From its striking opening A Perfect Day is grubby and real, filled with weathered props and beautiful aerial shots of the suffering landscape.

Though it has a well-defined style – established in part by the killer soundtrack – A Perfect Day doesn’t lack substance. Structural repetition, the paradigmatic character of Thierry’s newcomer and a microcosmic timeframe combine to deftly illuminate some of the potential bureaucratic obstacles to aid work.

Moments of sad pathos are neither manipulative nor heavy-handed, while the convincing group dynamics crafted by the strong international cast allow for dry humour despite the subject matter. Robbins has never been funnier.

León de Aranoa finely balances tone to craft a warm human film that sheds light on the stark realities of war – including many of relevance to the current refugee crisis.

RATING: 5/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Benicio Del Toro, Tim Robbins, Olga Kurylenko, Mélanie Thierry, Fedja Stukan, Eldar Residovic

DIRECTOR: Fernando León de Aranoa

WRITERS: Fernando León de Aranoa, Diego Farias (screenplay), Paula Farias (novel)

SYNOPSIS: A group of aid workers work to resolve a crisis in the armed conflict zone of the Balkans.