Glory

It is a low budget film. With obviously restricted means of production, the filmmakers managed to describe accurately the main aspects of the everyday life in the region. The story nicely depicted the pathology of the political and social system which prevails in the Balkans and not only in Bulgaria. To my mind, the references to the European Union were excellent and clearly made the point that the idea of a united Europe is an illusion. The basic characteristics of the social attitudes and human relationships in the given environment were very well presented. The acting was convincing, but the camera work was not so good. Maybe the film will not be so appealing to audiences used to watching Hollywood super productions or audiences looking for ways to escape into an ideal imagined world. But it is a direct, honest, true and plain approach to a very interesting way of life in a very interesting part of the globe, where people struggle to improve the quality of their lives, preserving at the same time their traditional values. The impact of the above contradiction is nicely emphasized in the film.

This is a very skillfully made and incisive movie. Part parable, part satire, it follows the struggles of a very poor man who tries to do the right thing and then gets coldly manipulated and abused by multiple levels of a corrupt system as a "reward" for his honesty.

The story is both painful and quite funny to watch as railroad lineman Tzanko has his life upended by the machinations of a rapaciously ambitious PR demon named Julia and her squad of incompetent flunkies. The two main actors are superb in their starkly different, yet completely interdependent, roles, and the supporting cast members do a fine job portraying a motley crew of hoodlums, cowards, bureaucrats and other assorted scum.

The camera-work is very good -- it's mostly hand-held and the carefully modulated restlessness perfectly complements the edgy narrative. The editing is brilliant... somehow it lends an understated note to a story that, less deftly handled, would be too obvious, too blunt.

I almost didn't get to see this movie and feel very happy I did. It reminds me another excellent recent release, "Toni Erdmann," except that the behavior on display here is even worse and the stakes are much higher. Do yourself a favor and see "Glory."

This is a movie about a simple, honest man who gets caught up in and ground up by PR hype, investigative journalism, politics, corruption, and, in general, the modern world of which he is not really a part.

I won't recount the plot, but for me, things took a fairly predictable path from start to finish. That's not a bad thing, but it's nice to have a few surprises.

The two main characters are well acted.

After nearly half a century under Communist regime, countries of the former Soviet Union Block find themselves in a terrifying moral limbo: concepts such as self-worth, civic duty, integrity and compassion have been systematically eradicated in the name of Party Rule to a point where a simple act of honesty can be met with derision and disbelief.

New forces now shape the daily lives of people and their effect is most ugly to behold. Servility coupled with arrogance, total absence of empathy, corrupt practices and disdain for the rule of law or the fellow human being - these are the themes so aptly explored in this cinematic gem from Bulgaria.

The two leads are superbly cast and acted, juxtaposing old versus new morality. The story itself unfolds in the style of a Greek fable and it is this very simplicity, delivered with no frills, that packs a considerable moral punch. Don't miss!

Shades of Billy Wilder, Milos Forman and the Coen Brothers (he just wants his watch back) sit lightly on this meticulously-plotted and wittily-shot film. The joy is in the detail: the watch, the minister's shoes, the trouser-exchange. It's a film with a lot to say, but it keeps its gaze at the human level.