ggeorgievski

No doubts one of the best directors of our time, Milcho Manchevski's work in Mothers is surprisingly vague and leaves the viewer with a lot to be desired. Three separate linear stories, one of them being a documentary about a real life situation involving a serial killer from Kicevo filmed in "Spike Lee joint" style, fall short of conveying the message Milcho wanted viewers to see and feel. The documentary part of the movie (which is the best) is rather a standalone movie instead of an integral part of Mothers. Milcho's approach to the story about the serial killer from Kicevo is interesting and disturbing at the same time - you are presented with interviews of real people who were involved in the case (lawyers, forensic experts, police officers, prison managers, judges, relatives of victims and killer etc.) and they are all unedited, thus one can see the under-the-average cultural and intellectual level of the Macedonian society. This is the interesting part, the disturbing part is the exploitation of the relatives of the victims and the killer (his wife) who answer rather private and intimate questions about themselves and the victim/killer. Yet, this remains and is the best thing the viewer could expect from the movie. The other two stories - little girls in mischief and young people filming a documentary in Mariovo lack good acting (except the old man and the old lady in the Mariovo part) and fail to produce any intensity or controversy as intended.

Milcho is an excellent director but this movie does not contain any of his success ingredients like in past achievements.