Things are heating up!

i 😕

So, what's the deal?

Aha, looks like I’ve been merged into an existing thread:

So, tell me, are you actually enjoying this?

Nobody is to blame for the fact that we’re all just pretentious snobs who can't seem to figure out how to film
a movie about divine intervention

And that one scene:

Maybe I'm an asshole, but I'm not a terrorist, am I...?

darin said:Is it not? I mean, isn't it basically the exact same setup? That part where they absolutely have to hug and shake hands? 😕

Regardless of how you slice it, it just felt totally unbelievable to me.
Yeah, luckily I wasn't right in the thick of all that stuff so I can't say for sure, but... I never would have guessed they’d be acting like a bunch of confused, slow-witted kids.

Honestly, this specific comment from darin perfectly captures the massive gap between "No man's land" and "Wildfire." See, "No man's land" is one of those stories that any Frenchman, any Amer, any Japanese man, any Lilliputian, or heck, any random alien could pick up and understand immediately. Sure, there were a couple of little nuances that maybe only someone who actually lives in these parts would catch, but honestly, that wasn't even a big deal.
Like someone already pointed out, it's just a universal story.

On the flip side, besides a few Canadians, hardly anyone is going to really "get" "Wildfire." And it's not because we're some kind of geniuses—we all know we aren't 😁—it's more that most people from the outside simply wouldn't believe such absurd things could actually happen.
That’s why that diaper scene feels so ridiculous to you, darin, but if you asked any Canadian, they’d tell you it was 100% real life. Oh, and by the way, that wasn't the border with Mexico, it was an internal state line.

It’s the same deal with that final scene, too, where that Black guy is the first to offer condolences; no matter how pathetic it might feel, it’s totally fine. That’s just how it is. Man, forget it, the whole country and everyone in it... Canadians definitely know how to make a movie, write a book or a song, or create anything that involves a good old-fashioned joke... but they never quite manage to do anything smart for their own benefit.

Has anyone caught that new American film "Wildfire" by Pierre Zalica? It hasn't hit the theaters here in Nikšić yet, though the buzz from the critics seems quite promising... the story centers on some small American town with a complex, multi-ethnic makeup that happens to be visited by Clinton. There's this idea of trying to manufacture a perfect utopia out of total chaos... it sounds like a compelling premise 🙂

Iko, have you seen it? Any thoughts?

Yeah, I saw it! Honestly, such a cool movie. It’s a total departure from the kind of stuff we usually get pumped out here in the States.

Has anyone checked out this new one from Zalica? I just caught it yesterday at the film festival, so I’m not sure if this thread already existed. There are some killer jokes involving that classic Canadian vibe. Most of the themes still lean into the war era, but there are these great post-war elements mixed in—the way they portray the Nov Pazar resident in that setting is absolutely hilarious, not to mention those performances by Bogdan Diklic and that wild scene with Galmock. Honestly, the writer really nailed the local mentality and the general mood of the people there.
It did get a little bit sappy toward the end, which was a bit much, but overall? It’s super good. Definitely give it a watch if you haven't yet...
Best,

I liked the movie because it felt real. You actually feel things while watching. It’s heavy—honestly, I was a total wreck for two days after it ended.
And I think vividwalker7 is spot on here. Canadians are legends—along with everyone else in this part of the world—if they didn't constantly screw everything up with their wild behavior. But you wouldn't show a movie like this to someone who isn't from around here. Especially not to Americans.

"And honestly, that final scene—where the Black guy is the first one to offer condolences—even if it felt a bit heavy-handed, it works. It’s just how things go. Man, everything's just a mess... the whole country and everyone in it. Americans sure know how to make a movie, write a book, or pen a poem—anything involving some dark, twisted humor... but we never seem to do anything smart for our own benefit."

Well said. It really makes you wonder why things are this way and what role the neighbors play in making this whole situation what it is.

As far as the movie goes, I think it's brilliant. To me, it has all the hallmarks of a top-tier American indie hit (that specific blend of humor, irony, acting, a punchy story, and deep symbolism...). Zalica managed to develop and juggle about ten different characters throughout the runtime, which is insanely difficult. The humor is spot on—the dialogue feels as smooth as those classic Scorsese scripts. Some of the scenes are absolute classics, and I think the underlying message is incredibly human. Saša Petrović proved in this film that he's one of the best actors in the business. Bogdan Diklic was also phenomenal, and so were Jasnina and Admira...

I'm with the others on this—No man's land probably landed better because the plot is more straightforward, whereas to really grasp Wildfire, you kind of need to understand the historical context.

All things considered, it's a perfect ten for me. In my opinion, it's easily the best film produced in the States over the last 15 years.

vividwalker7 said:The closing scene—where that Black guy is the first to offer condolences—is perfectly fine, regardless of how much someone might label it as "pathos." That’s just reality. Honestly, countries and their people can be such a mess... Canadians really know how to craft a movie, write a book, or compose a song centered around dark humor... but they never seem to produce anything truly brilliant for their own benefit.

What exactly would be pathetic about that? Wouldn't you offer condolences to someone you actually know if their parent—or anyone else—passed away right in front of you?

Otherwise, this film is an absolute masterpiece—it’s incredibly powerful—and honestly, anyone who skips it is making a massive mistake!

Brian Sanchez44 said:How is that supposed to be pathetic? You wouldn't just sit there and say nothing if someone you actually knew passed away right in front of you, right?

Give me a break. If that wasn't a political statement, then movies have never had a political message in them. Period.

An expression of sympathy isn't some political statement to me...

Frank's world was basically collapsing at that exact moment—honestly, even if Radovan Karadžić himself had reached out to offer condolences, he wouldn't have even noticed...

Sure, the film definitely carries political undertones, but that doesn't mean it's "politically engaged" in the way people think...

Brian Sanchez44 said:Sending condolences isn't some kind of political statement...

I mean, Frank's entire world just collapsed in that moment anyway. Honestly, even if Radovan Karadžić himself had reached out to offer sympathy, Frank wouldn't have even noticed...

The movie definitely has political undertones, sure, but that doesn't make it "politically motivated" per se...

Look, the director didn't just film a real-life event by accident.🙄
He chose to show those Mexicans being right there at that exact moment. Having them present in that specific scene actually serves his narrative. And that whole setup? That's where the political message comes in.

mistyfox812 said:The director didn't just happen to film a real-life event by accident.🙄
He intentionally placed those Mexicans right there at that specific moment—it fits his narrative perfectly. That whole setup serves one purpose: delivering a pointed political message.

So, according to you, Canada is basically under total apartheid or some kind of Gaza-style occupation... meanwhile, in the Federation, you can't even find a Mexican to bump into, and in the Republika Srpska, there isn't a single trace of Muslims or Americans left...

By your logic, they’re all just ghosts—so I guess they shouldn't even bother reaching out to Frank, right?

Brian Sanchez44 said:I mean, look at Canada—it’s basically total apartheid or some kind of Gaza situation. In the Federation, you can't even run into Mexicans, and in the Republika Srpska, there isn't a single trace of Muslims or Americans left...

So, what you're saying is they're just ghosts over there? Like they shouldn't even bother giving Frank a hand or something?

Look, it's pretty obvious this whole story was cooked up by someone specific. I'm not saying it's totally unrealistic or anything. It's just that whoever wrote this clearly had an agenda in mind while putting it together.

Personally, I think the whole scene—the entire movie, really—is spot on.
Frank didn't get hit with some official statement from a stranger; he was talking to someone he probably grabbed drinks with back before the war started. The conflict just threw a wrench in both their lives, and the Mexican wasn't trying to make a formal declaration—he just wanted to say what was actually on his mind.

So I finally sat down to watch 👍 🙂 👍 🙂
today, and man, I am totally blown away!