A thriller about tough guys, criminals and corrupt cops in Belgrade, with some car chases and shoot-outs, the film is not bad technically, but is full of cliches and a lazy plot. The main guy, Maras, and his gang steal expensive cars with foreign license plates. The plot starts when Maras unknowingly steals a car packed with drugs that were supposed to be delivered to the main kingpin of Belgrade. Problem is, Maras steals the car from a Bulgarian thug, who is supposed to deliver the dope, while the thug is making out with a busty "sponsored girl" (a Belgrade term for silicone-enhanced chicks who hang with thugs), standing in front of a kiosk on a street in broad daylight, his car keys and wallet just lying there on the kiosk shelf. Maras takes the keys and takes the car, the thug notices only then and shouts distressed while Maras drives away. Now, if you're a bad*ss gangsta driving kilos of cocaine from Bulgaria to Belgrade and you're THAT clueless... I mean, really?
Now everyone is Iooking for Maras and the car with the dope. There are some brutal interrogations, chases, killings, etc. which keep the film moving. However, next problem is that all the characters are also total cliches - Maras's alcoholic dad, who can only shout, the sadistic kingpin, the corrupt cynical cops who are in on the deal, etc. Everybody curses like crazy (which is actually pretty realistic) and acts macho all the way - but the only thing saving the film from the weak storyline are the actors - some of them are great Serbian actors - they are good even with the one-dimensional characters they are given to play.
Some character dilemmas and ponderings follow in acts 2 and 3, but again, everything is very obvious and plays on the surface only. There are no surprises here, it's mostly painting by numbers. The ending also completely strains any believability. Maras manages to outsmart the brutal kingpin and his gang of hard-core criminals in such a silly way that it's laughable.
Although the insanely high imdb score and some of the reviews are likely paid for, the movie is a box office hit in Serbia, and some people really like it. I've heard someone say that the scenes of the shoot-outs and car chases look great. Well, yes, it strives to look like a Hollywood movie made in Serbia - If that's enough to make a movie good, maybe - but there is nothing really original in this film. This ain't no "Pusher" or "Drive". It's an average B movie. If you want a good thriller from Serbia watch "The Trap" (Klopka, 2007), and for a film about Belgrade criminals with more substance, try "The Wounds" (Rane, 1998). Given the times we live in, however, I'm sure there will be a South Wind 2.
Now everyone is Iooking for Maras and the car with the dope. There are some brutal interrogations, chases, killings, etc. which keep the film moving. However, next problem is that all the characters are also total cliches - Maras's alcoholic dad, who can only shout, the sadistic kingpin, the corrupt cynical cops who are in on the deal, etc. Everybody curses like crazy (which is actually pretty realistic) and acts macho all the way - but the only thing saving the film from the weak storyline are the actors - some of them are great Serbian actors - they are good even with the one-dimensional characters they are given to play.
Some character dilemmas and ponderings follow in acts 2 and 3, but again, everything is very obvious and plays on the surface only. There are no surprises here, it's mostly painting by numbers. The ending also completely strains any believability. Maras manages to outsmart the brutal kingpin and his gang of hard-core criminals in such a silly way that it's laughable.
Although the insanely high imdb score and some of the reviews are likely paid for, the movie is a box office hit in Serbia, and some people really like it. I've heard someone say that the scenes of the shoot-outs and car chases look great. Well, yes, it strives to look like a Hollywood movie made in Serbia - If that's enough to make a movie good, maybe - but there is nothing really original in this film. This ain't no "Pusher" or "Drive". It's an average B movie. If you want a good thriller from Serbia watch "The Trap" (Klopka, 2007), and for a film about Belgrade criminals with more substance, try "The Wounds" (Rane, 1998). Given the times we live in, however, I'm sure there will be a South Wind 2.