Zero Bridge

Well-acted and enlivened by a strong sense of place, Tariq Tapa's "Zero Bridge" suffers from the banality of its cynical teen protagonist, whose difficult family circumstances, evident intelligence, and sharp survival instinct somehow fail to make him especially poignant, in view of his manipulative criminality. There's a genuine spark between him and the shy, bright, more sophisticated clerk he meets--her eyes radiate curiosity and delicate humor--but the pair never get to know each other well, and the growing sensitivity their relationship evokes in him speaks more to their common desperation than to a broader maturation process or a clearly deepened capacity to care.

The film is worth watching for its almost offhand depiction of the brutality of rigid, hierarchical gender and family roles, but for a more successful offering in the coming-of-age-amidst-traditionalism genre, one might try Majid Majidi's "Baran" (2001), saturated by wonder and tenderness where "Zero Bridge" nearly drowns in the coarseness its surly hero barely begins to question. In fact, the two films, which cover similar themes of economic hardship and oppressive social mores, complement one another well by each revealing the limitations of the other. Despite its more compelling navigation of tone and a more satisfying, well-paced narrative arc, "Baran" features a young female character that, while deeply sympathetic, is defined almost entirely by subservience via her gender and immigration status. Tapa's film lacks the emotional richness of Majidi's, but it at least features two vivid, distinct characters. They engage in tentative, vulnerable conversations that are more affecting than the film as a whole.