This is one of the last movies that came out before the breakup of Yugoslavia and it is a perfect example of the kind of movies that we were best at: tragic melodramas. It is a powerful and riveting story of a woman whose husband is in prison for false testimony and who tries to make ends meet with her teenage daughter at her side. They move in a suburb of Belgrade which is known for its high crime rate and rather poor living conditions. Both mother and daughter are played marvelously by Mirjana Karanovic and Mirjana Jokovic, respectively. Also, the always fun to watch Srdjan Todorovic plays a local thief who is about the same age as Jokovic's character and whom he affectionately calls "Mala", meaning little one. He is ironically the only bright point of her life, even though he leads a very wild and unstable life and in his heels is constantly the local policeman nicknamed Ajkula (Shark) who is played by Ljubisa Samardzic. Srdjan's Misha lives with his good grandmother, who is aware of her grandson's criminal activities but still covers for him when he commits a robbery.
Danilo Lazovic plays a brutal womanizer who manages to seduce Mala's mother and promises to marry her and make life better for her and Mala. But Mala is not convinced by his pleasant facade and seeks company with Misha, much to her mother's chagrin. After Lazovic rapes Mala, everything spirals out of control. Will the belated arrival of her father finally save Mala from falling apart?
There are many colorful characters here and all are played well by the actors involved. The music by Goran Bregovic is nice and complements the film's melodramatic feeling. It is a story of tragedy but also revenge and redemption. A story about two women falling prey to a very vicious and promiscuous man but the ending gives hope that they can survive and recover from the damage he has given them, emotional when it comes to the mother and physical and psychological when it comes to the daughter. It is a very dramatic film that will leave you emotionally spent. I give it a 9.
Danilo Lazovic plays a brutal womanizer who manages to seduce Mala's mother and promises to marry her and make life better for her and Mala. But Mala is not convinced by his pleasant facade and seeks company with Misha, much to her mother's chagrin. After Lazovic rapes Mala, everything spirals out of control. Will the belated arrival of her father finally save Mala from falling apart?
There are many colorful characters here and all are played well by the actors involved. The music by Goran Bregovic is nice and complements the film's melodramatic feeling. It is a story of tragedy but also revenge and redemption. A story about two women falling prey to a very vicious and promiscuous man but the ending gives hope that they can survive and recover from the damage he has given them, emotional when it comes to the mother and physical and psychological when it comes to the daughter. It is a very dramatic film that will leave you emotionally spent. I give it a 9.
