Treto poluvreme

This film has been unfairly criticized in my opinion. Even before the film was released, news articles were turning up with angry Bulgarians complaining about the historical accuracy of the film well before it was even viewable to the public. But the film is not about the Macedonian-Bulgarian problem in foreign relations, it is about the Jewish community in that region, the Holocaust, love between a young man and a young woman, and love for football (soccer).

One of the major strengths of the film is the multiple languages used fluently throughout (English, Ladino, German, Serbian, Bulgarian, Roma and Macedonian,), with some of the actors, especially Rade Serbedzija, doing a good, convincing job in their roles. Although the film stretches a few historical points in order to create a better story, it does depict most of the events of WWII in the Balkans correctly. It depicts the ethnic multiplicity in the region of Macedonia before the war, the local resentment to Yugoslav rule, the Axis invasion, the initial support of the local population to Bulgarian occupation, and the expulsion of the majority of Macedonia's Jews to the death camps at Treblinka.

Some criticisms of the film include its length, and the characters. It tries to depict several years, but without effectively portraying the passing from one time to another, leaving the viewer confused as to when the story is taking place at any certain point. Also, many of the characters have little depth, and seem rather one dimensional (although there are a few characters who the audience learns to empathize with).

Other than these criticisms, it is a great film. Bulgarian nationalists' opinions should not decide whether one should see the film or not. During World War II the Bulgarians saved the Jews of Bulgaria from the Nazi death camps, but in the zones they occupied, they rounded up the Jews and sent them to their deaths on their own, without German help. That is what this movie is about. If the Bulgarians want to portray their efforts in saving Jews, watch a different movie.

The Actors Performance of the leading actors are one of the weakest links in the film. Ivanovska has serious problems in portraying the higher class role that she is assign to here. Kocev sounds more gentlemen-like than her. Ivanovska appearance is attractive but her acting skill are quite low making the love story not to be so good. Kocev compared to Ivanovska looks like a much better actor but he is not great also. However the rest of the cast is much better than the leading couple. Serbedzija is great also the couch Sammel other actors with memorable performance are Apostolski (the club president) and the Bulgarian officer.

The Storyline Is well written does a good job of incorporating many different and parallel story lines and has multiple levels. Give a nice impressions of the "spirit of the time". It is also interesting that all characters speak their native language instead of some artificial "common language" aka English what gives more realism to the film.

The Camera and Photography are good the camera functions very well in dynamic and static mode give nice aspect of the dynamic football game and more static narrative. The photography is bright and positive dispute the sometimes dark narrative. You can fell the warmth of the land and southern summer sun.

The Music and the Sound Are maybe weakest links of film along with the acting of Ivanovska. The music consist of traditional song singed by the protagonists the rest of the music is standard issue Hollywood music clips. The sound is also a bite problematic some of the comments by the football players are hard to hear due to the high background noise.

The Director did a well job in organized this a bite complicated film and hard to tell story. Although he lack sometimes the creativity and goes into well known clichés.

In Macedonia, during World War II, a football team hires a German coach to improve its results. But the war will son caught up with the team, as the German-allied Bulgarian army invades the country. Sasko Kocev stars as Kosta, a handsome if a somewhat rakish footballer. Kosta pursues the beautiful Rebecca (Katarina Ivanovska), the daughter of Don Raphael (veteran actor Rade Serbezidja), a wealthy Jewish businessman. Richard Sammer is Spitz, the German trainer, who is persecuted by the authorities after they find he is a Jew (this is based on a real character, though many details were changed). The movie also covers a lot of political issues, like the Bulgarian-Macedonian rivalry, which I can't comment on deeply since it is a territory I'm quite unfamiliar with. This political aspect can be quite crude. For instance, all the Bulgarian characters look bad here, starting with the nasty General Gorvanov (a great performance of Emil Ruben). Overall, this is an entertaining film. Note: the former Yugoslavia seems to have cornered the market on period football films: some years ago, there was a fine Serbian film called Bog Te Video, about the Yugoslavian team that played in the 1930's World Cup.

Even though I'm from Macedonia, I will try to review this title from the most objective point of view possible.

I honestly had a higher expectations from this motion picture, simply because I believed (and I still do) that the director Darko Mitverski is a great director. Unfortunately, better director than this movie.

The movie according to my humble opinion is good, but not excellent. Good idea, averagely implemented. The characters are not fully processed and most part of scenes and time on screen is wasted on less important facts (some fictional) for the story line. Emil Ruben and Richard Sammel delivered amazing roles. Toni Mihajlovski and Verica Nedeska too who had small parts proved that all what outstanding actors need is one or two short lines and gestures to make a great role. This is Saso Kocev's first leading role in a movie and that's why I'm gonna give him a break. He really was trying but sometimes is hard to deliver a believable character when you have a partner like Katarina Ivanovska who looks great and breathtaking and nothing else. I don't know much about the movie making process in general, but I most definitely know that you DO NOT sacrifice the whole movie for a couple of camera shots on a pair of perfectly shaped breasts. If I was the director I would have chosen Verica Nedeska for the part of Rebeka.

From an aesthetic point of view (costume designs, photography and scenery) the movie makes positive progress in the Macedonian cinematography but we've already seen all that in the Milco Mancevski movies so yes, progress but nothing unseen or outstanding especially if we consider the money spent on the film.

All in all, I really wanted to fell in love with this movie but it was impossible. I don't react well on movies which try to push down my throat way too pathetic scenes on a patriotic basis. I'm gonna be honest and say that there were some scenes that provoked tears in my eyes but they didn't deliver anything huge. Maybe I'm the problem. Maybe I've already seen too many motion pictures and theatrical performances in my life to blindly shout out loud Hooray!

Two thumbs up beside all. It's better to have any kind of movie, than no movie at all. For all you reading, watch it and make a decision on your own. The third Half it is a movie that impacts differently on different types of people.

The movie was inspired by the true story of a football team with the backdrop of second world war. It is all about the football revolution in a small country in the south-eastern Europe. The movie kinda reminds me 'Montevideo' which is also tells about the country's dream to participate in the first edition of the football world cup. More or less both the stories sets in the same era with a decade or two difference.

The opening was very similar to 'Madrasapattinam' where a woman in her 70s wants to go back to her native place in Europe. So she leave the States with her granddaughter and soon after arrived there she begins to re-encounters her flashbacks. She was the daughter of a wealthy man in the town who fall in love with a football player which is against her fathers will. But in the other side, inexperience football team is yet to register their first victory. So they hire a German coach to make the best club in the country. The team begins to show some positive sign but yet to face another difficulty when the country is occupied by the Nazi Germans. With all these troubles the team must rise from the ground.

No offence but frankly to say I never heard Macedonia before. From this beautiful movie I came to know it and hope same that it would reach every corners of the world. When it come to the movie, it tells the tale from certain aspect especially from that old woman and what she witnessed. There's other cruel side too where Hitler's Administration kills many Jews which is not in the movie. The filmmakers avoided the cruelty portions of the story and portrayed only from young love and the team's perspective. Still there are couple killing scenes and a half nude in it.

The end speech was very good. When I thought the end was very usual, the powerful lines spoken by the lead female made movie further stronger to end. Yeah that one was indeed very good and it explains the meaning of title very well.

8/10