Tito i ja

This is among the best films I've ever seen.

The movie is a tribute to individuality. Zoran is a 10-year-old boy but he is his own man despite being surrounded by peer pressure and communist propaganda. There are so many quirks in his personality that one can't help but to like him.

It is the kind of movie that would not get made in Hollywood in a million years.

"Tito i ja" or "Tito and me" is beyond any doubt one of the best Serbian movies of all times. There are several reasons for such an opinion.

It's a comedy and satire shaped movie with a serious background story concerning the values in the post WW2 Yugoslavian society. Obsession with Marshall Tito, the undisputed ruler and the political system which follows his character is the main theme, seen through a child's perspective. The main character, a 10 year old boy Zoran from Belgrade tries to find himself between his divers family, friends, girls who he starts to notice and a communist regime which infiltrates all the life's pores. Love can be confusing and Zoran will discover that during the boy scout expedition to the Tito's native village Kumrovec. A convincing performance was also given by Lazar Ristovski (Comrade Raja), a party instructed delegate whose task was to plan and execute the expedition. The cynicism and narrow minded appearance of his character does represent the true state of the communist regime and it's impact on daily life.

"Tito i ja" is also the best and probably the last good work of Goran Markovic, who for reasons unknown utterly lost his common sense and creativity after this movie, and started making rubbish.

"Tito i ja" is one of the best Yugoslavian movie creations ever. A tale of a boy growing up in a world divided between communists and the "other" ones, gives a great representation of Yugoslavian socialism. Unfortunately, many parts of this movie are not easy to understand unless a viewer is very familiar with the life of Josip Broz Tito, Yugoslavia, etc.

Goran Markovic, known more for his dramatic work, achieved something that's eluded many great filmmakers - both smart and funny comedy. Based loosely on his own life as a kid growing up in Tito's communist Yugoslavia in the 1950s, the movie centers around 10-year-old Zoran whose inspired poem about Tito written on a spur-of-the-moment-basis as an in-class assignment, earns him a trip with other deserving pupils retracing Tito's "revolutionary trails" in Tito's hometown of Kumrovec.

One gets the feeling that this film was 25 years in the making and that Markovic had this idea all throughout his career but was just waiting for the right political atmosphere to finally make it.

Movie is very heartwarming even though it hints at many unpleasant aspects of the communist regime in Yugoslavia. It doesn't give into the temptation of using this setting to get cheap and obvious laughs or to sprinkle in personal political statements together with the humour. Instead, it deals with everything in a light but intelligent manner, takes time to set up the supporting characters and delivers fabulous entertainment.

Great stuff.

Brilliant Plot, Acting is once in a lifetime. The Historical reference's are on the money. Politcally correct for that time period, and the spirit of the people is dead on.Character development leaves you with the feeling you have meet them before. Lighting, costume, script are to die for.The children are complete and believable as 1954 Yugoslavia. I was almost waiting for Italian subtitles. Every actor carried their own weight on the story. The dream sequence's are original, full of Historical footage and well edited in to the theme and story development. Close quarters living is the thread that ties the plot and development together.