A wounded face, a blow on the back of the head – the story begins expressively. A fight against time to contact the daughter continues. A typical day turns into a painful training ground. The reason for its irrationality – the lack of the sticker extending the car registration. The protagonist of the “Sticker” is repeatedly confronted with the ridiculous activity of the authorities. The question arises: how much can we stand for the fight for a relationship with someone important?
The reality created by the Macedonian director depicts meaningless bureaucracy related to the rise of police improprieties. Nobody in the office could handle even the simplest affairs. The police works according to its own distorted rules. Oppressive interrogations and forcing testimony – these are just some of the anomalies. The protagonist tries to find himself in the “sick” system and saves what is important to him. He pays a heavy price and takes risky actions. Such a juxtaposition attracts attention – from the first to the last scene I was curious what would happen to him later.
The story balances at the edge between drama and comedy. This is an interesting procedure but I’m not sure whether it is the right form in this case. The plot of the movie deals with difficult issues and some scenes are exaggerated by comedic elements. Perhaps, it is the laughter the means to mitigate helplessness towards the absurdity of life?
The movie is characterized by an thorough framing – close-ups on important elements, such as the clock, deepen the tone of the scenes. The arrangement of the camera, for example during conversations, is also very convincing. It creates the impression that the spectator is very close to the events. However, I feel the lack of vivid sound in this production. If this area was enriched, it would add extra value to the plot of the movie.
“Sticker” is a valuable story about the persistence in building important relationships. The struggles may be difficult and the obstacles may cause us to helplessly stop, just like a rocking horse does. After all, it is important to act because the intimacy itself may be a reward.
Paulina Konieczna
Translation: Julia Czaplińska