Movies #4

Sofia Film Fest in Plovdiv - Personal report and Impressions (part II)

The movies I saw were “Munje!” (“Thunderbirds!”), “Kad porastem bicu kengur” (“When I grow up I’ll be a Kangaroo”) and “Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter… and Spring Again”.
“Munje!” (2001) is a Serbian comedy written by Srdja Andjelic and directed by Radivoje Andric. The main characters are ordinary young guys, living in Belgrade. Mare and Pop are two musician wannabees, trying to get some appreciation and achieve something in life. And soon they’re in the middle of a mess. Even if the movies is often said to be underground, it looks well, shot with good equipment and nice colors and lights. It feels different from most of the Balkan movies these days, which is good if you want to attract young audience and make it watch your movie instead of the blockbuster in the local cinema. All in all, the movie didn’t touch me, but people who are into drum’n’bass music will surely like it.
“Kad Porastem Bicu Kengur” (2004) – again Serbian comedy, again directed by Radivoje Andric, again aiming at the young audience. The characters are quite similar, most of the actors are from the “Munje!” cast, the vision and the style are identical too. The story here is situated in a common Belgrade neighbourhood. Braca is trying to get a normal date with the model Iris. Somi and Duje bet on the London football club Eastwich, where their school friend is goalkeeper, against favourite Manchester United. The guys from the neighbourhood are gathered in the local Café to watch the game, cursing and debating. Hibrid and Avaks spend their days killing time at the rooftop, drinking beer, listening to the radio and smoking weed if there’s any, holding tight to their philosophy – “We don’t have any incomes, we don’t have any outcomes.” Oh, and there’s an UFO ;) The movie feels close to the reality of the majority of the young people in the ex-socialistic republics (among which is also Bulgaria). The characters are confused when their childhood is gone and they realize that life goes on very fast and they haven’t achieved anything. They keep their dreams, trapped in the reality where their efforts are rarely rewarded. With this comes the lack of motivation and they find themselves fighting with their own laziness and weak will. The movie makes a good social comment, without trying to be harsh or edifying. It is a cheerful film, optimistic at some degree. It’s nothing brilliant, but it’s a refreshing piece of cinema.

To Be Continued...