Glory

I saw this film at the VIFF 2016 (Vancouver International Film Festival) without knowing much about it. The film was a pleasure from beginning to end. The story is simple but the actors Margita Goshen and Stefan Denolyubov are perfect for delivering this dark and poignant film. There are many comments about our society that anyone can relate to: corruption, media, abuse of power, etc... But what really makes the film fantastic is the ending, not for everybody's taste but it is exactly that which makes it unique. I am looking forward to see more films from these filmmakers.

Shades of Billy Wilder, Milos Forman and the Coen Brothers (he just wants his watch back) sit lightly on this meticulously-plotted and wittily-shot film. The joy is in the detail: the watch, the minister's shoes, the trouser-exchange. It's a film with a lot to say, but it keeps its gaze at the human level.

This is a very skillfully made and incisive movie. Part parable, part satire, it follows the struggles of a very poor man who tries to do the right thing and then gets coldly manipulated and abused by multiple levels of a corrupt system as a "reward" for his honesty.

The story is both painful and quite funny to watch as railroad lineman Tzanko has his life upended by the machinations of a rapaciously ambitious PR demon named Julia and her squad of incompetent flunkies. The two main actors are superb in their starkly different, yet completely interdependent, roles, and the supporting cast members do a fine job portraying a motley crew of hoodlums, cowards, bureaucrats and other assorted scum.

The camera-work is very good -- it's mostly hand-held and the carefully modulated restlessness perfectly complements the edgy narrative. The editing is brilliant... somehow it lends an understated note to a story that, less deftly handled, would be too obvious, too blunt.

I almost didn't get to see this movie and feel very happy I did. It reminds me another excellent recent release, "Toni Erdmann," except that the behavior on display here is even worse and the stakes are much higher. Do yourself a favor and see "Glory."

It is a low budget film. With obviously restricted means of production, the filmmakers managed to describe accurately the main aspects of the everyday life in the region. The story nicely depicted the pathology of the political and social system which prevails in the Balkans and not only in Bulgaria. To my mind, the references to the European Union were excellent and clearly made the point that the idea of a united Europe is an illusion. The basic characteristics of the social attitudes and human relationships in the given environment were very well presented. The acting was convincing, but the camera work was not so good. Maybe the film will not be so appealing to audiences used to watching Hollywood super productions or audiences looking for ways to escape into an ideal imagined world. But it is a direct, honest, true and plain approach to a very interesting way of life in a very interesting part of the globe, where people struggle to improve the quality of their lives, preserving at the same time their traditional values. The impact of the above contradiction is nicely emphasized in the film.

The movie its story, at first glance, may seem simple but with the passing of time we learned just how complex it really was, reveals the reality in the modern world. you will like it, I recommend it to you.