I had to see absolute winner of Pula Film Festival (best director,actor,music...) so I had high expectations about this one and I must say that I'm not disappointed at all. Since I also saw play "Niciji sin" from Vinko Brean in theater in Rijeka, I was familiar with the script.
In short description, this movie is about Ivan, ex-singer and war veteran who lost both legs in war. Ivan also has to face with his broken marriage and son that he doesn't see. Ivan has no future, just like lot of his colleagues from war (who either kill themselves or end up in institution). His father, Izidor is political candidate and he wants to win on elections desperately. His campaign is disturbed when Serbian refugee Simo comes to his house and starts to blackmail him. Soon, all secrets will come out.
This movie is very interesting to people from this areas, who are familiar to events that happened in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia during the war and after it. Foreigners who are not familiar with situation here in the war can easily learn something about it because the whole point of the story is about ex-soldiers who have obvious problems from war, and no one can help them. They are left to die alone and misunderstood (same story with American soldiers in Iraq - greatly told in "In the Valley of Elah"). Also I have to say that Ostojic movie is better then Bresan play because it's deeper in characterization (ironical parts are strong in both play and movie). Events are told retrospectively and the whole movie is carried by Alen Liveric in the main role. Liveric is brilliant and this is definitely the best acted role in Croatian movie for 2008. Liveric has support from legendary Mustafa Nadarevic and actors like Biserka Ipsa, Zdenko Jelcic, Goran Grgic and others. Everyone is great in their roles and I think this is the best Croatian movie in 2008. "Niciji sin" is Croatia's 2009 Academy Awards official submission to Foreign-Language Film category and it fully deserved that because it's a story about a family that is condemned to doom cause of stupid war. Recommended, especially for audience who likes festival types of movies rather then blockbusters with no brains.
