Montevideo: Taste of a Dream (2010) Poster

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8/10
Fine sentimental film
Andy-29629 November 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this movie would be about the 1930 World Cup that took place in Montevideo, Uruguay. Well, not quite. It is about the Yugoslavian players who went to that first World Cup, telling us how the team was formed, but the movie ends before the championship begins. Perhaps in a sequel we would see them go to Uruguay with the national team (I'm aware, of course, that that would require a larger budget for the movie, and that the movie market in the former Yugoslavia might be too small to justify it).

The action in the movie occurs not just in the soccer pitch, since the film also shows the personal lives of the players, especially the two that were the most talented, Mosa and Tirke (how much of this is invented I cannot tell). Besides the players, other characters appear in the movie, for example the shoeshine boy who is a sort of the unofficial mascot of the team or Valeriya (played by a very beautiful actress named Nina Jankovic), a femme fatale type girl who is the lover of more than one of the players in the team. There is a bit of historical background also, as the country is shown recovering from the first World War, the then king of Yugoslavia appears in a cameo role, and so forth, but not too much.

It is a light and sentimental movie, but that's OK with me, it is a respite for so many cynical films one sees today. Recommended, though do not expect too much from it.
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8/10
A Light Respite from Cinematography Noir and Obscene
djo9112 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Let me start by saying that this film isn't a masterpiece like Inception or Black Swan or Citizen Kane or I-don't-know-what, but it comes with a STRONG national feeling, just this time in an optimistic manner. So, the film is maybe encumbered with nationalistic scenes or details, but I believe that people should learn from it, because it show how to treat your nation's sport's team, and at the same time, every single person in that nation.

The plot itself isn't all too interesting, but it is a fun story, vividly depicted by young actors and actresses and there's nothing wrong to it.

I gave this high rating because I'm really sick and tired of dark times and even darker movies and themes, considering Serbian cinematography, and this comes as a respite from all the excessive violence and pain and suffering you could have encountered in other Serbian movies of last two decades. (Not all movies are that dark,ofc)

So, if you want to give your self an hour and half of fun and a good laugh (I know it probably lasts longer, but I felt as if it lasted for 90 mins), do not hesitate to see it...

And yes, I'm very eager to hear from foreign audience :)
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8/10
A bit contrived, but lots to like...
goodhikers22 September 2013
Warning: Spoilers
First, I find the Serbian reviews of this film here to be particularly refreshing: when I watched the film for the first time, I thought it over-exploited Serb nationalism and wasn't sure how that played out in Serbia. I found reviews from inside Serbia to acknowledge this fact and to be very sophisticated in their analysis of this part of the film. As someone moving to the region shortly, it was good to see such honest criticism.

Second, the film is not bad but there are some issues for me. I thought it a bit too sentimental for my tastes and a bit contrived in its plot-- with plenty of stereotypical characters, from the peasant girl to the Croatian soccer team to the King of Yugoslavia. Another thing, the main actors (male) are a bit too "pretty"--with lots of make-up and stylized hair. They looked more like Parisian fashion models than rough-and-tough soccer players.

Finally, the soundtrack is just a bit overbearing at times with sweet violins and folk music stanzas--some scenes were dramatic enough without the heavy, syrupy background music.

Yet, there is much to like. The photography is great, the period jazz pieces wonderful, and the general story line nice. I saw it with an American audience--knowledgeable about the Balkans--who "got" all the national nuances of the difficulties between the Croats and the Serbs in the forming of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In general, we all liked it as a nice, enjoyable movie that didn't break any new ground in film making but was accessible entertainment. Yes, we Americans do like happy endings and this movie filled all those notches.

Bottom line: It's a nice movie, worth watching for pure light-hearted entertainment. I gave it an eight for the great photography and the easy to follow "beginning-middle-end" story line that successfully told this story. I look forward to the sequel as I learn this very difficult Serbian language (yes, I still need the subtitles for a bit more time!)
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Why such negative reviews from Serbia....
plemenit20084 November 2011
Interesting comments from various reviewers from Serbia knocking this movie as trite and unimpressive? This movie is a breath of fresh air in comparison to the unimaginative garbage such as "A Serbian Film". Is this a perfect movie, no by no means, but it is enjoyable to watch and has shown some future for cinematography in present day Serbia. The acting and direction is more than adequate for this genre of film and the young cast holds its own throughout the film. There is nothing wrong with "feel good" movies as they are taken precisely for what they are. Bring on more "Montevideo's" - we are tired of the doom and gloom in dark Serbian film making!
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10/10
Dreaming is complicated, living a vision is more simple
margosanci16 January 2011
If you never have a vision bigger then yourself, you shouldn't watch this movie, because it may looks too romantic, too limited for you. If the present time and its rate is the maximum of your wishes, then you shouldn't watch it. If you are too concerned about a connotations it could contains, for the sake of your prejudices, please, do not watch this film. This is not a story about one country/people or more, about politics, or any other little things mentioned in this movie. It's about a team, about living a dream of eleven and more of them, in the time when the sport was only a game. Before I watched it I was sad and confused, after the movie I was inspired and ready for tomorrow, what ever that means...
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10/10
outstanding...
elzaholt23 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
Superb ambiance, irony, political subtext, emotional depth... this film has it all. A film which grasps the imagination and unravels the courage to believe in dreams. Admirable acting and a good, sturdy script. Finally, a breath of fresh air from Serbian film-makers! The director shows a profound understanding of the mentality and manages to combine humor and sadness in the effort to present the times and the historical vicissitudes of the Balkans. Even with a minimal knowledge of 'the beautiful game', it's possible to enjoy the skills shown and the love proffered for football.

Dream on Serbian cinematography!
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10/10
The story of the Serbian football team who won the World Cup, and how they became a team.
radovanovic-lana9018 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
This is the most enjoyable film I've seen in a long time. The script is really wonderful, very funny and touching, it tells the story of men who had nothing but a crazy dream, and the will to do anything to make it happen. It also tells the story of an entire era, of a country trying to rebuild itself, and its identity...

The acting also was really good, this might just be me, but I felt like I could feel the joy of the cast at being a part of the movie emanating off the screen. The scenes were also more than beautiful, the scenery told everything the script could not, it showed the Belgrade that existed in the 1930s, and the simplicity of football back then.

All of this was topped off by an amazing music score, I knew the song "Samo Malo" by Magnifico, and I loved it, but I hadn't heard the instrumental parts.... so beautiful, so touching, simply indescribable.

I don't know what else to say, all my congratulations to the cast and crew, especially to the scriptwriters, director and the composers, they made a masterpiece that leaves you with awe, and a wish to do that something you've always dreamed of doing.
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9/10
A good way to awaken Serbian cinema!
Kostale10 May 2020
Audiences in Serbia have been waiting for many years for a film or series that will awaken Serbian cinema from the deep sleep in which it has sunk, a long time ago. This deep dream has its own metaphorical meaning. The metaphor in that case contains several factors that have characterized most Serbian films or series for decades: consistency in the form of something that has already been seen or screened outside Serbia, low budget available for almost every filming of a screened work, quite boring war or the tragic theme of the scenario, which in most cases is characterized like underused and perhaps the most important factor - turning to the domestic or Balkan audience instead of placing something ,,domestic,, in the world. That deep dream had occasional occasions in which it could be interrupted. These opportunities are reflected in several films made by Serbian cinematography, but they were only short-lived opportunities instead of an opportunity for a film revolution strong enough for Serbian cinema to enter the world market. Montevideo, Bog te video made a strong enough explosion that finally woke up Serbian cinematography. Although Serbia has a lot of good and quality directors, it is interesting that this film was directed by the most inexperienced of them - one of the most famous and best actors in Serbia, Dragan Bjelogrlic. With this state in mind, the balance in achieving justice on both sides of the ,,problem,, of Serbian film making was made. Cinematography and the audience got a film strong enough to satisfy both sides and determine a completely new direction in which the future of Serbian cinematography will take place. Although he was the most inexperienced of Serbia, Dragan Bjelogrlic became a new and desirable name in the world of directing and the audience in Serbia desperately wanted his work to continue, because regardless of all the factors that make up the metaphor of a ,,deep sleep,, It has long been known that Serbian cinema has one of the greatest potentials in the world. This is in line with the mentality, ideas and vision of the people of the Balkans. Montevideo, Bog te video, had a record number of premieres and is being repeated several times today during the year. This trend continued even after its sequel was filmed - Montevideo, God bless you. The film was shot according to a true event, and until the moment the film was made, that event was argued among the people as an exciting, folk, legend. The fact that such a ,,legend,, has become one of the most successful films in Serbia is exactly what I meant when I talked about the potential of people from the Balkans. They are, really powerful people in many ways. The plot of the film is maximally used and contains a perfect balance between the development of the characters and the development of events that are spiced with a happier age of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in which culture and sport were one. Being an athlete at that time was just as important as being a banker, a lawyer, a clerk. Even then, there were political problems in the area, but this people finally showed how secondary these problems were to the people who developed the image and glory of Yugoslavia where no politics had existed before. Apart from the beautiful depictions of the former, royal Belgrade and its inhabitants at the time, what makes this film special is that on one big world screen the mentality of the Serbian and Yugoslav people is presented in the way it really is. A mentality that has its own slogan - I love my country and the people in it. The amount of emotion shown in the film is so strong that a lot of the audience, along with the actors themselves, cried at the premiere of the film. The music of the film was accompanied by that fact and the song ,,Pukni zoro,, which is the theme of the film, became one of the most popular and most beautiful Serbian songs and you can still hear it at celebrations and in Serbian taverns. The film is about a small country in the Balkans, which was bigger than today. A country that pays a lot of attention to politics, the army, a rich class of people, and in fact a country that is best run by athletes and ordinary people. The plot of the film gives an opportunity for a foreigner who watches the film to get acquainted with the way of life in Belgrade at the time, but also with the kindness and somewhat naive sincerity of its inhabitants, who are the main actors of the film - football players of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Although young and inexperienced, they begin their story of friendship, local tricks, falling in love, and learning the true values of life. They are taught all this by people who no one would say are capable of. And as that story gets the contours of a real team, that team gets the strength to change the conservative and frequent habits of statesmen, the wealthier population, and the media. The plot gained its expansion when the King decided to place his trust in such an ,,unusual,, team to travel to Uruguay for the first World Cup, and then there was an opportunity for the Serbian population to get to know the world in this way. Interesting supporting roles accompany this film, among which are love, family stories and the fight against injustice, which can be comprehensively called life. The struggle of the average Serb or a man with a Balkan mentality with himself and then with the world begins when this team decides to board a ship and go so far from their country and family just because they love that same country and family. What is happening on the way there and in Uruguay is the plot of the second part of this movie. The quality of the film itself is reflected in parallel with what is the point of the film itself. In the frequency of one country, a team of people (a football team in the film) appears and creates a film that the country has not had the opportunity to see so far (in the film going to the World Cup in Uruguay) not knowing if and how the film will be accepted. knowing where Uruguay is). The team of these people who made this film not only made a great and world-worthy film, but also gave birth to a new quality class of young actors who became favorite actors of almost all directors in Serbia (in the film, the Yugoslav national team that ,,won,, World Cup). I want you to feel the emotion of every Serb while watching this film. I want you to cry when you feel the need and to laugh at us, ,,crazy Serbs,, when you understand why we are ,,crazy,,. With this film, it is finally screened and available to you around the world. Greetings from Serbia and watch the second part of the movie. My final rate is 9.
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6/10
Not so great
sobot6 January 2011
Warning: Spoilers
First of all, I am addressing primarily the audience in Serbia. I think that the movie really is meant for them, and that others would not find it too interesting. There are too much "patriotic" elements for my taste, and certainly too much for anybody from ex-Yugoslav countries. For example, the "spontaneous" singing of "Boze pravde" (the current national anthem of Serbia) after the game... I do think that Serbia has much to be proud of, but such a thing in an American movie would immediately be called distasteful.

Which leads me to the grade the movie got so far. At the moment I'm writing this, it is 8.8! I mean, this movie is a simple comedy, funny now and then, but in no way original. I am aware that everyone in Serbia "wants to see cheerful and funny movies, not only those hard and cruel things", but we have had our share of such movies in last few years.

What in particular do I have against it? (1) The first half is too similar to a great TV series, "Vise od igre". Since everyone in Serbia saw it at least once, you will know what I'm talking about. (2) Have you paid attention to the way girls are represented? They are simply sexual objects. For example, there is only one scene in which Rosa's bosom doesn't show, and that's when she is in a wet dress. I guess that the authors meant to add a lot of romance to the movie to attract female audience, but this is a strange way to do it. (3) The football scenes are nicely shot but, to put it mildly, exaggerated. Hey, that was 1930!

There is more, but... well, perhaps I am overreacting. The movie is actually funny. There are many great actors here, and the young ones are a nice surprise. I am also happy to see Gordana Djurdjevic, a respected theater actress from Novi Sad, being given a chance on film.
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10/10
10/10
cosmin74200018 January 2022
An amazing masterpiece who contain everything make you feel better, a lot of good comedy(thing very very rarely. Meet in the last 30 years , a little drama , a little adventure, a little romance , a brilliant screenwriting , , amazinng actors , not those inferior formes of life who "play"in Hollywood in the last 40 years and.win a lot of money for nothing, an excelent soundtruck. All the phrases of this movie are memorable .I MENTION JUST ONE OF IT. : WHEN IT'S ABOUT NEW TREND AND DUMB STUFF WE SERBIANS ARE THE FIRST..SOCCER WERE STILL NEW..In those times on the field play. Don't play the rich mans., and they are watched by us the poor nes. Now it's the opposite"How much true from a mouth of a 10 y.o. Boootblack boy.
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10/10
Loved ii!
micalazovic-7597219 May 2020
The acting is extraordinary and in my opinion that's the thing that makes this movie so good. Big respect for all the actors in this show!
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4/10
Primitive
punker_np2 May 2011
Warning: Spoilers
I've seen a lot of Serbian movies, and this is one of the worst.

Bad things: Story is not that bad, like an idea, however the characters are too stereotyped, and so is the relationship between them:a peasant girl who is a display of everything that is supposed to be positive, and another girl who is supposed to be "cool" and modern, two football players who start as rivals but become best friends, another two older characters who are funny to the audience only because they use a lot of profanity, a kid who cannot walk but is "very smart" but in a typically peasant way.

After about 5 minutes of movie i knew everything that is about to happen until the end.

And another thing, at the end of movie, in last 5 minutes girls change their mind and decide to be with their boys with stereotyped excuses.

This movie was made to make money in Serbia, through positive story and profanity humor, and exploiting nationalism.

In order to like a movie like this you must have a shallow mind, and that's about it.

And one more thing, the football scenes are... U must have in mind that these players were from AMATEUR clubs in 1930., but in movie... I will just say that Messi and Ronaldo could learn a lot from them.

Positive things: I liked the production, and this movie showed some progress in this area compared to other Serbian movies.

My advice: Do not watch this movie, it is lame. If you like to watch Serbian movies there are a lot of better movies to watch.
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A long-lost era before football became overrun by corruption, mobsters and rugby-like tackling.
fedor826 January 2015
Warning: Spoilers
This movie's theme (and period setting) is too interesting to not be successful. A really clueless amateur would have been needed to make a bad film with this solid budget (in Balkan terms) and this fun premise. Dragan Bjelogrlic isn't a particularly gifted director, but with the help of a solid script and a very decent acting crew, the result is fairly entertaining.

The first positive thing I'd point out is that this isn't yet another modern Serbian production in which the same, predictable, and generally not particularly good stable of actors dominate. In other words, Dragan himself isn't in it (not a bad actor, but hardly an acting great); the overrated Srdjan Todorovic only has a minor role, and he doesn't find the opportunity to clown around in it (as he usually does, and badly); Djuricko is even quite solid because he'd toned down his overacting as well; only Sergej Trifunovic gets more screen time than I'd prefer, even though his role is also fairly marginal. Sergej is highly overrated, unlikable, uncharismatic, and even though he is suitable to be cast in the role of an arrogant jerk, I believe many other domestic actors could have done the job better than him. It doesn't surprise that Mima Karadzic, Marko Nikolic and the guy playing the barber are among those who offer the best performances in this cast of mostly young actors. Although to be fair, the roles of the football players have been quite well cast, which I didn't expect. It seems that nepotism and other such forms of you-scratch-my-back-I'll-scratch-yours didn't dominate the casting process nearly as much as they usually do in Serbian TV or movie productions. Hence a much better film than one would normally expect.

It's also positive that female roles were also not necessarily allocated according to the increasingly domineering rules of it's-who-you-know-not-how-good-you-are. (No Katarina Radivojevic, just to mention one of many inferior nepotist Serb actresses.) On the other hand, the TV-series version of the movie does feature a lot of sub-par actresses many of whom obviously have family connections to thank for starting movie careers. I guess Bjelogrlic tried to save the best for the big screen.

The story unfolds well. The only criticism I have is the exaggerated and unrealistic love-square between the team's two star players, Rosa, and the sleazy artist wannabe. That whole commotion centered on the "love letters" didn't make much sense. Plus, the character of the femme-fatale night-club floozy is over-the-top, her behaviour being even more absurd in the TV series.

Period detail is kept as well as the budget allowed. The only minor criticism is of the lyrics of the song performed in the hipster night club; I believe they might be too racy for the 20s. I realize that this night-club represents the height of sleaze of that period and that such people were already pushing the boundaries of good taste, but the sexual nature of the song seems out-of-place i.e. out-of-time, especially since this song is then played again during the credits. I also doubt that regular waitresses of the period showed nearly as much cleavage as Tirke's love-interest Rosa does. She works in a regular café, not a night-club. Perhaps the writers, the costume department or the director got a little carried away, forgetting that this is set in Yugoslavia's post-WWI period.

There is a certain amount of political commentary, which may or may not be justified. Certainly, looking for the King to finance the trip to Uruguay automatically has to involve a degree of politics, and if the team's main defense player really was an outspoken Commie, then that's perfectly valid to mention as well. The important thing is that the script offers differing viewpoints on the dominant hot-potato issues of the day, and doesn't take sides. Personally, I would have kept the ideological subtext to a minimum, because this is a sports comedy, essentially.

Any movie that shows football as it used to be ("rich people watching poor people play" – which is slightly exaggerated by has some ironic truth to it) and as it's supposed to be is welcome. While the match and practice scenes may be a tad inundated with over-skillfulness (which doesn't bother me, i.e. a legitimate cinematic exaggeration), they show a beautiful game that was a far cry from the injury-faking, the acting-out (fake emotions, players performing as in a Greek theater), the unnecessary brutal tackles that slow down the game, the lack of goals, all the tattooed morons with moronic haircuts – i.e. all that stuff that pollutes modern football, making it so appealing to blood-thirsty plebs. The modern version of this once-great game has turned into a gladiator sport in which the outdated, easily-bent rules are subject to global misuse by mobsters and corrupt politicians who rule FIFA and UEFA like dictators. This is part of the movie's charm; reminding not just of a more innocent time culturally, but football-wise, as well.

I would like to know how true the film is historically, as far as the accuracy of how events leading up to the World Cup unfold, and how many liberties the screenwriters took when it comes to the football characters and those around them.

All in all, a well-made movie which never gets boring in spite of its length of well over two hours, which is a success in itself.
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10/10
Good But Could Be Better
srdjanmikavica6 March 2011
OK, movie is not bad! But.. Like first.Anyone who watched movie Goal! will see some connection between those two movies.It's not something big, but it falls into the eye.

It is about dream, dream of young men to do something with their lives.Even though football wasn't popular in those '30, they still wanted it. And it is about young man who grew up without his father, who died in First WW.And all he can do and want to do is play football.And his way to the top of his world.Started playing for a local club,one of the strongest in those times.And his friendship with the best player and most expensive in the team.Of course, it wouldn't be movie without some love.And of course it is between two best friends because of two different girls.But, if you ask me, the best part of the movie is rivalry between Rajko and Blagoje, two best friends and fans of different times.And their enthusiasm for their teams.Anyone could recognize himself,if they are fans. And this movies is made on a true story.

Movie is not bad, if you look that it's coming from the country which was bombarded 10 years ago. And I have praise for acting. All of the actors did great job.Congralutions for that. It's good movies,but it would be better if there is not those connections with Goal!. But the journey just began. We'll what will happen in Montevideo..
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10/10
Perfect movie
nikolicmarko-836276 January 2019
Movie is just perfect, no more words needed. Dragan Bjelogrlic will change serbian cinematographi.
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10/10
THE BEST
anelzaha18 March 2020
Warning: Spoilers
The best movie!!

The first story about football in Yugoslavia after 1. World War. It is about dream,dream of young men about first World Cup ever in Montevideo All of the actors did great job. We''ll what will happen in Montevideo.
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3/10
Old plastic not fantastic
unpopicakbill31 January 2024
I'm sure people who voted for this movie were emotionally invested in it for reasons not coming from the art of film making. Because what one gets is a movie poorly constructed, so poorly acted that it feels plastic, with historical goofs too many to be worth listing, overdramatizing to the point turning one stomach over, empty dialogue ... it comes so close to Bollywood B-class movies that it hurts, even having the all musical intermezzos.

In the end it was made, and people from the ex-Yugoslav countries surely liked it enough, but I can't see how this could be ever considered a real movie anywhere else in the world.

I have great respect for the Yugoslav film making, but this is only a shade of that.
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Not bad but still
rightwingisevil17 May 2011
got lot of flaws in this Serbian movie. All the actors were nicely cast and performed. But I happened to noticed that there were lot of items that should not and could not exist appeared in this movie: Plastic molded tables and chairs outside of the tavern, cigarettes with filters, complicated patterned nylon pantyhose that only modern days could make them. But these young guys who played the early time soccer team were pretty good and they could play raw eggs with their legs, thighs, and feet were just fascinating. The romances between two couples were a bit lame and contrite. There were quite a lot of comedian-like characters in this movie, but thank God, I sat through out the whole movie and actually enjoyed it quite a bit. All the young men and women were quite handsome and pretty, one of the reasons that kept this movie worth watching to the end.
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