Victor (Dimitar Nikolov) returns to his childhood home in Bulgaria to attend his grandfather’s funeral. Staying with his father Kaloyán (Dimitar Banenkin), Victor decides to extend his trip and stay for the summer, while his partner Jose stays behind in Madrid. Clashing with his father and struggling to adjust to a very different way of life, Victor unexpectedly bonds with Roma boy Liuben (Bozhidar Asenov) and a romance blossoms between the two.
‘Liuben’, from film-maker Venci Kostov, is a sensitively handled story of two men from very different worlds falling in love. Victor isn’t looking for love given he has a partner in Madrid but it’s clear that all isn’t well with that relationship. Liuben is presented to Victor as a conundrum; he has a pregnant girlfriend and he’s trying to find work to prepare for the arrival of the child. Victor’s father isn’t keen on Liuben hanging around his home, but Victor finds himself drawn to him nonetheless.
Where perhaps ‘Liuben’ could have benefited is a clearer exploration of its lead character Victor. Much is hinted about him and the life he leaves behind in Madrid, but we never get the opportunity to dig deep enough. Is Liuben just a distraction from his mundane life or is it genuinely a case of love at first sight? We never get the answer to that and a rushed ending abruptly brings the story to an end, without giving the reward the viewer is expecting.
The storyline does build and heads in a direction you will likely predict early on. Liuben doesn’t have the luxury to be the person he really is, thanks to his background, and his girlfriend uses their soon-to-be-born baby as a bargaining chip that she holds over him. When he’s with Victor, he can let his guard down but ultimately that’s going to prove costly once the town starts to talk about the two of them.
Dimitar Nikolov and Bozhidar Asenov work well on screen together. The push and pull between their characters is interesting to watch, with Victor clearly attracted to Liuben but Liuben playing his cards close to his chest. At first, you wonder if Liuben is purposely acting on Victor’s interest in order to manipulate him. There are some fantastic scenes between Nikolov and Asenov, as they navigate what’s building between them and how that’s going to be perceived by the community around them.
‘Liuben’ is an entertaining film and there are some interesting plot strands in it. The fledgling relationship between Victor and Liuben really is the aspect of the film that will keep you engaged. A stronger narrative and more development of the characters would have elevated the film, and it does feel like there was a lot more that could have been explored.
Cast: Dimitar Nikolov, Bozhidar Asenov, Dimitar Banenkin Director: Venci Kostov Writer: Venci Kostov Certificate: 18 Duration: 109 mins Released by: TLA Releasing Release date: 26th February 2024 Buy ‘Liuben’ now
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