Tilva Rosh

As a debut for Nikola Lezaic, Tilva Ros is an excellent movie. But if you're watching it without any previous knowledge, it is a decent documentary drama, hailed by critics as the best Serbian movie in years. Although Serbian cinematography has been struggling for a while now, the accolades might pitch your expectations too high.

The main quality of Tilva Ros is that it's been made by a movie buff filming a bunch of kids supported by a couple of professional actors. Visually it offers more than many high-budget dramas, which is a pleasant surprise for a movie debut. The soundtrack blends in perfectly with a run down industrial town, making the setting rather universal.

Unfortunately, the main characters don't have the training to deliver deeper impressions, they are merely playing themselves. Also, the plot is vague, making the movie almost a documentary. There is a strong reference to MTV Jackass, towards which i feel frank hostility, but the latter is a subjective impression.

Whether you like it or not, Tilva Ros is movie making for dummies and is a challenge even to some well established authors.