Vera (II) (2022) User Reviews

The first Serbian movies about spies.

[ignorela · 7/10 · 26 November 2022]

I think this is the first Serbian spy movie, at least among newer movies. And it is about a woman! A Serbian version of Hari Mata Hari ends tragically of course. The plot is about a woman who just wanted to survive in crazy and very unsecure times shortly before and at the beginning of the WWII. At the period of rising nazi movement she falls for a guy on the wrong side of history and then one thing led to another. After being threatened, and then brutally tortured, beaten, and raped, it was natural for her to start to spy for Germans. But untill the end of the movie, she will dance on many other different historic political and national tunes. The problem is that, despite it is supposed to be a spy movie and despite it paints a lot of sides to lot of people, and twists, the movie is still very predictable: you easily realize if she's going to get out from difficult situation and how she's gonna do that, you know at once if one character is going to say or do something to the other characters (like slapping, raping or some sentences or even exact words) so you can follow the plot practically while doing something else, like chatting or whatever. The music also sometimes sounds like "glued" to the atmosphere more than really grew into it. The main character, Vera is somewhat naive young girl masterly played by Jovana Stojiljkovic who even "picked up" accent very good. There's also a feminist moment that sparks now and then like a breath of fresh air not just in her vengeance (also predictable from the first moment), but in various situations and in sentences of other characters, mainly men (like mansplaining that pregnancy is the most beautiful feeling or when the German recruiter and lover tells her "not to interfere in politics" because it's not for women etc. Actually in every step of her tragically marked life you realise (if you want to see) how hard it is to walk in her shoes, as a mater of fact, in shoes of any woman at the time. However, there's a lack of consistency in main character: at times she sounds so naive that is not at all abhorrent with her also being a double and triple agent. So naive that you even start to suspect her intelligence and at other times she picks up signals, puns and body talk like a pro. Anyway, it is a solid movie (nice costumes, even better scenography), decent acting, good directing, only the music sounded off the atmosphere now and then and the plot is predictable at most times. It is based on an interesting moment in Serbian history (although the state is former Yugoslavia, but it is about events in Serbia shortly before and at the beginning of WWII), and although it is inspired by actual events, I really believed that there's not dramatisation at all regarding historical events. It also realistically portraits the characters and the fact that at these times everyone would sell everyone else if the prize is high enough: Serbs (Chetniks who fights on the side of a bigger bidder, brutal communists), and of course Brits who betrays previous allies. Nazis too, it is understandable. The other common thing to all is that they all chug a lot of alcohol in most of the scenes (even meticulously chosen: the nazi parties have champagne, quality cognac and other fancy drinks, the chetnicks and villagers rakija (Serbian traditional drink), and honeydew in a monastery where they have hives). So, once again, solid movie. My recommendation, sure, why the hell not?

A REAL GOOD PREQUEL TO SOUTH WIND

[mihailo_mixer · 6/10 · 29 November 2022]

Quite an ok movie. The fact is that if the company decides to shoot a film based on a true story, they must be aware that they are playing with fire. This film is done quite correctly, but when it is based on a true event, there are a lot of limitations. There was very little action for a spy movie, and the spying wasn't really outlined much in the movie itself. All the time they were jumping from one location to another and constantly changing the target, which throws the film out of the circle of interest. There was so little action that they made a small parkour from one terrace to another look like jumping from 20 floors like Chuck Norris. I was also quite irritated by the music, not because it was bad (it was good because it was JAZZ), but because it was repeated all the time. One SAME melody was present in the film 5 or more times. There were a lot of dramatic and unexpected moments, and there was even one scene that almost brought me to tears, albeit occasionally. The film should drive you 200 an hour from the beginning to the end like in "The South Wind". That's why this film is a completely correct prequel to South Wind, how Sofia lived before Marash Kalash came into her life.