Reviews

The second season of the franchise "Juzni Vetar" has returned and after a lackluster second movie I am glad to say that my previous opinion still stands is that the series are a lot better than the movies. After the events of the previous film crime lord Petar Maras must confront a new dangerous threat coming from his "forced ally" who has even deeper connection all the way to the top, both international players from the United States and the Russian Federation have interests for which they are ready to go to great lengths to achieve. The second season consists of 12 episodes (it could have been done by just 10 If you ask me). The budget has been greatly raised and some C or B actors from the West also make their appearance in this franchise, as well as Russian actors who are mostly known in "Russian" cultural sphere. To end this review if you were disappointed by the second film in the franchise, this is a great comeback and hopefully the third film will be better...

Toma is a biographical movie about the legendary Yugoslav folk singer Toma Zdravkovic who was beloved in many of the states that compromised Yugoslavia at his time. This movie combines facts and romanticism of Tomas untypical life. The movie is fraught with happiness and sadness of his life, it talks about how he became famous and how he hit rock bottom during his lifetime. The cast is great with famous folk singer Aco Pejovic singing the songs that Toma was known for. The effects and places where it was filmed are authentically done and the period of rise and fall of Yugoslavia is also touched. I was born after Yugoslavia collapsed both I understood what it meant to some people even if I disagree with some politics that it pursued and enforced. Toma is a beautiful film which simply talks about life and how we have to have hope, even in the darkest hours of our life...

Juzni Vetar 2 : Ubrzanje is a sequel to the original Serbian cult classic (especially in the Balkans) predecessor, a movie which has gained a high prominence in the Balkans since it shows the gritty side of organized crime in Serbia and the neighbored . The main character Petar Maras returns with his trusted friend and partner in crime Baca, both this time they are at the top, while in the first they were grunts who just got messed up in things greater than themselves and won with street smarts and sheer luck. This time they are sent to a part of Serbia to buy land for an upcoming gas pipeline in a part of Serbia which is border by Romania, both after the younger brother of Petar, Nenad get's in trouble their plan and journey takes to neighboring Bulgaria in which they must find him before it's too late. The film is essentially more on the lower side than it's predecessor and TV series (which are must see since this movie picks up after the series) since it features action, both intrigue and stealth are shown the most honorable. The main cast returns from previous movies, the effects are done better and it' really close to Western produced movies. If you liked the predecessor and especially TV series (which are the best) then this is a must see!

One of the things that is great about this movie is it's production and authentic look of nineteenth century Serbia under the crumbling Ottoman empire, also since this is a Balkan movie it is really close to western production standards. The film is a prequel of well known book called Necista Krv (Impure blood) by Borisav Stankovic, a well known Serbian author. The film show how the local Serbian elite to preserve their status and power colluded with the Ottoman occupiers and made deals with them in secret and even trading their loved ones when times get tough. The main character is man who is unhappy with the state of his family and their many sins that they commit daily of which the whole town talks about (as a saying goes "o cemu carsija prica nego onama"). The family member are mostly "stained" by their lack of control of their emotions as well as their lust to which the main character knows about both keeps things "hush, hush" to preserve their wealth and influence. The Ottoman are shown mostly as evil, both the Serbs are shown to mostly commit the necessary evils to survive (which is partly true historically). In the end the movie has high productions value for Serbian production, the authenticity of dress and morals of that time is greatly done, and it's worth seeing, both not as good as I expected! Recommended.

Juzni Vetar (South Wind) is a Serbian crime thriller which shows the gritty criminal underworld of Belgrade and a culture that promotes this style of life. The movie by Balkan standard is as close to the western style film that I have yet seen. The main characters are good, both their past and motivation are underdeveloped and are lacking a time frame in which the era that the film portrays are set. The story is a classic tale of anti-hero vs the bad drug dealer who is masquerading as typical upper class Belgrade citizen, both when the night falls and behind the curtains he is rotten to the core! Many stereotypes are also shown (some with taste, other with not) about the Serbian culture and it's temperament, both in the end it's a spicy mix mixed with sweet taste which just doesn't cut it. To end this review all I can say is that this movie is primarily made for the Balkan audience who are going to understand it more deeply than the average viewer from the West or East.

Goran is movie that has many foreign influences combined with local "Balkan tragedy". The plot of the movie analyses how even people in small towns can be more sinful and amoral then those that live in bigger places, both the big difference is that they simply don't talk about or even when they do......It is only to their advantage. This movie suffers from a big problem, and that problem is that the backstory isn't explored and the viewer is only left to presume his own version of events. Also the local "Balkan" way of showing some things is mostly shy and afraid of what people would think about the author or those that worked on the movie. Goran is movie that has a good theme, both bad way of showing it and evolving it further......

As said in the summary, this satire is 100% in modern Croatien society, a man who is employed in a job which he did not hope he shall ever have nor would find him self in situation that he needs it. The theme which this movie explorer is a good one (parasitic way of life and not taking responsibility for your actions) just shows how the society in Croatia is ready to "let others drown, while they live", and a state that is only seeking to make something out of nothing. The two main characters are a very good representation of a typical job seeking Croat who are just looking to provide for them self's in a hard economy. This movie has it's many flaws, both somebody who is from Croatia or the from other close country's is going to find a good 100% true satire of the society which he lives!

These types of movie are pretty rare from the Balkans, they actually show the dark truth that everything is not how we imagined it, and that many things are lost to us. The Constitution of Republic of Croatia is film which just shows how the Croatian society looks at thing openly, and how they do it in the shadows. A homosexual man who adores Independent State of Croatia and a mixed-marriage who believe that people are people are at the main prime of these story. In short a combination of hypocrisy and nationalism......what can be better then this!