Film Review
by Mina
Barking at the Stars (1998)
Genre: Comedy/Romance
Runtime: 95 min.
Cast: Dragan Mianovi (Dragan Micanovic), Nataa Tapukovi (Natasa Tapuskovic) and Nikola Simi (Nikola Simic)
Writer: Milovan Vitezovi (Milovan Vitezovic)
Director: Zdravko otra (Zdravko Sotra)
Rating: 10/10
Storyline: The heroes of the story are humorous students and their teachers in high-school from a small provincial town in Serbia. Mihajlo, the main character in the film, is trying to win the heart of beautiful Danica. However, his elder brother is also chasing her. Mihajlo is constantly trying to amuse Danica being amusingly clever in his perception and expression, charming, original and spontaneous. As soon as teachers and students go on their last high-school excursion to the Mediterranean Sea, they deal with unpredictable and funny situations. The teachers' ultimate desire to look authoritative and influential is over once when they start acting childishly, while the students' uncontrolled necessity to see and experience everything new leads to creativity and sometimes cheeky behavior.
About the film: Mihajlo is an eager beaver student, enthusiastic and original strong-minded person. Mihajlo's approach to schooling and the society is indeed admirable. In his approach to Danica he is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, believing that she won't be able to refuse him. But his commitment causes a stir in Danica's world, even though she's constantly pretending she doesn't care. Since Mihajlo's brother is his biggest rival while he equally tries to entertain her, the honeymoon between them is over. This love story, mixed with an excitement of everyday high-school events presents true enjoyment for all generations. The story about the eternal confrontation between the authorities and youth seeking freedom, while trying to make important decisions in their lives may sound like a well-known plot. However, what makes this comedy unique is the well-developed story, with a palette of wide variety characters, equally inspiring and comical, colored with a highly bright and perspicacious humor. “Barking at the Stars“ contains an element of satire. Milovan Vitezovic is a rare example of a writer who can consolidate two elements in the same story: a sharply ironical taunt “dressed“ in the witty dialogs and twists as the essential part in almost every scene. It is commendable that a climax of the film is not based on cursing, which is the essential part for the most comedies. The screenplay combined with the marvelous acting of the Serbian actors and actresses from different generations, with Zdravko Sotra as dynamic and inventive director, this “no-special-effects“ film is one of the most valuable in the Serbian cinematography. Followed by the catchy music, this is a true relief in the comedy genre.