Promettilo!

ZAVET is not for sure Emir Kusturica's masterpiece, as this excellent director has better movies like UNDERGROUND or BLACK CAT WHITE CAT, however it's a nice film and it certainly uses plenty of Kusturica's typical elements/ideas.

It's a tale between fantasy and reality and it's a positive feature. The plot is always around a main topic: "a countryman grandfather asks to his grandson to go to the city sell their cow and get a wife, because he will soon die and leave him alone in the world". But next to this main topic many funny characters will appear, like a persistent pretender to an old teacher, a flying man came out from a circus, gypsy mad thieves and a pair of brothers that knock down everything…And with those funny characters, funny scenes will also appear, of course!

It has the typical characters and scenarios Kusturica likes to use and also the type of humor that makes him a different and special director. The last 10 minutes are really intense, weird and funny at the same time, and are just the proof of that!

Not being a masterpiece it's a nice film of a master… I score it 8/10.

It's very sad to see a director that gave us masterpieces like Time of the Gypsies and Underground and that was once considered a master of Cinema, fall so low, presenting Zavet as a film of his own. To those who know Kusturica's pre new-millennium work, is almost unbelievable that Zavet is directed by the same person. It looks like a Kusturica's fan film. Yes, the themes are similar to those of his earlier film(even if much more reactionary...) but all the genius is gone. The question that comes to mind is: is Kusturica on his right mind or has he (unfortunately...) gone nuts? Zavet has a preposterous script, bad taste humor and all the maniac energy, always present on a Kusturica film, is wasted on bullshit. It seems he tried to incorporate elements from Fellini, Jeunet and Tarkovsky's Andrey Rublyov but the result is null. Nothing makes any sense artistically. It's no wonder that, since 2007, Kusturica didn't direct another feature (his doc Maradona by Kusturica is also bad...). Zavet may be watchable for those less demanding but it's a complete waste of time to the serious film lover.

It takes a Serbian or at least a Balkan familiarity to understand and enjoy many of the situations, characters and jokes of 'Zavet' as well as of many other films of Kusturica. See for example the opening scenes, with the remote village in the Serbian mountains, with the low-tech devices that defend the integrity and way of life of the inhabitants, the nostalgia for the good days of the Communist rule, and the awakening of the young brat watching his nude teacher at the sounds of the Soviet hymn. Kusturica not only tries to depart from the tragic history of Serbia described in his previous movies, but creates a whole world of himself in the process.

This is not a political film or not an explicit political film in any case. It's a fun film before all. Kusturica creates a set of characters that we care about. Music plays an active role in this film same as in all his other movies. His style is direct and grotesque, we now what he feels about his characters and we know that he wants us to feel the same. The space he develops melds present, history and magic, and the colours seem to be of a Douanier Rousseau of modern cinema.

This is not a perfect film either. The principal flaw is the length, some editing and shortening would have been useful, as at some point in time the director seems to have run out of ideas and repetitions show up. It is yet one of the most catching, amusing, moving films that I have seen lately.

"Father is still away on business" was headline of an review after "Promise Me This" premiere in Cannes. I do understand why many thinks the same but unique expression of Kusturica is still present in his new movie and is something why critics can't touch him. I had two hours of pure energy without rest. Even when Kusturica is suffering of lack of concentration or fear of empty space he is still unique and unspoiled. Surprisingly good performance of Stribor Kusturica. Much More close-ups and less landscapes then in "Life Is A Miracle". Marija Petronijevic has femme fatal world class potential, please don't spoil it. Surely, I recommend to everyone to see this film.

I don't know why some guys from US, Georgia or even from Bulgaria have the courage to express feelings about something they don't understand at all. For those who did not watch this movie - watch it. Don't expect too much or don't put some frameworks just because this is Kosturica. Watch the movie without prejudice, try to understand the whole humor inside - people of Serbia DID actually getting married while Bil Clinton bomb their villages, gypsies in all Balkans are ALWAYS try to f*ck you up in any way they can, LOVE is always unexpected, pure and colorful, and Balkans are extremely creative. For those who claims this is a bad movie I can see only that the American's sh*t (like Meet Dave, Get Smart etc) are much much worse than a pure, frank Balkan humoristic love story movie as Promise me. The comment should be useful and on second place should represent the personal view of the writer. I think the movie is great and people watch it must give their respects to the director and story told inside. It is simple, but true. It is brutal, but gentle and makes you laugh to dead.