Before watching "I Love Tropoja," I did something clever: Avoid the trailer, the ads, Ermal Mamaqi's interviews, the impressions of others, and all the promotional materials that I had endlessly served online. I am of the opinion that a film, with its two legs, does not need to crawl for hours and seconds. So I went into the blind room, not knowing what awaited me, without prejudice and without any bias.
Landi (Ermal Mamaqi), an employee who becomes a bank director in Tropoja, starts to live in the north shy of all the stereotypes he has heard about the Tropojans who are all like "Marko from Tropoja" as a result of an incident - confuses the bathroom door with Valbona's door (Arjola Demiri) - the village headman, Valbona's father (Bruno Shllaku), forces him to marry his daughter. Honor is placed above everything in the north. Although Landi and Valbona are both related to other people, they obey their fate.
As a romantic comedy, the film does its job properly. It's lightweight, fun and doesn't pretend to be deeper than it is. The photography is okay, the costume design, the scenography, the script as well, the director didn't stop there, the acting was good, the whole movie was fine. Not exceptional, not terrible. Just okay. In my opinion, and for a young producer like Mamaqi, a movie that is just fine is a great achievement. Maybe Mamaqi really considers it to be the best movie in movie history, but I don't think I need to say this statement is too ambitious and naive.
Films that are being produced locally often give the idea of being a first, raw draft. Maybe that's not true, but the result on screen gives me this idea. "I love Tropoja" is no exception. Most notable is the film's indecision to qualify as a realistic story or comic book in the wake of the absurd. I wish it had focused on one or the other - either too real or too absurd - to present itself with a clearer and better-informed identity.
If you choose to see it, you will not be bored, nor will you see the clock waiting to be over; "I love Tropoja" is a really fun ride. The dynamics of the elephants, a mountain couple and a southern couple are so funny and so real at the same time. As career actors, Bruno Shllaku alongside Marjana Kondi and Bujar Asqeriu alongside Spring Veizi, fill all the scenes together. They are absolutely my favorites in the movie. Irgen Cela, who plays Land's subordinate and close friend, also gave a great performance. Arjola Demiri and her perfect portrait were more than natural, though the dialogue was not. Enca (Landi's girlfriend) in the most unfriendly role to date struggled, but the performance remained amateurish. As Edi Rama (Land's uncle) was completely himself, so I do not understand the need to create a role for him, when he could well have been portrayed as himself. Returning to the duality of "I love Tropoja," realistic or absurd?
Also, the film did not break any of the stereotypes that were set to break. If at the beginning of history the Tropojans were scary and dangerous, in the end it turned out to be so. However, I hope it has made tourists see Tropoja as a great summer vacation destination.
If you wanted to see it, absolutely see it. If you were tempted to see this scripture, absolutely see it. If you have never had a desire to see it, stay home. Sometimes we determine what we will think of something without even knowing it, and so who does not start out with an open mind will find a way to hate it. I am convinced everyone else will enjoy it.
