Zift

Watching this innovative black and white noir thriller, I kept thinking that Frank Miller must have written it, so perfectly does it fit the sensibility of his Sin City comic book series. Innovative, not exactly original: one can indeed detect the influence of any number of famous noir flicks, most notably D.O.A. But it's executed so perfectly that I wouldn't want to complain. My wife said that the film was rich in allusions to Bulgarian life and culture which went right past me. She is definitely not a genre fan but she really liked this movie. Certainly the best Bulgarian movie I've seen since the magically-realistic anti-communist fable The Well.

" Zift"is a stunning surprise that came from Bulgaria. Black and white noir, dark comedy with a brilliant camera work and lighting. It makes you nostalgic for the old pre-color days, when the directors had to be extra creative, and shadows warmed your heart more than flames ever could. The incredible parody spots wicked sense of humor, especially with the fake Russian songs and surprisingly quite a few homo-erotic images. War and weapons usually get coupled with phallic symbols. Eros and Thanatos in it purest form. It is an immense pleasure to encounter such talented and smart artists, these days of simplicity and proud lack of novelty.Can we have some more, please.

In a time where brutality in movies only count when you see tons of blood, sex only count when it looks like porn and the story only count when there are 20 story switches with three parallel stories in it, the Bulgarian cinema brought us a movie which have not any of this in it and although it is ten times better.

I am finished five minutes ago watching this movie. And there is no way for me to describe the reason why i give that flick a ten.

Not one minute of that movie is boring, nothing in it is hyperbolical. Its lyrical without being intellectual.

Just watch it. You will not regret any minute of you're live that you will have spended for watching this movie.

This is the top of the Bulgarian film industry,I think.Not forever,but for the past 25-30 years.This is the Bulgarian movie,that has the biggest chance of winning ANY award worldwide.It's about the drama,the innovative story told by it,and the acting.The old school Bulgarian actors like Djoko Rosich for example,along with the younger actors,made a great masterpiece of the already brilliant script. My new favorite film,getting "The Shawshank redemption" off the top. Congratulations Bulgaria,you made me proud with your present achievement for the first time.You made me proud with your past only,but until I saw this! 10/10 from me!

This movie has given back to me the hope that Bulgarian cinema is going upward! Tha last few bg titles that i've seen all seemed to have a problem - they were weird (in terms of plot, acting, locations, camera angles). And just because a movie is tragic, strange, original and twisted doesn't mean it's good. Yes, maybe it can move you. Maybe. Maybe one can admit that the movie is totally genuine. But that still doesn't mean it's a masterpiece. Something is just missing for the movie to be enjoyable and moving while you're in the theater and mind blowing when you get out and think it over. The missing parts probably are the perfect storyline of Zift, the look of Zift, the action of Zift, the soundtrack of Zift, the grotesque humor of Zift! That's what makes the film of Yavor Gardev so successful - perfection itself!