‘Take Me Somewhere Nice’ is not the first coming of age film and certainly won’t be the last, but by looking at a lesser-explored side of the genre with its unique aesthetic, it is able to carve its own place within the genre.
- Ashley Teresa

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https://www.maketheswitch.com.au/article/review-take-me-somewhere-nice-the-road-less-travelled

This movie took me by complete suprise. I was staggered throughout by the clear artistic vision that underlies each scene. Basically it's a road movie that has a young woman, daughter to two Bosnians, leave Holland for the country of her parents on a trip to visit her father that has left her and her mother out of "homesickness" and went back to Bosnia. On a visual level alone, the movie succeeds at communicating a sense of cool ambivalence with a subtle irony, which are both traits that perfectly describe the main character, who is a laconic early adult. Throughout the movie she seems constantly unimpressed and somewhat unaproachable, as if she were, if only by a few centimetres, above the ground that us common folk walk on.


Her lethargic attitude towards her motherland is in stark contrast to both of her travel companions, her cousin, that describes himself as a patriot, and a friend of his, that is coming from the same place as the cousin, having never left Bosnia, but turning his back on it; thinking of leaving it for the west. The movie portrays this as a defeatist stance, and picks up later on this inherent emasculation of his. None of this is a point of contention between the three travelers, rather it is an undertone to their interactions. Her non-affiliation with Bosnia and lack of any other emotional attachments towards any nation is like an unspoken ace up her sleeve; she's a metropolitan among proles.

This is the power predicament through which this movie unfolds and ventures to explore other themes as well, which i have lots of thoughts on but do not wish to spoil.

The music is scarcely used but impactful and even pretty where it needs to, so no complaints on that front. Overall this is a whole hearded recommendation from me!