deckokojiobecava Reviews

Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (1996)

Pretty Villages Burning Pretty

[8/10 · 3 April 2016]

Lepa Sela Lepo Gore (1996) is probably the Serbian director's finest movie.

Skilfully made story of life and death of a few people in a few days of the civil war in Bosnia, and days (and decades) that succeeded and preceded it all. In the vein of classic Serbian black humour-filled dramas, and also tracking in the steps of the classic (anti) war movies, this movie has it all really - good story (based on a true experience of one group of Serb soldiers during the war) and a tight and slick photography and editing, considering it's time and the circumstances.

An honest and entertaining war drama from start to finish, and, as mentioned,this film nicely puts together feel of all the classic war films with that mid90s-early QT filming feel to it, for this hard and thrilling ride into the hell of war. Very good watch.

8/10.

Special Education (1977)

quality social drama

[8/10 · 18 March 2015]

Specijalno Vaspitanje (1977) (Special Education)

Low budget, down to earth, serious, personal and also quite cute Serbian drama about a community in a juvenile/abandoned kids educational center located on the outskirts of Belgrade. It's centered around two juvenile "inmates" (one fairly experienced and one fresh-cut) and their relationship with a new pedagogue in life they share inside and outside the juvenile center. It's grainy and realistic - typical of the cinema of that era, and with some great 70s funk!

Specijalno Vaspitanje is pretty much great little ''real socialism" movie.

8/10.

The Promising Boy (1981)

zasto me svi udaraju u glavu?

[7/10 · 11 February 2010]

The Promising Lad (1981), a quirky little drama and comedy set around the circle of characters from the Belgrade New Wave scene at the dawning of the 80's, with some great music from the local new wave/postpunk bands of the era, and with some songs written for the movie.

Quick set-up - young Belgrade student-type guy, after some "accidents" and head trauma, starts coming to different terms with his life and his surroundings, while getting involved in Belgrade underground new wave scene...

Solid little flick, and it's one of the few homeborn movies of the time that doesn't feel much "heavy" - it's rather entertaining but also quite thoughtful social drama.

7/10.