnq9dqK6zrcmerahllprAtbXVmqNmaWJog3J8mHJscGc%3D