Film Tipp

A TRIP TO KARABAKH / PROGULKA V KARABACH

MOZGAUROBA KARABAGSHI

Levan Tutberidze Georgia 2005 115 min - walkout after 1hr

Laborious, confusingly-structured dramatisation of border-tensions between Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan. Prior knowledge of the southern Caucasus's messy recent history is pretty much a must if you're going to get the most out of this clunky tale.

A drug run goes wrong, stranding our two heroes (Levan Dobordshinidse a good-looking Heath Ledger lookalike, Mischa Meschi a comic-relief 'character' with a passing Vincent Gallo resemblance) not far from the Nagorno-Karabakh warzone.

Narrative jumps back and forth, as 'Ledger' reminisces about his relationship with a doe-eyed, deep-voiced, gamine young hooker (Nutsa Kutshianidse, from The Good Thief). At about the hour stage Ledger is captured by one faction, liberated by another, then dons camo gear and sunglasses as he starts to fancy the idea of playing commando: "I am the unknown soldier," he proclaims.

Ongoing superfluous muzak on the soundtrack, uninspired firefights and appearance of a second love-interest in the form of a 'Russian' photographer stretched my patience. Panpipey burbling on the soundtrack proved the final straw. 'A Trip to the exit' followed soon after.