Watch A Call Girl

A Call Girl, released in 2009, is a Slovenian drama, weighing in at just under 90 minutes. The film promised to give audiences an intimate portrait of a young woman's life as a call girl. With Nina Ivanisin in the lead role and directed by Damjan Kozole, the movie explores themes of love, sex, power dynamics, and the sacrifices people make to survive.

Ana (Ivanisin) is a young woman struggling to make ends meet in Ljubljana. She comes from a working-class family and has no formal education. Her best friend is a drug dealer, and she often hangs out with him and his other delinquent friends. One day, she meets a sophisticated older man, Zdravko (Peter Musevski), who pays her to spend some time with him. Zdravko is married, but he is wealthy, kind, and charming. Their first encounter opens up new doors of opportunity for Ana. She is soon introduced to other men who offer her money in exchange for sexual favors.

As she dives deeper into the world of paid sex, Ana realizes that it's not just about bodily pleasure. The clients are seeking someone to share their deepest vulnerabilities with, and Ana ends up playing the role of a therapist. She listens to their stories of loneliness, unfulfilled dreams, and unrequited love. She empathizes with them and begins to crave the kind of connection they share. However, Ana's facade of detached professionalism starts to crack when she falls in love with one of her clients.

Alongside Ana's work as a call girl, the film showcases the socio-political realities of Slovenia in the late 2000s. The recession left many people jobless, and the film suggests that women like Ana had few opportunities to make a living. The film highlights the precarious nature of sex work and the power dynamics that come into play when one person pays another for sexual favors. Despite the potential for danger, Ana refuses to be seen as a victim. She's a sharp, keen observer of human nature and uses her wit and intuition to navigate the world of sex work.

The film's director, Damjan Kozole, employs a naturalistic style with a handheld camera and a muted color palette. The camera is often placed in close proximity to the actors, allowing us to see the emotions and reactions that can often go unspoken. The film's depiction of sex work seems honest and never sensational. The nudity and sex scenes feel organic to the story, and the film gradually builds to an emotionally satisfying climax.

The backdrop of Ljubljana is essential to the movie's mood and tone. The city looks cold, grey, and inhospitable. Ana's apartment is small and sparsely furnished, a testament to her limited finances. The contrast between this world and the lavish settings of her clients' apartments is stark. As a result, we can witness Ana's personal and emotional transformation as she seeks to escape from her dreary surroundings.

Nina Ivanisin, in the lead role of Ana, delivers a remarkable performance. She portrays her character's arc from hardened tough-girl to vulnerable human with complete conviction. There's a quiet intensity to her acting, and she's able to convey complex emotions without resorting to histrionics. Her chemistry with Peter Musevski (Zdravko) is palpable, and their scenes together are imbued with a sense of melancholy that is hard to shake off. Their relationship is the heart of the film, and much of the story revolves around Ana's attempts to reconcile her feelings for him with her work as a call girl.

In conclusion, A Call Girl is an impressive movie that grapples with complicated themes with sensitivity and intelligence. The film is not interested in passing any moral judgments on sex work but instead examines the nuances of how these women find sustenance and meaning in their professions. Nina Ivanisin delivers a tremendous performance, and the film's raw, wintry atmosphere adds to its overall impact. The film may describe the world of call girls, but it's a universal story that explores the human condition. The film is a powerful reminder of the human costs of societal recession, as it often leaves behind forgotten individuals.

A Call Girl is a 2009 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 31 minutes. It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.2.