On the Milky Road

I watched this movie at the Vue Cinema as part of the London Film Festival 2016.

A delirious "magical realism" that we have come to expect and love from an Emir Kusturica movie. He plays a Serbian milk man in love with a Serbian-Italian beauty played by Monica Bellucci.

We have a vicious clock, snakes that drink milk and wrap around people as a means of delaying them, female gymnastics out of this world and sheep that explode violently - not forgetting a literal blood bath.

The plot gets a bit over-tangled but there is nothing too over-the- top for Kusturica especially when trying to resolve a difficult situation, not even flying!

The backdrop of horrible warfare is almost matter-of-fact to the excessively romantic story that really matters here

This is cinematic anarchy in all its folkloric glory but it works and its highly entertainin

When I watch Emir Kustirica' s last film ''On The Milky Road'' with Monica Bellucci , 2016 , I realize that the director is far away from "Do You Remember Dolly Bell?" , 1981 and "When Father Was Away on Business" , 1985 for good. And there is no return to those old days. I am in deep sorrow on behalf of creative and naive Balkan cinema forever.

Those splendid days will never come back. The director is falling like a heavy stone since ''Underground'' , 1995. Even Monica Bellucci is not able to rescue this old guy.

I saw several of Kusturica's past movies, and loved their surrealism, their being funny and dramatic at the same time. In this movie, these characteristics have become manneristic and decorative - they don't particularly add to the plot or ambiance, and almost get in the way at times. The two main characters are stiff and flat, and don't suscitate any empathy. At a certain point during the movie you start yawning and wishing they die soon. Very bad acting on the part of Bellucci, and Kusturica is even worse - please send him back behind the camera and tell him not to move from there. The rest of the cast was great, on the contrary.

One point for Monica Bellucci, one point for Kusturica, because he did make good movies (20 years ago) and one final point for the breathtaking scenery of Bosnia and Hercegovina, because it is truly a beautiful country, that I love very much. Else the movie is lost in over-accented symbolism, meandering but pointless search for goodness in the middle of the Bosnian war, and story that is so banal, that an evening cartoon for kids has a stronger plot.

I guess this film was made so the director/starring character got the chance to kiss Monica Bellucci and fullfil a lifetime dream. Trully disappointed by the lack of serious plot and common sense!