Glory

Astonishing low budget film. One by one, it is able to show the weakness of the different powers, from politics to press, and how greed pushes the to take shortcuts, that obviously carry victims.

The plot, although original is quite simple, however it serves to its purpose, elaborate this accurate picture from Bulgarian politics, press, gangsters, middle and working class. Every of it showed through the eyes of a man, whom despite of his awful economic situation, has never lost his naive glance. Educative story from the hand of poetic pictures, in which the UE is commonly involved in a second plan.

Slava (2016) is a Bulgarian film shown in the U.S. with the translated title Glory. It was co-written and co-directed by Kristina Grozeva and Petar Valchanov.

The movie stars Stefan Denolyubov as Tzanko Petrov. Tzanko is a low-level rail worker. He stumbles upon a huge amount of cash, and honorably turns it over to the state railway.

That's when his problem starts. The railway ministry is under attack because of the "carriage problem," and also the theft of diesel oil by its employees. The good news about an honest workman is just what they need to put a positive light on their agency.

That's where Julia Staykova comes in. (Portrayed superbly by Margita Gosheva.) Staykova is head of railway public relations. She seizes upon this opportunity to use Tzanko to advance the agency and her own career. What happens to him is not her concern.

Actually, Tzanko is the harder part. He's a humble man with a serious speech defect. He doesn't want to be a hero, and he's uncomfortable about being pulled out of his quiet existence. Denolyubov portrays him very well.

Although the part of Tzanko is harder, this is really Staykova's movie. She knows everyone, cares about no one, and does whatever it takes to accomplish what she wants. Her personal life keeps getting in the way of her work. (Of course, you could reverse this sentence, but I wrote it they way I think Staykova would look at it.)

Margita Gosheva, who plays Staykova, is a famous actor in Bulgaria. She's extremely talented, and she makes the movie work.

This film worked well on the small screen. It has a strong IMDb rating of 7.6. I thought it was better than that, and rated it 9.

This is a very skillfully made and incisive movie. Part parable, part satire, it follows the struggles of a very poor man who tries to do the right thing and then gets coldly manipulated and abused by multiple levels of a corrupt system as a "reward" for his honesty.

The story is both painful and quite funny to watch as railroad lineman Tzanko has his life upended by the machinations of a rapaciously ambitious PR demon named Julia and her squad of incompetent flunkies. The two main actors are superb in their starkly different, yet completely interdependent, roles, and the supporting cast members do a fine job portraying a motley crew of hoodlums, cowards, bureaucrats and other assorted scum.

The camera-work is very good -- it's mostly hand-held and the carefully modulated restlessness perfectly complements the edgy narrative. The editing is brilliant... somehow it lends an understated note to a story that, less deftly handled, would be too obvious, too blunt.

I almost didn't get to see this movie and feel very happy I did. It reminds me another excellent recent release, "Toni Erdmann," except that the behavior on display here is even worse and the stakes are much higher. Do yourself a favor and see "Glory."

"Glory" (2016 release from Bulgaria; 101 min.) brings the story of Tsanko. As the movie opens, Tsanko is inspecting the train tracks and along the way he falls upon a huge amount of cash laying on the tracks. He calls the police to report it. Meanwhile the Transport Ministry PR team jumps into action, eager to create a diversion from the steady stream of bad news the Ministry has been suffering. Tsanko, who has a bad stutter in his speech, is invited to Sofia by the Ministry to collect an award (a watch). At the last second, the PR manager takes off his current watch, a nice "Glory" engraved by his dad "To my son Tsanko". In the chaos of the award ceremony and subsequent reception, Tsanko doesn't get back his heirloom, so the next day he s desperate to reclaim his watch. Will he be able to retrieve it? To tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.

Couple of comments: this is the latest from co-writers and co-directors Kristina Grozave and Petar Valchanov, who previoulsy brought us "The Lesson". Here they create chilling, even Capra-reminding, movie about how one innocent person can become the object of a machnery (be it the state, the journalists, you name it), and the devastating effects it can cause. Stefan Denolvubov's performance as Tsanko will break your heart. All he wants is to get his old watch back, possibly the most precious of his (few) possessions. Margita Gosheva as the calculating Ministry PR manager is equally impressive, but of course hers is a very unlikable role. I must admit that in the initial third of the move, I was wondering where all if this was going. If you also start worrying, I can rest assure you that the last 45 min. of the movie will leave you astonished (I shan't say more!).

I don't think this movie ever got a US theatrical release, but thankfully Film Movement picked it up as part of its Movie of the Month Club releases, and that is how I finally got to see this. If you are in the mood for a top-notch foreign movie that takes a sharp look at the innocence of one person coming in direct conflict with a larger political machinery that will leave you shaking your head in despair, I strongly suggest that you seek out "Glory". I'm quite certain that you will agree.

Shades of Billy Wilder, Milos Forman and the Coen Brothers (he just wants his watch back) sit lightly on this meticulously-plotted and wittily-shot film. The joy is in the detail: the watch, the minister's shoes, the trouser-exchange. It's a film with a lot to say, but it keeps its gaze at the human level.