mila271 Reviews

I'd Prefer Your Problems Princess (2018)

nicely done cinematography, yet poor story

[2/10 · 5 February 2022]

If nothing else, this movie is really nicely done, pleasant countryside to see, villages, towns in Belarus (or Russia?, I am not sure where) well chosen team of artists, some of them well known. Yet, story is poorly written and there's not really any twist or surprise, to put it mildly, it is really boring and predictable. Yes, we know it is low-cost production, but it is not an excuse for poor writing and dull story, it is really pity, since actresses and actors are almost all pleasant and nice. We can watch beautiful landscapes, but there's not interesing story. Real pity. I expected much more. I gave 2 stars only for great landscapes and cinematography, measurements between light and colours are well achieved. Once again, poor story and bad scenario.

Force 10 from Navarone (1978)

Historicallly inaccurate depiction of WW2

[1/10 · 24 August 2021]

This movie will be definately sheer fun for the majority of watchers. However, it has so many flows, and totally wrong depiction of WW2 in Yugoslavia. To make a long story short, I will mention the biggest mistakes. First, we see small group of American and British commandos and explosive experts sent to the region near the Mediterranen sea (That would be Adriatic sea, and the only possible region given the all details in the movie, would be somewhere in South Dalmatia (as they soon go by foot to Mostar and then by train to Sarajevo, what would be simply unrealistic and would take a months walk through the mountains) So, in the movie, we see Chetniks pretending to be partisans (and partisans were pro-communist movement) those Chethiks are depicted as German's helpers. It is historically wrong. Very much wrong. Because, in Dalmatia region (later incorporated in Croatia, by dictator Tito) Chetniks were never cooperated with Germans, but only with Italians, in order to stop Croatian ustashe troops to comit crimes against Serbian population. Croatian ustashe organized many concentration camps and torturted and killed thousands of Serbs and other non-Croats. None of that is visible or mentioned in the movie. There were, however, some small groups of Chetniks really involved in the fight against partisans, but only in Eastern and Southern Serbia. Majority od Chetnik movement was led by General Draza Mikhailovitch who never cooperated with Germans and was fierce fighter against the German occupation. So, if you depict Chetniks as German helpers, it is totally wrong, since in Dalmatia, Chetniks worked with Italians only, and where opose to Germans. There are also more and more goofs and incorectness in the movie, so it looks more like some comic-book made for kids. Like: English-speaking Germans with thick accent, wrong accenting Serbian language, etc, yet it is not ''visible'' for average movie consumer. There are, however, pleasant landscapes of Yugoslavia, interesting solutions for various uniforms presented in the movie (although most of it was wrong and unsuitable: communist-partisans all depicted in brand-new uniforms with ''titovka'' caps and golden markings on their sleeves (in reality not used before late 1944 and early 1945) and brand new uniforms. Silly masked Chetniks that looks like a Egyptian mummies, and so on. Movie was shot in Yugoslavia, but there were just like 2 or 3 original Yugoslavs (including the kid) and some are not even credited. All in all, movie really looks wrong and simply not convincing on many levels! British commandos sent to blow up strategic dam?! Cmon! In reality, that was a job for heavy aviation and aerial bombing. Too unrealistic. Barbara Bach, Harrison Ford, Franco Nero, all good artists, but the script is naive and unrealistic. Especially real historic facts are largely ignored and depicted wrongly. I gave one, since there is no given chance for zero.

Slucaj porodice Boskovic (2020– )

under-average scenario, bad acting, non-humorous. Payed by tax-payers.

[1/10 · 25 December 2020]

This is really disappointing, everything is so under-average, non-imaginative scenario, bad acting, bad camera shots. Especially irritating camera angles and wrong shots, too long or too short. Non-consistency all around. Natasa Markovic is a good actress, yet scenario leave her no choice,so she may accepted to be in this failrue just for money. Other participants are below-average. The worst thing is (after all) TV Beograd is Government run all the times, and they are making this sitcom with people's money. What a waste of money, since there were many other better scenarios than this.Total failrue.Kitchy torture and fake reality, false depicting of Serbian modern life in Belgrade. Real residents of modern Belgrade (and for that matter, of every bigger city in Serbia) will realize that everything in thos sitcom is a total fake. Blurry imagery of non-existing ''middle class'' destroyed by the same authority who is wasting money on ''domestic'' and ''humorous'' programme (or, better put ''humorous'' without the single grain of humour and fun. Miserable.

Jauja (2014)

Mixture of the genres, yet failed to decide what it really is. Pity, it had potential to be better!

[1/10 · 26 April 2020]

I was attracted to this movie, for Viggo Mortensen is a great actor,and I liked most of his movies. Also, some reviews were positive, and I thought why not give it a chance. Some critics claimed this is (also) western (''western''? although I did not see any real connection to western genre! To me, it is a mixture of genres, but above all, it is fantasy. Fantasy, probably, hidden into everything else other IMDB users and ''real'' critics described this movie. Yet, it is not really nor western, nor fantasy, nor drama. In some way, it is similar to ''Gerry'' (if I remember the title well) There's not really any plot in this movie. What is plot, is, perhaps, runaway daughter, but we dont see how she ends up and what really happened to her. Best guess, is, perhaps, the old idea, too many times used, about ''double universe'' and perhaps, some sort of ''time-travel''?? Yet, we dont really see any of that, it is just our wild guess. On the other side, costumes are very well done, alas, in vain, because costumes only can not contribute enough to save this movie. Movie-consumers, or DVD buyers, in general, will expect more. Viggo Mortensen is good actor, but what he can do here, with weak plot (almost non-exixtent) Strange format of 35 mm camera looks odd, but nice and movie is techincally very well done, with beautiful landscapes, but that is not enough. All on levels, I am not happy with this movie, it is too slow, there''s hardly any story, and we dont what happened to the main protagonists and everything is left opened and unfinished, which is quite disappointing.

Legacy (2015)

Not bad, but could me much better.

[4/10 · 8 July 2017]

This movie is first one, by Serbian director N.Cipranic. It's not bad, but it could be much better. Seemingly, it was a independent production. It means, it received not a single cent from government or ministry. Still, it seems this movie is made for purpose of participation in international festivals, shows,etc. Original Serbian viewer, can easily see something is artificial in this movie. Scenes from the street, from the pub, everything looks like that, without real life. So gloomy and dark. For sure, present-day Serbia is not the country of darkness and pessimists. Serbian people are mainly optimistic and cheerful, merry. Of course, in bigger cities like Belgrade, something like that could happen. New, young actor, Ljubomir Bulajic, is somehow, IMHO, mismatch to the role. He is not bad, but still something is missing, because his lines are limited by limited scenario. His face is vivid, nice, but still something is missing. Probably, original scenario had to be shortened because financial limitations. So, it is not actor'sfault by any means. Another role is one of Milena Zivanovic. Through the movie, camera dislike her. Her face is sad and gloom, and too expressionless. Perhaps, it was original idea? Too late to know for sure, as, perhaps, the damage is done. Technically, many scenes in the movie are too dark. Unrealistic for real, light and optimistic city of Belgrade. Older artists, Svetozar Cvetkovic and Danica Maksimovic, are more natural, and they played their roles much better, with excellence. So better, it left new artists (Bulajic and Zivanovic) looking like real rookies. Sexual intercourse between Cvetkovic and Zivanovic is pictured unpleasant and needlessly semi-violent. But, perhaps it was the intention of director? We will never know for sure. After all, the movie is too short. Story required at least 20 to 30 minutes more. Thats why the movie seems bit crippled and too short. Scenes in ''bordel'' are highly unrealistic. Prostitution is illegal in Serbia, and it was not clearly shown. I gave ''4'' for this movie. It is not a bad, but surely, looked to me like unfinished and somehow wrong. Like, it not a real Serbian movie, more like cross between Czech and German. Less Slavic and more Germanic feeling prevailed in this movie.

In the Name of Father and Son (1999)

Too many prejudices.

[1/10 · 4 April 2012]

This movie was surprise to me, because it is easy to understand it has huge political background, and hard to believe script. Whole story is very hard to believe in, very naive. Father and mother are trying to hide their son in the attic not to be drafted in JNA (Yugoslav People's Army back then in early 90's) And JNA was regular army, and not half- regular or semi-regular or whatever it is tried to depict in this movie. Everybody who live in former Yugoslavia, know that it was country sort of ''half-socialsim and half-capitalism'' and that it was not communist country at all. Dictator Tito gained all the power and created artificial borders between so called ''republics'' and ''autonomous provinces'' which was his dictatorship way and mean to keep various nations under his Marxist boot, to rule like a czar and to put thousands of innocent people (mainly Serbs and other non-Croats) in prisons and he even organized special gulag-type Stalinist concentration camp called ''Goli otok'' But non of it is shown in this movie, just naive and poor cinematography, with strong anti-Serb and anti-Montenegrin view, and generally to say, anti-Yugoslav view, because - just Serbs and Montenegrins are ridiculed here. Shown as attackers, shown as semi- Christian people (Just see the scene on the graveyard, which is totally unfair towards Orthodox Christian religion) It is hard to believe that lot of people will believe in what is shown in this, I dare to say, Goebels type of propaganda. There is many better movies about war in former Yugoslavia. Actually, this is not a war movie, too. This movie has a general problem, what sort of movie it is, at all? It is not a satire, not a comedy, although it has lots of its elements. It is not a action movie, it is, at the end, drama, but drama which spread lots of badly shown scene, acting is generally good, but the script is prevailing in its naiveness and is too idle, too hoax, for every person who was once proud to be a Yugoslav. Yugoslavia was not a perfect country, but it does not deserve to be treated that badly. I thought to give 3 for the sake of good acting, but I gave 1 because of the poor script and many prejudices in this movie. I live once in Yugoslavia, but this movie is far from the truth. Too many prejudices and false statements depicted.

The Belgrade Phantom (2009)

Nice try, although bit predictable

[2/10 · 9 October 2009]

I expected much more from this movie...Yet I was disappointed in many ways...Urban legend of "Beogradski phantom" (Belgrade phantom) is used, and since I was teenager in late 70's I am recalling exactly that times. First, IMHO, there are lot of miscast in this movie. Characters are played without enough passion. Leading role (Phantom himself) is played emotionless - without face expression, without stress or anger or joy. What will feel the driver when is chased by dozen of police cars? Will he remain silent, expressionless and dumb? I doubt so! Also, chief of police is played not good enough - like he is some fruit-seller on the market. All chase-scenes were shot in the dark, pretending we see Belgrade in 1979! But still we can see street signs, exchange-office sign from modern times! Also, Phantom wears bad copy, clearly visible, of "ADIDAS" sport-shoes, with 4 stripes ! That was such mistake! Real ADIDAS is with 3 stripes, and in late 70's there were easy to buy original Adidas shoes in every shoe-shop! That was big mistake. Well, I really like beginning of the movie, with scenes taken from real documentaries, but lately, everything went sloppy. I gave 2/10 just because I like scenes taken from documentaries.

Zivi i mrtvi (2007)

Unrealistic picture of WW2

[1/10 · 25 October 2008]

This movie is just another of those from Croatia, which is trying to picture WW2 wrongly. First of all, there is 2 parallel stories, one from WW2 and another one from recent war in former Yugoslavia. Scenario is weak, based (and not justified) on "ghost" - although there are no real ghost here...Everything is unrealistic (at least the costumes are done well). Group of Croatian domobrani, with its ustashi captain is trying to fight partisans. We can not see the partisans. Battle scenes are weakly done. Nothing is seems to be good enough here. I just wonder why Velibor Topic accepted this role, story is weak and there is not really space fot him to show how good actor he is. Other acting is also poor and under-average. Croatian ustashi regime in WW2 (supported by Germany),killed and slaughtered thousands of innocent people (mainly Serbs and Jews) yet here it is not even mentioned, ustashi crimes are forgotten here. Ustashi and domobrani are just the group of armed people running through woods, and at the end we see "ghosts"?! No real end, no real story. I gave 1/10

Change Me (2007)

Unrealistic picture of Serbia

[2/10 · 6 September 2008]

So I don't really believe much people outside Serbia will see this...Even better, because this movie gives wrong and unrealistic picture of Serbia. In fact, it gives pretty good picture of rich and wealthy inhabitants of Belgrade. Here we have shallow love story about dentist falling in love with his patient. Naive, shallow story, OK then, there is hundreds of movies like that. I gave 2/10 just because this is technically, very well done, you will see couple of nice panorama views of Belgrade. Otherwise, this is dedicated to the life of rich and upper class people in Belgrade, nice, luxury apartments, flats, nice pricey cars, nice garments, etc. Everything is so nice (well, in fact, there is one scene with poor man searching thru garbage, but you'll soon forget it,since it last couple of seconds only) but the story is poor and predictable. Acting is also poor and with lots of miscast. Sorry, I gave 2/10, I like Serbian movies, but this one is poor and under-average.

Three Summer Days (1997)

Good movie from Serbia, not a masterpiece, but still good

[7/10 · 1 September 2008]

Here we have an average movie from Serbia (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia back then) Story about two refugees from Croatia (Republic of Srpska Krajina then - who escaped from Croatian terror and find themselves in Belgrade) In times when Serbia was full of Serb refugees from other parts of former Yugoslavia, like Bosnia and Croatia) Fine picture of Serbia from mid 1990's (1995-1996) these 2 guys working at the beach, renting parasols. They somehow try to survive, working "on black" like thousands of others these years. Story is simple, involving young girl who is trapped in prostituion and crime. They try to help her, anyway she is deeply unhappy and whole story is tragic. I can't see why some people is giving low marks for this movie, it is average Balkan story, well produced and filmed. Nice role of Slavko Stimac and M.Jokovic,too. If you stumble on this movie, and interested in Balkan region, don't miss it! I gave 7 out of 10

Avanture Borivoja Surdilovica (1980)

Good movie, based on the VRUC VETAR serial from Serbia.

[9/10 · 13 January 2005]

Based on the famous serial VRUC VETAR ( Hot Wind ) in production of RTS Radio Televizija Srbije _ Beograd _ Belgrade.

Was exported in many countries, especially well received in Bulgaria and former USSR.

Very good movie, with great fun. Worth to find and see. Great movie with many well known actors from Serbia and former Yugoslavia. Based on serial, contains original humor from South Serbia region. I recommend this movie, although I am not sure if it is easy to find. I didn't see it recently, but I guess it will be publish in the future, or perhaps RTS will publish it in DVD in the future.