Sasha (DVD Review)

15 Mar, 2011 By: Ashley Ratcliff

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Street 3/22/11
Strand
Drama
$24.99 DVD
Not rated.
In German with English subtitles.

Coming to terms with his true self, Sasha Petrovic (Saša Kekez) is conflicted over many aspects of his life. Most predominantly, he’s struggling with coming out to his homophobic, politically incorrect family.

Also adding to Sasha’s stress is an impending piano exam that he must pass to gain admittance into a prominent conservatory. With his mother (Zeljka Preksavec) constantly pushing Sasha to practice, the sensitive student is turned off by the future that she envisions for him beyond Cologne, Germany.

Perhaps what’s kept Sasha’s interest in the piano is his attractive teacher, Gebhard Weber (Tim Bergmann), who breaks his heart when he reveals that he’ll be moving to Vienna to pursue a professorship. Sasha’s heart takes another beating once a magical, steamy night between the two doesn’t produce the fairytale ending he had hoped for.

Kekez is easy on the eyes and gains much sympathy from the audience for his character’s lovelorn state.

His best friend, Jiao (Yvonne Yung-Hee), who herself is pressured by an overbearing father to master the violin, has a crush on Sasha. But when Sasha confides in Jiao about his secret, she, like him, is heartbroken by unrequited love. Still, Sasha’s life is less complicated if his parents think Jiao is his girlfriend, so she plays along. However, Jiao finds a lover in Sasha’s younger, less sophisticated brother, Boki (Jasin Mjumjunov).

The deception comes to a head when the truth is revealed about Sasha’s sexual orientation. The outcome of the heated confrontation is one that no one predicts. Sasha succeeds as a cautionary tale about the importance of honesty and communication.

Also interesting is the Petrovic family dynamic. Stanka and Vlado (Predrag Bjelac) weren’t successful in fulfilling their dreams, so they force their kids into a better future: Sasha with piano and Boki with rowing.
 

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