A Wonderful Night in Split

Well-photographed and well-acted movie with a good film score from a town I haven't yet been to. Not a good occasion to delve yourself into the beauty of the city - the dizzying atmosphere of Split on New Year's Eve it does make you feel, for as much as I can judge this, but given that it's nighttime, don't watch this movie just to make up for a missed chance to visit the town (visit the town instead, if possible). I wasn't disappointed at all by this lack of tourism promotion, though. The story really is the type that holds your interest very well, as pointed out before me, and it uses cleverly messed-up chronology to interweave lives in a city where foreigners might knock on your door with indecent requests and where drugs apparently are a problem - some minor or major side-branch of the big international drugs route to Western Europe leading through it, I suppose.

As to my vote: 7 out of 10 - well, it could have been 10 but for the ending. (Skip the rest of my comment if you're not interested in my otherwise non-spoiling remarks on it.) To paraphrase Hamlet, "Though this be a spoiled ending, yet there is method in't" - I can see the point made by the authors, and I wouldn't even say the ending's not fitting. If you have only seen this one instance of such an ending, it will work very well, I suppose. I have had the experience of liking a movie with this sort of ending, only to then run into comments here on IMDb telling me it's been seen before. But do watch the movie even in case you have an idea of what I'm talking about, I do recommend it.

A beautiful movie!!!! Probably the only one made in Croatia that deserves to be called "a movie". Puzzling the peaces of three different stories in an intelligent and witty way, and at the end a bit surrealistic. It all happens in one day, the special day of awaiting the New years day in the city of Split (the title of the movie "Ta divna splitska noc" translates to "That beautiful night in Split" - a bit sarcastic!).

Shortly described, first story is about the former Croatian soldier, and present drug dealer involved in a relationship with a widow of his former war-companion; the second about the nineteen year old girl, drug addict (heroin) in search for drugs and money, which takes her to famous Coolio (his role in the movie is proclaimed to be "an American element" by the Venetian Film Festival hahaha:)); the third about the couple walking around the city looking for a place to have sex and tripping at the end.

But not to sound that serious, the movie has it's special humor (call it black), connecting everything and everybody in a cold/warm story about the city (Split) and people somehow all screwed up in a beautiful way! P.s. Black and white photography and music is nice (Dino Dvornik is the singer connecting the stories and those not introduced - a well known Croatian musician born in Split, making - i don't know, funky music..heh!)

"Ta divna splitska noc" belongs to the latest wave of Croatian movie-making, which has in the recent years kindled a new hope for the future of this cinematography. Following the trend, the film bursts with dark humor and honestly explores the painful sores of a frustrated post-war society.

The storyline encompasses three loosely connected episodes, all of them taking place simultaneously during the final hours of seeing the Old Year out in the coastal city of Split, Croatia. There is some Tarantinoesque moving back and forth through time, though rather conservative as compared to "Pulp Fiction" - each of the three stories runs its course from start to end, to be followed by another. Some of the characters meander throughout the movie, some are resurrected from their deaths as we step back in time, but each of the stories is narrated as a linear episode in itself.

The subject matter is deeply rooted in the dark side of the contemporary Croatian reality, focusing on dissipated war veterans, drug abuse, teenagers with no present or future, a general feeling of hopelessness. A war widow is having a torrid affair with her late husband's war buddy, who doesn't really care about her; a depressed American sailor is reluctantly fitted with a reluctant prostitute for the night; two teenagers consent to lose their virginity with each other, only to be faced with a lack of premises to do so. When the midnight finally arrives, the New Year brings forth not only the fireworks, but madness and violent death as well.

Mirko Pivcevic shot the film in a lavish black-and-white photography, bringing to mind Robert Krasker's Viennese sewers of "The Third Man". Split is an ancient Mediterranean city and most of its historic core is carved in weathered stone, so it looks great by day and sensational by night, given a proper lighting. The overall production highly surpasses the film's modest budget. There are some minor flaws, such as amateurish rantings of Coolio's drunken sailor buddies, but most of the actors are up to their tasks, and the direction by Arsen Anton Ostojic is inspired. I particularly enjoyed the vigorous performance of the eccentric local celebrity, Dino Dvornik, as the Singer.

Set in Split, Croatia during New Year's Eve, three stories run dealing with the underworld of drugs and prostitution. Nike is a pusher and a widow named Marija is looking to escape from all of her troubles.

A hooker, Maja, decides to have sex with an American sailor, Frankie(rapper Coolio), in trade for some heroin. This is the most tragic of the story lines and Coolio is surprisingly good in the part.

The third and only light hearted and sentimental plot involves a couple, Luka and Vandela searching all night for a place to have their first sexual encounter.

The only element connecting the three tales is an outdoor concert with fireworks in the background throughout the movie. It is shot in black and white, in keeping with the dark and pessimistic tone and ironic title. Director Arsen Ostojic shows great style in his first feature. A possible Croation Hitchcock in the making. He has definitely been influenced by Sir Alfred. My only caveat is to be prepared to be depressed by Mr. Ostojic's work.

This is a very dark film (thematically as well as visually) whose imagery is, at times, hypnotic. Set in the director's home town of Split, it portrays the city in an extremely shadowy, surreal and drug-induced tone (a fact that may potentially put off some viewers). Nevertheless, the incredible strengths of the work cannot be ignored.

After coming out of the theater I found myself constantly thinking back to the poignant, elegant & graceful imagery of the movie. Some of the shots are so masterfully crafted, for a moment it seemed as though I was watching a Stanley Kubrick film. -Beautiful, moving crane and dolly shots that seem to know just where your eyes want to go- with lighting that stays artistically dramatic in the most visually compelling ways.

There are also some incredible performances, with most of the actors cast perfectly with faces to type. One that sticks out in particular is of a girl who turns to prostitution to pay for her drug habit. There's a scene where she breaks down after losing her chance to get a fix where I was transfixed by her performance. Her emotions were so genuine and natural it seemed almost like documentary footage rather than fiction.

With a very non-linear, "Memento" type of structure, the story keeps you guessing in many clever ways. Mr. Ostojic is clearly an extremely talented director who created a real work of art that is truly worthy viewing for any fans of Kubrick's early films.