– In Marina Andrée Škop and Vanda Raymanová’s quirky and warm film, two young siblings and their friends set off on an adventure where they learn about friendship and acceptance
As a global society, we are becoming increasingly aware that we are not all the same, so a “one size fits all” approach cannot be applied to everyone. The differences between specific needs and reactions can and should be noted from an early age, so that we can create a flexible world based on acceptance, which can serve as a decent home for everyone. In the cinematic world, this is being reflected in the ongoing trend towards movies for younger audiences featuring characters that are on the autism spectrum and sending the message that they should be accepted as they are.
The newest addition to this canon comes in the form of Extraordinary [+see also:
trailer
film profile] by Marina Andrée Škop and Vanda Raymanová. It has already enjoyed a gala premiere and a wide theatrical release in Croatia. However, at BUFF Malmö, the film festival for children’s and youth audiences, it is celebrating its first international screening.
Alisa (newcomer Marta Mihanović) lives in the shadow of her brother Milan (Maks Kleončić), who is a bit out of the ordinary and whose needs mean he gets all of the attention from their parents (Ajda Smrekar and Matej Puc). Milan always wears a leather helmet on his head, since it helps him block out the loud sounds from the outside world. He is also able to walk along straight, clearly marked lines, and his preferred ritual is drawing straight lines on perfectly white sheets of paper with his pen. As Alisa likes to say, he lives in his own world.
The social services, represented by two agents (Judita Franković Brdar and Borko Perić), are always on the parents’ case, trying to take Milan to a medical facility, so the family moves from the city to the nearby countryside. After an accident befalls each of the over-stressed parents, they both end up in the local hospital, where the doctor (Csongor Kassai) and the stern head nurse (Gabriela Dzuríková) have sinister plans for them. So, the siblings, with the help of a trio of local kids playing detectives (Andrija Lamot, Mark Spiridonović and Martin Pišlar), set off on an adventure to find them, revealing a heist plot in the process. For the first time, the “extraordinary” Milan has to face the ordinary world…
The duo of directors works in perfect synergy here. Marina Andrée Škop has made a name for herself with children’s films (for instance, the 2019 title My Grandpa Is an Alien [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Marina Andree Škop and Draž…
film profile]) and knows how to gently steer her young actors in the desired direction. This is especially the case for the two leads, as Marta Mihanović showcases both her character’s inner strength and vulnerability at the same time, which is quite a task even for experienced thesps, while Maks Kleončić possesses the necessary mix of calmness and expressiveness that is needed for the character of Milan, who does not speak. On the other hand, Vanda Raymanová comes from the realm of animation, which is crucial for a heavily stylised film such as this one, where the characters exist against backgrounds consisting of photographic imagery refined with hand-drawn details, and where the travelling sequences are made in a cute form of 2D animation.
Extraordinary might be a tad over the top with its striking design cues and the almost cartoonish concepts of the adult characters. Also, the detective plot is possibly too far removed from the initial topic, so it might resonate better with parents than with children. But the simple, positive message of friendship and acceptance it conveys, as well as its unapologetic playfulness, makes it a praiseworthy effort.
Extraordinary is a co-production between Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia and Serbia, through PomPom Film, Objectif, Senca Studio, Air Productions, This and That Productions, 247HUB and Spotlight Production, in association with Radio and Television Slovakia and RTV Slovenia. Pluto Film handles its world sales.
