Panama

When a work of cultural consumption makes references to technological development, through gadgets that rapidly go out of fashion every time a new formula, measure or chip appears, the work runs the risk of quickly becoming obsolete, unless its dramatic basis is sustained on prevailing reflections on human beings and, even better, if it is done with honesty, so it can become a valid testimony of what people thought and how they behaved in a given time of human evolution. Serbian director Pavle Vuckovic based his first feature "Panama" in his own experiences as well as those of acquaintances to tell a story about how social communications and pornography have contributed to exacerbate narcissism among people and, consequently, to deteriorate human relationships. The protagonist is Jovan (Slaven Doslo), a graduating senior of Architecture that leads the life of any upper middle class young man in the mid-2010s, with access to social networks, nightclubs, private university and employment. Jovan proposes an open relation to Jana (Jovana Stojiljkovic), a humble girl who consumes the same things offered by the market economy of our times. The drama soon develops when Jovan begins to suspect that Jana leads a double life, through his cell phone and computer. Although the target audience of the film may be the young, "Panama" tells us, the elderly crowd, many things that perhaps Vuckovic were unaware of or not: this is neither a romantic comedy nor a passionate drama, but a loveless portrait of everyday neurosis about compulsive sex and how it can destroy a relationship in the absence of the creative potential that defines its opposite, personalized sex (see Dane Rudhyar). Eloquently, the erotic formula that Jovan and Jana repeat in their sexual encounters is sodomy, the "derisory grin" of life, as De Sade called that reversal of the procreative act, where the "pearls of life" (as Buddhists call semen) end in a "rotting zone"... My viewing of "Panama" also coincided with my reading of Ernesto Sabato's "The Writer and His Ghosts", in which he says, give or take a word or two, that in our time the human body has been denied its rich metaphysical dimension and it has been deprived of its capacity to make us reach knowledge through it. Thus, the other person's body is a mere object and sex is almost an onanistic act, because only through the association with a personalized body and its energy, we humans can transcend our egos and solitude, and achieve communion... which social networks will never give us. "Pure sex is sad," says Sabato, because it leaves us back in the solitude where we started, but now also with a failed attempt at communication. In the end, in his futile search for love through the "negative way", Jovan looks for a Panama (where Jana apparently has gone without notice) in social networks, streets and abandoned buildings of his city, while Jana may be perhaps in the global corruption of a paper-made Panama. As limitations, "Panama" could (and should) have been more graphic in its depictions of arid sex and, like many first works, it tries to say too many things. However, it is a sincere drama, with suggestive visual and musical metaphors of our mind tunnels, as we search for happiness, which makes us reflect on many things beyond its story, and long after the projection ends.

I'll admit, I was hooked until the last 20 minutes of this movie. Right up until 15 minutes before the end the movie turns from bad relationship and a chick flick sexual teenage story to a CSI: Missing Victims. The main character suddenly turns from a concerned boyfriend to a prime investigator who finds - nothing (I s*** you not). This piece has the youngest generation of actors, and I was amazed by some of the scenes and disgusted with others. Sometimes, male actors would fall out of their characters and besides acting, the scenario was a total disaster - absolutely inconstant. If you like to see hot sex scenes and nothing else, this is a movie for you. I'm only giving this movie a two because Jovana Stojiljkovic played her role for a 10!

If you like to see hot sex scenes and nothing else, this is a movie for you.

A film about an open relationship and one losing it in the way to find himself trapped inside filled with jealousy. Really a great idea, I have seen similar films from the European and Hollywood, but this one had potential to be different and it could not. It is very confusing. Not just for the viewers, seems even the writers did not know how to end the tale after great initiation. Actually, I was not expecting any clever twist towards the end, but this story failed to deliver even a normal ending. So I'm very disappointed with how it finishes it off without proper reasoning.

The title was a mislead. You have to wait till the finale to understand it, it was also not that effective. The story was, actually there's nothing, or maybe you can say it's a one liner. When two young people make a deal to keep their relationship open, one could not cope with it after some time together and that brings the mistrust, eventually doubts arise on what kind of affair they are having. At some point it could get ugly, but what stops them, especially the future of them decided in the final segment of the tale.

So I kind of liked the first half, the real problem was the following half. I know the film character had confused over something, but why should the filmmaker confuse us as well. Should have detailed that part to come out clear. Though it was different, and still not the best solution for a tale like this. The actors were good, and decently made film, I mean the production, which I think is okay for a watch, yet it is not for everybody. Particularly for having the adult contents, it suits better for the grown ups.

4/10

Jovan is a trainee architect who acts like a middle class playboy – his best mate is obsessed with scoring with 'the ladies' and likes nothing more than to compare conquest notes with Jovan. Then Jovan meets Maja who works in a bookshop and seems interesting, demur and very attractive so they get it on and he tells her he wants, the classic, 'open relationship'.

Well soon he starts to find out there is more to Mija than meets the eye and thanks to the intrigues afforded through social media he starts to suspect that she may be not telling him everything.

Now this is actually a very good film, it is well acted and directed and the story is compelling - the suffocation that jealousy causes is very well realised and the tensions get slowly ramped up like the turning of a screw. It does seem to get a bit confused towards the end – but that may have been deliberate – to say any more is running the old plot spoiler risk. In Serbian with good sub titles this is a modern day tale that will have you thinking about social media and the new dimensions that it can bring on your love life.