Klopka

You must see this film. Utterly and totally amazing. A perfect film, matched only by Body Heat and Fargo for its merciless exploration of the phenomena of criminality. The plot is so tight you can't put a razor blade between its uncemented blocks. The protagonist is trapped on the horns of terrible a dilemma, and does the only thing he can do in the situation. His choice is utterly believable and utterly horrifying. The consequences equally so. The ending is as inevitable as it is appropriate and yet I wish it weren't. But, like everything else in this film, it is as it must be. But the worst thing of all is that it could happen to any one of the tens of millions of equally vulnerable citizens of the great Uninsured States of America just as easily as in a Second World backwater like Serbia. Now that's really horrifying!

Every serious moviegoer enters each theater with the hope that this film will be that little gem that one can expect at most once a year (and some years it doesn't happen at all). This film is that little jewel; I was lucky enough to see it at its premier in the Berlinale. It asks the question, "what is a good man"? Can a man be good in some parts of his life and not at all good in others? In life, who becomes the ultimate arbiter of goodness? The film also introduces an interesting tension around traditional gender roles -- the husband/father expected to be the provider -- even while portraying seemingly modern women. This tension is an important driving force, in addition to the difficult challenge facing the main character. The resulting violence that occurs is at once completely believable and yet shocking; seemingly ancillary to the main plot is one scene of senseless violence against a street child that is quite breath-taking. There is a great symmetry to this movie, centering around a particular street corner on which that child hustles as a window-washer. We return to this place again and again, at different times and in different psychological states. Overall this film is masterfully crafted and acted with complex layers and much to reflect upon. I recommend it in the highest terms.

We went to the showing of Klopka at the Berlinale without any info or knowledge of the film...basically it was the only one we could get tickets for on a night when we could find a babysitter.

Anyway, we arrived with no preconceptions and the film was simply brilliant. The story was thoughtful without being pretentious, the acting was superb, and the little nods to Serbian society (and how that reflects on the rest of us as well) were thought-provoking without being in your face. Hopefully everyone will have the chance to see this movie, but I guess not...if you do, don't miss it...and congratulations to the people behind it for a wonderful achievement.

Another exhibition, that you don't need big bucks or have to shoot your movie in another country, if yours isn't financially wealthy ... Klopka (The Trap as it is called internationally) is a fine example of good Serbian cinema.

If the definition of "film noir" is indeed "low-key lighting, a bleak urban setting, and corrupt, cynical characters" (as indicated in an urban dictionary), than this hits the mark! (maybe the cynical part isn't exactly on the spot or let's say Bogart-like, but other than that, you got yourself a winner here). The good thing about this description is, that this should be enough for you to judge, if you want to see the movie or not! :o)

This is yet,another tale of parental love & what they will do for the lives of their children. A 30 something couple finds out that their young son is suffering from a heart condition, and the only place that they can bring him for the surgery that can save his life is in Germany. The hitch:the price tag (we're talking thousands & thousands of Euros). The Mother puts an advert in the local newspaper that they need money for the operation. The hope comes in the form of a stranger who will give them the thirty thousand Euros they need,but with a price. The father must assassinate somebody. What follows is a taut, intense morality play with a twist. This is European film making at it's best. No MPAA rating here, but serves up lots of foul language & some violence (although nothing too gory for those with weak stomachs)