Schöne tote Mädchen

This is 'a story in a story movie'. A woman is telling a story from a few years ago to a policeman because her son is kidnapped. And that part of the movie - her story - is great. With 'crazy house' that she moved in, weird neighbours strange situations. I think that the movie would've been better if it had ended with that, without 'the present story'. I really don't see a reason for that kidnapping part. Maybe to extend the lenght of the movie (only 75 minutes), but that just lowered my opinion about this movie. So it's 8, but could have been 9 or even 10 (if it was 60 minutes:-)

Functioning less than a straight-out thriller than an intriguing slice of life in a golden-hued Zagreb in the early naughts, "Fine Dead Girls" presents a decrepit building in the Croatian capital as a microcosm of the former Yugoslav nation and its inhabitants as they try to pick up the pieces from a bloody not-so-distant past. Dalibor Matanic's saga liberally borrows from a lot of classics, but at least he vividly captures the tension and paranoia emanating from each individual, like an ex-army man who ostensibly beats up his wife, to a physician who does illegal abortion in his topmost room, and a man who can't let go of her wife even in death. At the center of such palette of idiosyncratic characters are a young lesbian couple played with understated effectiveness by Olga Pakalovic and Nina Violic. The two initially hide their relationship from a homophobic landlady with a highly chauvinistic son, but are eventually found out and soon find themselves spiraling into societal and moral conflicts. At its best, "Fine Dead Girls" is a meditative introspection into the Croatian psyche during the immediate post-war period, in which various societies struggle to forge an identity following the Balkan conflicts. Matanic doesn't give the film enough momentum to sustain an effective third act but "Fine Dead Girls" deftly paints a convincing portrait of a nation irresolutely trying to welcome every member with open arms regardless of orientation, even as it's raring to return to its feet.

I haven't seen any Croatian film made since the beginning of war. It's funny to see actors we used to know ten or fifteen years older now.

In this film I liked the production - camera, photography and editing are really professional - you wouldn't say it was made on Balkans. Acting is mostly OK as well.

On the other side, the directing and the story are pretty weak. Everything seems like one dark documentary (yes we know the Balkan really looks like that, and people are really like that). No artistic moments, no metaphors, whole story is explicitly presented, and I dislike this way of movie making. That's why the movie was boring to me, both the story and the way it will be told is predictable.

Though, film-making technique is really good and I guess Croatia can make some really good movies, this one is on the right way.

I am very sorry becouse i didnt see this film on the pula film festival, i didnt go that year at all because the last year the films were so bad that i didnt go the next year. I m sorry becouse this film is actualy a very good film, and i dont mean a good film from croatia but in general. It was so fresh film for our cinema industry, just what we needed. Our films in general are very stupid or are comedies that arent so fun(even some thinks that Bresans comedies are really good, and they arent too far from the truth but still they arent a film that i would recomended for somone), but in the case of Fine Mrtve Djevojke I would recomended it to any one as a good film, far from masterpiece but also far from bad, a film that i would rate of 7/10 which is a very high grade. So in this film we have two lesbian that come to live in a house in Zagreb but they will see and experience the people hate and understanding for those who are diferent. The film is prety good in every aspect it has very good mood, acting, story and directing, and it captured very well the situation in our country, the (not)understending for thos who are diferent. A nice little film that has become a big film becouse it has no competition. Also i wont to say about these year of pula film festival the winner Tu is a ok film and nothing more 6/10 for me, what hold that film is very good acting, and also the film capture very good the situation in our country. Also I have seen 2 more films(i didnt have time for otheras unfortenly). Infekcija is the film that won the prize of the audience and its a combination of sf and horor and I can easly say its one of the worst film on the festival for sure 3/10, evrything in this film was silly and dull, I expected much more from the sequel of Infekcija, a truly disapointing. Also I have seen the film Onaj Koji Ce Ostati Neprimjecen and I dont now what to say about that film maybe somone will like it and discover some meaning, but for me there isnt any meaning, what was the point of this movie, also one of the most boring movie I have seen, it didnt go nowhere no story, so bad dialaogs that i couldnt belive, acting wasnt so bad but it cant be good if there isnt no screnplay so one of the worst films i ever seen 2/10, a waste of money, time and talent(if there are some). Too bad I didnt see the others films which looked much more better than these ones wich was the weakest films on the festival. So the films are maiden more than in recent years but that doesent bring the quality(excepts are Fine Mrtve Djevojke, and if u want maybe Bresans films).

Im sorry for the bad english

Iva and Maria, a young lesbian pair, rent a favorable, nice dwelling in a less good area of Zagreb, Croatia. But unfortunately, included in the rent are the neighbors, the neighbors from hell. The curious landlady, foreigners flogging nationalists, an old man, who live with his dead wife and a man, who beat his wife regularly, are just one part of this neighbourhood. When one of the neighbors falls in love with Iva, the situation escalates - with the result of three dead people at the end. This is a story about the fight for tolerance and the own life, full of psychological shock effects and colorful pictures about suburban living in the capital of Croatia.

Suffocated life. Intolerance. Free-living. Love and love deviations. Masses of suffocated people walking through streets, shopping in big supermarkets.

Fine mrtve djevojke was the Golden Arena winner(best movie, best directing, best production...) in 2002 at the Croatian Pula Film Festival and the best Croatian movie of the same year.

8/10