PROVOCATION, BALKAN STYLE

Balkan is a place of prejudice, intolerance and hatred since the dawn of the time and it will continue to be just that for many decades to come. Hence, most of the dramas originating from southeastern Europe tend to drown in the overall sense of helplessness and futility of the grim reality.

Rajko Grlic offers something a little bit different, mixing the heavy drama layout of a Croat fascist offspring homosexual being beaten in his own town with some brutal dark humor of the forced relationship with his Serbian neighbors. Although very painful to watch if you are born in Serbia and Croatia, the script will make you laugh, think and process the dark subjets it ruthelessly tackles. Much of that will be made possible via magnificent role of Nebojsa Glogovac and his ability to swap identities in a blink of an eye. Symbolism will be very strong throughout the entire course of the movie, one of the strongest in decades from the entire cinematographic region.

However, the sheer amount of provocations will engulf the storyline from time to time, diminishing their effect to some extent. Also, the main parallel with the theory of the Croatian constitution will be just too artificial if you are a Balkan born.

„The Constitution” is one of the rare cinematographic examples that deserves a „roaming” to the European public.

THE CONSTITUTION – 7/10

FOTO: vecernji.hr

CIRCLES OF TRIUMPH

FOTO: www.ethosreview.org

Modern Serbian cinema struggles hard to compete with the other European cinematographies due to lack of money, as well as some extensive corruption and misplaced funding by the state.

Even so, every couple of years, a bright star shines across the Serbian film sky, offering us some truly remarkable dramatic achievements. One of those flicks is yet another great movie by Srdan Golubovic, ”Circles” (other being ''The Trap''), heart chilling war story about the tragedy prevented that led to another tragedy and all of its consequences for the people involved.

Camera and directing are at the level of the more developed film industries in Europe, followed by very well balanced casting. Aleksandar Bercek is simply flawless, backed up by reliable Nebojsa Glogovac andn Leon Lucev, while the much appraised young Nikola Rakocevic falls behind the rest of the cast.

As for the flaws, the major would be too sudden and sketchy ending, undeserved by such a quality developed story and characters.

Overall, ”Circles” represent one of the best European indie dramas in 2013, as well as the best Serbian movie in this decade.

CIRCLES - 8/10

PLAIN AWFUL

FOTO: www.filmovanje.com

Serbian movie is the only thing with less quality than the Serbian football. All the disadvantages of the modern Serbian movie are quite obvious, even inside trilateral co-production with Korean and Japan.

Overacting, ridiculous lines of the naïve script, cheap backdrop of Belgrade and a pathetic story of a successful tenor coming parts with his life after the thyroid gland surgery is just unwatchable.

”Tenor” is a waste of your precious free time and your hard earned money and deserves none of your attention.

TENOR - 1/10