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Reviews
Svjedoci (2003)
Well done film...available now on Netflix instant view
Well done film about the Third Balkan War in the 1990s, in this case, Croats vs. Serbs. The film takes a single incident--the killing of a Serb civilian who lives in a predominantly Croat town during the war--by Croat soldiers. This starts the plot rolling. Soon layer after layer of the true story is revealed as the movie shifts backs to certain scenes and repeats them from a slightly different angle and perspective. In this particular film, the technique is used very effectively without being annoying or pretentious.
I agree with many of the other reviewers--an underrated film that should be watched. I give it 8 stars.
Note: as of Sep 2013, this film is available on Netflix Instant View as well as DVD. Glad I found it.
Montevideo, Bog te video! (2010)
A bit contrived, but lots to like...
First, I find the Serbian reviews of this film here to be particularly refreshing: when I watched the film for the first time, I thought it over-exploited Serb nationalism and wasn't sure how that played out in Serbia. I found reviews from inside Serbia to acknowledge this fact and to be very sophisticated in their analysis of this part of the film. As someone moving to the region shortly, it was good to see such honest criticism.
Second, the film is not bad but there are some issues for me. I thought it a bit too sentimental for my tastes and a bit contrived in its plot-- with plenty of stereotypical characters, from the peasant girl to the Croatian soccer team to the King of Yugoslavia. Another thing, the main actors (male) are a bit too "pretty"--with lots of make-up and stylized hair. They looked more like Parisian fashion models than rough-and-tough soccer players.
Finally, the soundtrack is just a bit overbearing at times with sweet violins and folk music stanzas--some scenes were dramatic enough without the heavy, syrupy background music.
Yet, there is much to like. The photography is great, the period jazz pieces wonderful, and the general story line nice. I saw it with an American audience--knowledgeable about the Balkans--who "got" all the national nuances of the difficulties between the Croats and the Serbs in the forming of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In general, we all liked it as a nice, enjoyable movie that didn't break any new ground in film making but was accessible entertainment. Yes, we Americans do like happy endings and this movie filled all those notches.
Bottom line: It's a nice movie, worth watching for pure light-hearted entertainment. I gave it an eight for the great photography and the easy to follow "beginning-middle-end" story line that successfully told this story. I look forward to the sequel as I learn this very difficult Serbian language (yes, I still need the subtitles for a bit more time!)