Pored mene

I must admit I was expecting the rehash of the same old teenage story already told when I was planing to go watch it, but I decided to give it a try and I haven't regretted the decision.

Acting is superb, and the story is the real picture of what happens in Serbian high school's albeit little bit exaggerated in some moments. From the identity crises to shame of being poor, and hiding your sexuality. It all happens. Drug dealing and the connections between hooligan groups and the students are part of the everyday lives of these kids, and the film shows it. Enthusiasm of some of the people that work in the schools is also shown through the actress that plays their teacher, and the resignation of the older generation also through magnificent Mirjana Karanović, that shows for a few minutes, but steals the show. Also the actress that plays "The Gothic Chick" is a great example of kids that are forced to grow up earlier and look on their peers through different eyes. She has a great career in front of her I predict. Her character is one played with such conviction that at the moments you forget that she acts, and start believing that she is that character in reality. Lead who plays The Basketball player is great at showing other side of the sports player, which is not often shown in the movies. Problems that he has to deal with and the maturity that his character brings to the fictional class, are worth of the sympathy. And maybe the biggest praise goes to the Slaven Doslo, that plays the cocky cool kid, who is the most popular boy in the class. All the girls want him, he has good looks, etc. all the things that matter to the kids of that age, but the secret that he hides, is all to well known to some people. He is great at conveying that message. All the props to the rest of the actors that play other students, and the supporting characters. They really did the great job. In my humble opinion this is The Best movie from the Serbia in last few years. I recommend it to all, especially to the kids that are still going to the high school.

The only reason I went to see this movie is because I dropped my kids to the same movie theater . I looked to see what movie is approximately same length and starting at the same time as the movie my kids were about to watch. And -Pored mene- was the only one. What a great surprises it was. This is a real refreshment. Honest and emotional movie. Acting is very good by not so well known young actors.. Story line is done marvelously well. Being generation that went to high school in the 90s, without cell phones, I was curious to see this new kids today. But the movie is so much more, not just what happens when you take the connection to the world (aka cell phones) from them.It is more then that for sure. . It goes over so many problems that high school kids are going thru. Love, hate, drugs, music,etc.. This movie is set in Belgrade Serbia, but I think audience worldwide can relate to it as well. It is unique set of problems. Do not miss this movie.

Coming from my homeland, this movie is exactly everything I hate about our cinema. Troublesome youth, pretentiousness, poor acting (except Mirjana Karanovic who is typically much better actress than human being), deep meaningful subject matter that ultimately lead nowhere... Basically, what one messed up generation might do without their cellphones, locked in a school in Serbia? Whole movie feels like it's staged for country's immoral liberalism vs nationalism/conservatism counterpart , where is obvious which side the director picked up. The movie is boring, uninspired, plot is nearly non-existent and overall, I feel like I was being lectured, which is frivolous from a filmmaker to do so, as movies don't have power to change things. Certainly not in country called Serbia.

If this is the future of our movies, then I am deeply afraid for us. I am not saying that what was presented isn't true, just is done for the wrong purpose.

The point of the film was to depict the problems in society: poverty, youth behavior, homophobia, nationalism by presenting one class in high school, but everything is so blatant that loses a point. Everything is so stereotypically and a little bit cartoonish. The story itself has potential but Filipovic has no talent to get the most out of the story. On the other hand this is way better than his first movie "Sejtanov ratnik" which was extremely stupid. This film reminds me too much to "The Breakfast Club" and it is evident that the inspiration and maybe the whole idea was taken from there and just adapted to today's conditions. It has been raised a big noise about this in Serbia, but film really is not anything special, it is incomplete and at times even boring...

I cannot believe why this movie has 7.1/10 at the point I'm rating it. It's entirely a political movie that bends logic just to have a point. And I don't mind a movie having a political message if it's well tucked into the movie's plot, but this movie is made entirely to have a cheap plot point - my ideology good and sane yours is bad. Nothing in the movie makes sense, eg. teacher taking their phones away and locking them in a school. What? The dialogues are some of the most unnatural I've ever seen, it's not even cheesy, it's just poor.