Charleston & Vendetta

When i saw a trailer I thought I must see this movie.It seamed like something modern and well produced for a Serbian movie.Comments from some distinguished movie critics didn't well so good and I thought that last night when I was going to the festival to see it that I will be disappointed.But it was quite opposite I was fascinated.It is such a great comedy in first place and after that a great love story for people who understand what love is. This is a comment from the person that watches what kind an effect will make the movie on her.Not directing or acting or some other part in particular but the whole movie in the way all those parts together make the person feel after watching it.From that point of view i thing that this is a great movie :)

This movie is simply a masterpiece. Its surrealist approach is similar to but goes much farther than Kusturica's flying fishes and brides (which are, by all means, the most charming features of Arizona Dream or Underground). It is the kind of film that makes you dream about another - not necessarily better, but nevertheless fascinating - world. This is especially remarkable as other Balkan cinematographers, such as the Romanians, are growing increasingly famous due to the triumph at Cannes and elsewhere of their sinister, realist movies that push the Italian post-WWII neo-realism to a darker, unbearable degree. Watching those films will certainly make you dream too, but you'll have nightmares. Watching Tears for Sale (or Charleston & Vendetta, which is the translation of the original title) is a delighting experience in post-modern surrealism. For the time being, the problem is that the movie seems to be available mostly in Serbian. Still, after some effort I was able to find on Internet an excellent French language version. But I am sure that subtitled DVD versions will soon be available. One final caveat: if you are an admirer of Hollywood movies and prefer 'believable dialogues' (as one of my fellow-reviewers does) definitely DO NOT WATCH Tears for Sale. Go to a theater that screens Spiderman 9 and you'll be happy. Choose Stojanovic's film only if you really like high-end cinema.

One of the worst peaces of cinematic drab I have seen in a long while.. I'm glad I didn't watch this little ditty in a cinema, because then I would be forced to walk out (which I hate doing).. What I hate the most about this movie is it's awkward pace - It's a mess, a collage of fast paced scenes mixed with slow motion shots. The dialogue is not even close to believable. The CGI, is OK, that's the only thing in the movie I don't hate, but it's far from a redeeming factor - I feel like this heap of a movie was created for the sole purpose that some guys can hone their special effect skills. It's full of shallow symbolism, overinflated to the absurd... The script is bad, the acting is worse, but the direction is a bottomless void of fail. I must note that this movie was so bad that I just had to register here, and vent my anger/disgust/whatever.

One Big Dose of a Great Plot, Music, Camera & Set Design, Few metaphorical Messages, One amateur Screenplay and lot of bad Acting! That is how one of the newest Serbian ''to-cinema-returning'' and ''pretended-to-mesmerize-long-ago-sleepy-public'' movies could be described in short. New wave of global Hollywoodization clearly affected new Serbian Cinematography, with this, more, or less effects-fabricated fantasy and drama work serving as a perfect example of already proved worldwide magic recipe. And what about promoted originality and authenticity (of the Serbian Cinematography, Mentality, Culture...) No, not in this one. So turbulent political and economy Transition of the Serbian Society came to the Serbian Cinema too.

However, some of the important elements, previously mentioned, especially - original Plot, Music, Set Design and Camera are very good news in new Serbian (and former great? Yugoslav) cinematography, somehow always ''full of talents'' and always with lack on visual and acoustic elements. And money, of course! Example of ''Carlston za Ognjenku'' and significant involvement of affirmed foreign film companies in its shooting and production certainly brings a lot of optimism for the future.

However #2, with no doubt, this is yet another one debut work, from one more ''Child of the Serbian Movie''. Yes, the young director is someone's ''already-in-the-bussines'' son. And yes, his baby-movie has been therefore pretty much supported ''at all costs'', if not even forced from some top levels. But this is not my biggest concern. There are so much time in the future for young Stojanovic to prove himself and his work.

The reason of my deeply worry is certainly our new generation of the so-called prosperous young actor-stars. Those who need and should inherit and continue decades of proved good acting in our cinematography... Those who became stars too early. Even before they became actors! I'm worried. Are you?

I saw this movie at the TIFF two years ago and I was overwhelmed by the beautiful images, the incredible actresses, the fantastic story and magical illogic of it all. It reminded me very much of the French movie "Amelie", in that it had a similar cause-and-effect structure which obeyed its very own visionary logic. I believe it is utterly unnecessary to try to categorize the movie since its quality precisely lies in its intriguing eclecticism (which makes it hard to sell to people, unfortunately).

The actresses are ravishing, seductive and radiate a sirenic glow - their performance captures the viewer's attention completely from beginning to end.

The story is one of passion and female determinism - told in an entirely unorthodox, refreshing way without ever taking itself too seriously.

Uros Stojanovic is the Serbian Luc Besson and I hope the movie will get the appreciation it deserves.