Regresie

Regresie is a film that captivates the attention of its viewer and does not let go. This film's deep irony and unpredictable twists leave one both laughing and fascinated with the main character's story. One wonders what is real and what is imagined within the rich visual texture and well-time scene shifts.

This is a film which has clearly been written and directed well, with attention paid to both the layered and nuanced comedic plot as well as to the deep visuals and captivating sounds which even include a stay-in-your-head Bollywood dance scene.

By the time Regresie ends, this reviewer found himself identifying with the main character, who at first appears to be mentally damaged by a war-induced trauma, an elite fighter who has suffered a terrible fate, being reduced to a simple childlike state. However we realize that nothing is as it seems and that beneath each character's surface is someone caught up in one of the subplots and sinister machinations.

Regresie is a masterful melding of comedic absurdity as well as a melancholy look into the life of a man whose life has reached its zenith and who now has little left to lose. The protagonist is sympathetic for anyone who has been forced by circumstances to inhabit a mundane world populated with uninteresting people.

This is enough substance in this short film that can be dissected by an intelligent viewer and watched more than once, something which cannot be said about standard movie house fare. There is a distinctly European undertone to Regresie which will appeal to an international audience and critics alike.