Review by Ellen Slatkin from the Denver International Film Festival	Exerpt from "L'alberto Del Desidero" by Eva Fornszaric	Reference Books
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Bio > Excerpt from Eva Fornazaric:

Eva Fornazaric, from her book on Croatian film “L’albero Del Desiderio,” published by La Casa Usher,Firenza, Italy

In the firmament of Croatian cinema of the 1980s it seems that one name shines above all others: Rajko Grlic. One cannot ignore the characteristics of this director which render him unique in his genre.

A “pure” representative, (i.e. purely representative), of Zagabrian cinema, Grlic began his career as a prodigy. In itself this might not be such an amazing thing, but Grlic succeeds at constantly astonishing one by the stubbornness with which he follows his career to becoming an auteur.

The progression of Grlic’s style can be seen developing across his films. Early indication of his autuer style come in , If It Kills Me(1975), and Bravo Maestro(1978). Further support of his talent is found in You Love Only Once(1984), In the Jaws of Life, and Three for Happiness. That Summer of White Roses, marks Grlic’s great triumph in Tokyo.

It is perhaps, not right to get to know Grlic only due to this his international interpretation of local themes. Grlic is an international filmmaker, but even so, he remains the only Croatian auteur that I have discovered in my research. He is able to make people laugh by making them see themselves on the screen. Better than anyone else he strips bare the shabby little foibles of every day life leaving the most attentive spectator the rewarding task of reading between the lines. Perhaps it is for these reasons that Grlic has won himself a place in the hearts of his public, but never even associated himself with official critical judgement.