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Reviews
Stric (2022)
Support domestic genre film!
Watched it the other day in cinema, 'cos I wanted to pay full price for the ticket and show my support for Croatian non-arty-farty film.
I'm ambivalent with what I saw.
Camera work, scenography, the cast that's all good and the initial idea for the story is fresh. However, I didn't care for the characters, their plight didn't leave me at the edge of the seat. This film wants to be a psychological thriller but it misses some key components. It has plot holes and there are some rather unconvincing moments - I don't want to write spoilers.
Maybe I'm too critical, but it's only because I want more of non-arty-farty Croatian films and I want those films to be better.
Zbornica (2021)
Ever wondered what it's really like to work in a school?
Watched this film yesterday evening at Zagreb Film Festival and didn't expect much to be honest. However it surprised me positively. It depicts, quite vividly, the atmosphere of an elementary school. A new member of the staff, Anamarija the school counsellor, is trying to find her footing in a new enviroment.
The film doesn't explain much at first, the viewer is kind of thrown in and left to fend for him or herself. However it's rewarding after a while as you begin to catch all the threads.
The conflict of the main plot is slowly evolving, escalating in the right direction, and I was interested to find out where it will go but... Unfortunately, towards the end the film starts to limp a bit and it's kind of anticlimactic.
Maybe it's the main character? She is often somewhere in the background, as there are many strong side characters who steal the spotlight. Some of those are waaaay more interesting than Anamarija. As the film progresses she tends to become a bit passive. Also I didn't see much variety in her emotions and expressions... I can't point my finger but something is missing and I didn't get that sense of fulfilment in the end.
On a positive note, directing is fresh and skillful, editing is superb and so is the music. Old Croatian folk songs, in some strange way, mix very well with the atmosphere of the Staff Room.
In conclusion...
Those who work in public education will undoubtedly find many situations relatable. The film is populated with all kinds characters of teachers that we all remember from our school days. Some are sad and pathetic, some hilarious and some are mad as hatters. In short, a faithful portrayal of what's it like to work in a school.
The film is generally good and I wish it good luck on its festival run.
ZG80 (2016)
Unpretentious and fun
I want to point out that I just came back from the theatre so maybe I'll miss something, but I do feel that the impression of the film has settled.
To put it short, it was fun and I would recommend ZG80 to all who are interested in 'ex-YU' football hooliganism, just before 'YU' got it's infamous prefix 'ex'.
Apparently it was like a mad school trip to the football stadium, with almost no football, but with lots of alcohol, fist fighting and brutal jokes.
There is a lot of political/nationalistic subtext which will only be understood by people who grew up in the Balkans. However, I would like to encourage football fans from around the world to give it a try, it's a great way to learn about ethnic tensions between Croats and Serbs.
The film itself was made basically for two groups in Croatia, middle age male and young male audiences. The first group wants to re- experience their own memories, old hooligan anecdotes and urban myths, while the second group wants to check if those myths and anecdotes are true.
ZG80 is a fun ride but it has plot holes. In the beginning you see potentially interesting situations and characters that never fully develop. After a while I felt no dramatic suspense as I saw that nothing big or important will happen. It makes me a bit sad because this film could have and should have been made better. But then again it doesn't pretend to be something that it isn't.
Realistically it deserves a 6 but I give it a 7. Why? Because... Dinamo, Dinamo, Dinamoooo, Dinamo, Dinamo, Dinamooo, Dinamo, Dinamo, Dinamooo, volim te DI-NA-MO!
Kutija (2013)
This is how you make a good short film with little money
Whatched it couple of days ago at the Pula film festival with my girlfriend. We were both astonished, mesmerized and thrilled with what we saw.
Apart from good acting, what caught our attention was the way the author built cinematic tension and how he managed to grow it and guide it till the last scene. Good tension building is what is lacking in recent Croatian cinematography and I am sooo delighted that at least someone is doing something about it.
We saw it among other 3 or 4 Croatian short films, which were mostly also good, but this one stands above all of them. Someone once said that audiences go to cinema to worry, not to enjoy themselves. I am definitely one of those people, cos' by the end of this short and small masterpiece I was biting my nails so hard that one my fingers was bleeding. This is how good I think this movie is!
Breza (1967)
Imaginative and morbid symbolism of Croatian folklore
This is a dark movie and it takes you to a place of unease. But it's worth it!
A satire of the traditional peasant mentality set in north Croatia in 1920-ties. The author of the story, Croatian master of satire SLAVKO KOLAR, originally wrote it as tragicomedy, but the film doesn't show much of comedy. Only tragedy remains. Creepy and a bit surreal landscape in the background only enhances dark feelings. Contrast between tragic protagonists and hypocritical traditional customs of the villagers is truthfully conveyed. The way the director showed social relations, rituals, ancient folklore (even witchcraft) that makes the fiber of Croatian peasant society, made a lasting impression on me.
If you know someone who want's to learn something about Slavic cultural heritage, be free to recommend them this small masterpiece. I recommend it especially to those viewers of similar cultural background, Poles, Slovenes, Slovaks, Czechs, West Ukrainians... all those Slavs whose countries used to be a part of Austro-Hungarian Empire. Of course, others are welcome too.
There are simply too many motives and interesting characters to analyze here in detail.
Croatian cinematography at it's best!
10/10 and a big respect to the director, Ante Babaja!!!
The Show Must Go On (2010)
Croatian film I'm not ashamed of!
First of all I'm a Croat and this is the best Croatian film in the last 10 years, therefore I can not be objective. I gave it 8/10 but this film deserves 7/10. So there you have it patriotism at work.
Secondly this film was made for 40,000$ but looks like it costed couple of millions, which means that the crew who made this film are actually wizards in real life, apprentice's of Gandalf himself (there is no other explanation).
Set somewhere in the near future the film depicts parallel plots, a clone of a "Big Brother" show (called Housed!), World War 3 going nuclear and messed up relationship between divorced parents arguing over their kid. Messes up parents are TV personalities, father is a producer of a "Big Brother" show and mother is a host and editor of a major news TV station (EUROTV). The people in the "Big Brother" show are unaware of the ongoings in the outside world, and the war is fought between the NATO and some unspecified "Eastern Alliance". That's all I'll say about the plot.
Plots revolve non-linear and are a refreshment for Croatian cinematography. Acting is mostly good, with just couple of scenes unbalanced which is a HUGE improvement for our small cinematography.
Anyway I recommend this film to everyone who likes SF, post-apocalypse genre.
PS - Did I mention that this film was made for 40,000$?!!! I can't believe it, you won't believe it but amazingly enough it's true
Sedamdeset i dva dana (2010)
Family business
Set in the region of Lika in Croatia, the film shows a family whose only source of income is the monthly US military pension from the deceased grandfather who died in WW2 (on the island of Sicily). His widow wife, the senile grandmother of the family recives the money every month, of course she doesn't see a nickle, the rest of the family splits it between them. So they keep her from harm and take great care of her cos' as long as she lives they don't have to work (sounds like "the Balkan dream").
This is the premise, and that's all I'll say about the content of the film.
The idea of the film is likable and there are some major ex-Yugoslavian film stars featured. The film is a refreshment for the Croatian cinematography cos' the always present theme of war is not the center point of the story, sure it's there but in the background. I can't tell if it's going to be a success on the film festivals around the world but it could win fans here in the region for sure, both Serbia and Croatia.
The way that the story unravels is a bit predictable but it's done by the book and you don't get lost. The directing isn't imaginative and that's my biggest objection, it's a bit boring. The story is interesting but I fell it could have been made better.
The director is Danilo erbedija the son of a well known father Rade erbedija, even Rade's daughter Lucija erbedija appears. So the erbedija family made a movie about another family business :)) Fans of Rade erbedija will be pleased with his performance, he is the absolute best and stands above all the others, who are not bad don't get me wrong, but the difference in quality between Pater Familias & Co is obvious so the film appears to limp a bit, it's unbalanced. I see a lot of resemblance with "Prosjaci i sinovi" a classic ex-Yugoslavian drama series from the 1970-ties in which Rade erbedija played, well the same role as here :) But it's forgiven, he is a great actor and I just love that role so I can't hold it against him.
The film has it's flaws but I generally like it. Some of the supporting actors are brilliant and fun to watch, most of the jokes are funny, in Croatian at least, and the rural "redneck" setting is more or less believable.
I give it 6/10
Ostrzhe sledované vlaky (1966)
They don't make 'em as they used to
Although it's made 43 years ago it's easy to watch and it's easy to relate to. Clear and simple human story full of warm Czech humor and real-life characters. It's about a young man who gets a job in Czech railway company in the midst of WWII. There is a main story but it's almost as if the big story is not important but the characters. Bare in mind that this is Menzel's first serious film and he won an Oscar with it. The film itself is a total opposite from films today, there are no visual effects, there are no big celebrity names, the budget wasn't big (I suppose), but the story is great and the actors convey the message in a convincing manner, for me this is what a film is all about. Although I have respect for some of the directors today, but they all kind of forget that it's the story that drives the film. Download it from a torrent, buy chocolate chip biscuits, make some Earl Gray tea and enjoy.