On the Milky Road

Fans of Kusturica will not only recognize all the trademarks - the general hilarious feel, the music, the rhythm, the fast transitions from ugly to beautiful, from comic to tragic, from realism to surrealism - but will probably also enjoy them. To a degree. Because this film suffers precisely from that: we have seen it all before. Despairingly, no signs that Kusturica is exploring new grounds. Worse, it doesn't seem he is interested in exploring new grounds. Worst, it seems he doesn't care about offering anything new. On the contrary, this film is a kind of regression: the basic story is not interesting at best and sloppy at worst, the characters have no depth, and the machismo is as frustrating as ever. Don't expect subtle messages here, but do expect the bravado of another carnival. Having said all this, as the saying goes, the subversion of the cultural distinction between human and animals is pretty good.

I guess this film was made so the director/starring character got the chance to kiss Monica Bellucci and fullfil a lifetime dream. Trully disappointed by the lack of serious plot and common sense!

When I watch Emir Kustirica' s last film ''On The Milky Road'' with Monica Bellucci , 2016 , I realize that the director is far away from "Do You Remember Dolly Bell?" , 1981 and "When Father Was Away on Business" , 1985 for good. And there is no return to those old days. I am in deep sorrow on behalf of creative and naive Balkan cinema forever.

Those splendid days will never come back. The director is falling like a heavy stone since ''Underground'' , 1995. Even Monica Bellucci is not able to rescue this old guy.

It took years(4 years!) for Kusturica, the great Fellini copycat, to finish this movie, and I just realized why. This movie is just an elaborate framework for Kusturica to pork and rub against Monica Belucci, and he does it plenty in the movie. There are scenes where they're alone in the well, alone in the tree canopy, alone amidst the flock of sheep, alone in the river... His goal accomplished, he got plenty of time with his muse, how did he call her, a true European film diva so different than Hollywood actresses, or something similar. The same European diva that starred in big Hollywood franchises like Matrix and Bond movies, that starred in crappy Hollywood action movies opposite Clive Owen, Bruce Willis or Nic Cage?! Oh-oh, looks like his muse isn't that much different from Kusturica's arch-nemesis Angelina 'Maleficent' Jolie, after all.

'What about the movie, yo?!' If you're by any chance, a Johnny Depp fan(or who knows, maybe you're a Vincent 'The Brown Bunny' Gallo fan) you may have watched 'Arizona Dream'. Well, this movie is exactly the same like that one. Slapstick comedy + tragedy(violence) + episodes of soulful Balkan ethno music, it's all here too.

After watching this movie I officially ordain Kusturica the badge of 'Tommy Wiseau of European Cinema'. Who knows, if Wiseau had Kusturica's resources and the pristine backgrounds of REPUBLIKA SRPSKA to shoot his movies at, maybe his achievements would be greater.

Conclusion: Kusturica has the brains and the looks to play the Frankenstein in the next Universal's revivals of the character, if their negotiations with Javier Bardem fail.

I saw several of Kusturica's past movies, and loved their surrealism, their being funny and dramatic at the same time. In this movie, these characteristics have become manneristic and decorative - they don't particularly add to the plot or ambiance, and almost get in the way at times. The two main characters are stiff and flat, and don't suscitate any empathy. At a certain point during the movie you start yawning and wishing they die soon. Very bad acting on the part of Bellucci, and Kusturica is even worse - please send him back behind the camera and tell him not to move from there. The rest of the cast was great, on the contrary.