Director/writer Damjan Kozole understands blue-collar workers, and he brings that knowledge to the forefront of Spare Parts with technical grace and fluidity. The frightening sequences in dark forests with almost no light contrast nicely with the claustrophobic ones of Ludvik and Rudi driving together. A scene at a party seems to be the only one where Rudi is given the ability to interact with those outside his chosen profession, and even then he is relegated to the back burner, left behind by those engaged in socially acceptable occupations. Ludvik, a cancer survivor and bitter widower, is dynamically developed as at turns a sympathetic older male, turned sour by years of bad luck, and a disgusting minotaur, drinking his own urine and punishing those around him for their shortcomings.
Reminiscent of Stephen Frears' excellent Dirty Pretty Things, Spare Parts is a humane and well-developed exploration of the dark side of the human psyche. It stands without spectacle, wallowing in the squalor created by its protagonists yet keeping its head above water with wonderful performances, writing, and cinematography. As a sucker for films with a certain symmetry and cyclical nature, I rate Spare Parts above films of a similar nature simply for its excellent observance of structure and technical achievement, never drawing attention to itself but standing tall under scrutiny.
Article comments