This movie is simply a masterpiece. Its surrealist approach is similar to but goes much farther than Kusturica's flying fishes and brides (which are, by all means, the most charming features of Arizona Dream or Underground). It is the kind of film that makes you dream about another - not necessarily better, but nevertheless fascinating - world. This is especially remarkable as other Balkan cinematographers, such as the Romanians, are growing increasingly famous due to the triumph at Cannes and elsewhere of their sinister, realist movies that push the Italian post-WWII neo-realism to a darker, unbearable degree. Watching those films will certainly make you dream too, but you'll have nightmares. Watching Tears for Sale (or Charleston & Vendetta, which is the translation of the original title) is a delighting experience in post-modern surrealism. For the time being, the problem is that the movie seems to be available mostly in Serbian. Still, after some effort I was able to find on Internet an excellent French language version. But I am sure that subtitled DVD versions will soon be available. One final caveat: if you are an admirer of Hollywood movies and prefer 'believable dialogues' (as one of my fellow-reviewers does) definitely DO NOT WATCH Tears for Sale. Go to a theater that screens Spiderman 9 and you'll be happy. Choose Stojanovic's film only if you really like high-end cinema.
Review of Tears for Sale
