Montevideo, God Bless You! (2010)

First, I find the Serbian reviews of this film here to be particularly refreshing: when I watched the film for the first time, I thought it over-exploited Serb nationalism and wasn't sure how that played out in Serbia. I found reviews from inside Serbia to acknowledge this fact and to be very sophisticated in their analysis of this part of the film. As someone moving to the region shortly, it was good to see such honest criticism.Second, the film is not bad but there are some issues for me. I thought it a bit too sentimental for my tastes and a bit contrived in its plot-- with plenty of stereotypical characters, from the peasant girl to the Croatian soccer team to the King of Yugoslavia. Another thing, the main actors (male) are a bit too "pretty"--with lots of make-up and stylized hair. They looked more like Parisian fashion models than rough-and-tough soccer players. Finally, the soundtrack is just a bit overbearing at times with sweet violins and folk music stanzas--some scenes were dramatic enough without the heavy, syrupy background music.Yet, there is much to like. The photography is great, the period jazz pieces wonderful, and the general story line nice. I saw it with an American audience--knowledgeable about the Balkans--who "got" all the national nuances of the difficulties between the Croats and the Serbs in the forming of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In general, we all liked it as a nice, enjoyable movie that didn't break any new ground in film making but was accessible entertainment. Yes, we Americans do like happy endings and this movie filled all those notches.Bottom line: It's a nice movie, worth watching for pure light-hearted entertainment. I gave it an eight for the great photography and the easy to follow "beginning-middle-end" story line that successfully told this story. I look forward to the sequel as I learn this very difficult Serbian language (yes, I still need the subtitles for a bit more time!)

I thought this movie would be about the 1930 World Cup that took place in Montevideo, Uruguay. Well, not quite. It is about the Yugoslavian players who went to that first World Cup, telling us how the team was formed, but the movie ends before the championship begins. Perhaps in a sequel we would see them go to Uruguay with the national team (I'm aware, of course, that that would require a larger budget for the movie, and that the movie market in the former Yugoslavia might be too small to justify it).The action in the movie occurs not just in the soccer pitch, since the film also shows the personal lives of the players, especially the two that were the most talented, Mosa and Tirke (how much of this is invented I cannot tell). Besides the players, other characters appear in the movie, for example the shoeshine boy who is a sort of the unofficial mascot of the team or Valeriya (played by a very beautiful actress named Nina Jankovic), a femme fatale type girl who is the lover of more than one of the players in the team. There is a bit of historical background also, as the country is shown recovering from the first World War, the then king of Yugoslavia appears in a cameo role, and so forth, but not too much.It is a light and sentimental movie, but that's OK with me, it is a respite for so many cynical films one sees today. Recommended, though do not expect too much from it.

Superb ambiance, irony, political subtext, emotional depth... this film has it all. A film which grasps the imagination and unravels the courage to believe in dreams. Admirable acting and a good, sturdy script. Finally, a breath of fresh air from Serbian film-makers! The director shows a profound understanding of the mentality and manages to combine humor and sadness in the effort to present the times and the historical vicissitudes of the Balkans. Even with a minimal knowledge of 'the beautiful game', it's possible to enjoy the skills shown and the love proffered for football.Dream on Serbian cinematography!

Let me start by saying that this film isn't a masterpiece like Inception or Black Swan or Citizen Kane or I-don't-know-what, but it comes with a STRONG national feeling, just this time in an optimistic manner. So, the film is maybe encumbered with nationalistic scenes or details, but I believe that people should learn from it, because it show how to treat your nation's sport's team, and at the same time, every single person in that nation. The plot itself isn't all too interesting, but it is a fun story, vividly depicted by young actors and actresses and there's nothing wrong to it. I gave this high rating because I'm really sick and tired of dark times and even darker movies and themes, considering Serbian cinematography, and this comes as a respite from all the excessive violence and pain and suffering you could have encountered in other Serbian movies of last two decades. (Not all movies are that dark,ofc)So, if you want to give your self an hour and half of fun and a good laugh (I know it probably lasts longer, but I felt as if it lasted for 90 mins), do not hesitate to see it... And yes, I'm very eager to hear from foreign audience :)