BoshArrow

As a young Bulgarian fascinated by the medieval history of the Bulgarian Empire and Europe, I was eagerly expecting the beginning of "War of Letters". Considering key elements like cast, actual historical characters, plot and entertainment value, the TV series have great potential that I hope will turn into something positive in the long run.

However, let's focus on this specific episode that aims to introduce the audience to the characters, their personalities and motivations. I would honestly say that so far the main characters seem to be rather stereotypical and predictable. For example, Knyaz Bayan is the careless rebel who easily picks up fights, he is a good swordsman and womanizer. And then there is Petar: chess player who never engages in battles and gets tired easily when riding a horse. Labeled as weak but well educated, he is the typical nerd. I anticipate the story will put forward his personal growth as a wise and peaceful ruler. Nencho Kostov is among the best young Bulgarian actors and he does quite well as Knyaz Petar (future Tsar and Emperor of Bulgaria).

Another stereotypical character is Teodora Duhovnikova's Mariam who follows the steps of Roman Empress Livia (I, Claudius) and Cersei Lannister (Game of Thrones) as the selfish and influential Queen. Expectedly, she is the one pulling the strings in the royal court: it's interesting to see in what direction her character will go next. On the other hand, deserving credit are Klimentina Fartzova as Maria and Zahary Baharov as Georgi Sursuvul. Both make brief appearances as perhaps the most captivating characters who are not one-dimensional and will have big influence on the plot.

Overall, the pacing of the episode was good which led us to different locations, opened various story arcs and successfully introduced the audience to the setting. Despite some issues with the dialogue and the above mentioned predictability of several main characters, I found the beginning of "War of Letters" interesting and rate it a solid 6/10.

Honestly, "Last Call" may really be the best drama & comedy movie released in Bulgaria in recent years. An interesting introductory puzzle of characters is quickly turned into a dynamic mix of emotions, funny confrontations and dramatic reunions. The pacing of the movie is quite good and the outcome of the plot doesn't seem to be obvious at all. This movie proves that the main thing Bulgarian cinema and theatre talents need for a masterpiece is a creative and cohesive story: this one delivers exceptionally.

Moreover, it's vital to say that the cast is really strong. The Oscar nominated Maria Bakalova here makes her breakthrough performance and has amazing chemistry with legend Vasil Banov. As the two main leads of the movie they do really well to introduce the audience to the main conflict points that need to be resolved. But from my point of view, the main star of "Last Call" must be Gerasim Georgiev - Gero who delivers stellar performance as the drunk unsuccessful opera singer Blagovest. His amazing comedic timing is really well mixed with some heartfelt and sad deliveries which totally match the concept of the movie.

Overall, I highly recommend this successful Bulgarian project that combines well established actors at the peak of their careers, legendary veterans and new talents. You won't regret seeing it!