Slow pace in the most part of the movie.

This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

I think this is a new genre that they're all sort of working their way through it and haven't got all the kinks worked out yet but it's a genre that works for me.

what a terribly boring film. I'm sorry but this is absolutely not deserving of best picture and will be forgotten quickly. Entertaining and engaging cinema? No. Nothing performances with flat faces and mistaking silence for subtlety.

I think the movie was very funny, and it had a special allegory, for example: there was any characters that in fact represented their countries, and the main character, Trendafil, represents Macedonia, country born in wars and slavery(Trendafil was born in jail :D) and behind the character of Dzango-war profiteers, behind the albanian smugglers,dealers and slave owners, well-there is nothing hidden there- they are represented as they really are...In the end, Trendafil overcomes his fear of war and violence and leads the children to freedom. This is highly symbolic. The whole script has nothing to do with reality, except the part about Kosovo, it is really a place of criminals smugglers, human trafficking and all sorts of violence. 80% of Europe's heroin come trough kosovo and their gangs are responsible for distribution of weapons and prostitutes through out europe...

I could have given an 8 for the first half hour, and an 5 for the rest of the movie. It starts well and funny, but ends in a Rambo style. There is quite a lot of laughter in this movie, but when it comes to tears, it is of bad taste. As of the two main characters, one of them, Genovese is resolved badly, you never get the real essence of this character, he seems as a self-confident guy in one moment and a villain in an other, a man of connections now, and a man unable to resolve an easy option later. His death serves the plot, but is unrealistic an unjustified. While Trendafil, the other main character, is more stable although unbelievable in his Rambo style transformation. The end, with killings, is all predictable and it changes the style of the whole movie. I guess it is for these, that the movie didn't make it in major festivals. Worth watching, anyway.

9/10Ruza and her husband Trendafil Karanfilov live together with "baba Zumbula" (granny Zumbula). Even though they have names like flowers, their life is no picnic. They can hardly afford the food for a food fight. But they have even bigger problem; the war is starting in their country. As much as they are unhappy with the war, their neighbor Dzango Sapun couldn't be more happier. Under his slogan "For fatherland everything!" Dzango tries to enroll Trendafil into the army. Trendafil is not much of a military man. So he and his wife are planning to escape to neighboring Bulgaria. During the escape baba Zumbula dies, and what's even worse her body is missing. Now, Trendafil is on the journey, trying to find the missing granny. At his side is Santino Genovese. Santino has never met Trendafil before, but he is helping in an attempt to repay his father's debt to Trendafil's father.Movie uses stereotypes about people in neighboring Balkan countries to tell the story of their journey. And the stereotype are used in a rather funny way. My favorite was a "businessman" (war criminal) from Belgrade who goes jogging while shooting from his gun and with an orchestra behind him.If you aren't familiar with situation in ex-Yugoslavia you are going to miss some points of the movie, but still; worth watching.9/10

Anyone familiar with politics and history in the Balkans, particularly in Macedonia, can have it all summed up here. It's a brilliant allegory for the state in which the Balkans exist now. For example, each character represents a different region, and the order of their deaths is significant (most obvious is the death of Ruza's Father (Marshall Tito) before Baba Zumbula (Yugoslavia)). The loss of Baba Zumbula sends Ruza (Serbia) and Trendafil (supposed parts of Macedonia under Serbian and Bulgarian jurisdiction) into a panic and a fruitless search. These are just a few of the allegories you can find, and if you search hard enough, a picture of the Balkans will be painted for you. Although I expected this film to be funny, and it lost much of its humor (though not all... it was mainly dark and bittersweet) about halfway through, I found it to be thoroughly enjoyable. The characters have interesting chemistry and the casting is excellent. It's definitely a thinking film in the guise of a pop culture reel of a wild road trip.See this if you get a chance!