Mermaid

I managed to crawl out of bed early enough this morning to catch another movie I wanted to see: the Russian film Mermaid, while is sort of like a grittier Amelie set in Russian's booming economy.

Little Alise grows up on the coast (the Black Sea?) with her mother and grandmother. She longs to be a ballerina but never gets her chance. She is convinced that she has the power to make wishes come true, and when she longs to simply leave, she summons a storm that destroys her village, prompting the family to move to Moscow.

After that, the movie becomes more of a story about being a young woman in a big city. There are some details and nuances that make it very interesting. I will only say that the ending had my jaw drop in shock.

It has won a World Dramatic Directing Award for director Anna Melikyan. I really hope it gets picked up. It's an excellent film and I heartily recommend it.