Human Zoo

Icon Home Entertainment

Dendy

R4 DVD

Serbian with clear English subtitles

Although the name of Luc Besson features prominently on the DVD cover his role seems to have been to “present” the film on behalf of the Europa Corp. Most of the work is done by Rie Rasmussen, a Danish female star who has previously appeared in a Besson film. In a way it’s a pity Besson did not take a part in the film’s production – it would have improved it immensely.

Adria is a half-Serb, half-Albanian girl who was caught in Kosovo in the middle of the fighting. She is saved from rape and murder by Srdjan, a young ex-thug conscript who doesn’t believe in ethnic cleansing. He deserts with Adria and they escape to Belgrade where Srdjan resumes his criminal career selling guns and doing the occasional hitman job. To survive Adria must learn to handle a gun and make herself useful to Srdjan. He in turn teaches her the trade, but has no respect at all for his new girlfriend. He is simply a self-centred thug who will one day die a violent death.

As the war spreads to Belgrade Adria escapes to Marseilles on forged papers. Her existence here as an illegal immigrant is almost as precarious as in Belgrade. There is little market for her talents although she does rescue a Vietnamese girl from a brothel in a sideplot. She also meets and falls in love with Shawn, a reckless American who just seems to like being where the action is. Although she now seems much happier in her life her past will still haunt Adria and there will come a day of reckoning.

The story is by Rie Rasmussen and holds great promise. Unfortunately Rasmussen’s inexperience in production shows. The narrative is interrupted by many flashbacks and the storyline becomes confused and sometimes incoherent. Rasmussen does a good job on any scenes involving lovemaking or rape, but the rest of the film is a little superficial. Even her acting as Adria leaves a bit to be desired – there is little intensity there. Nikola Djuricho as Srdjan has the best part and is probably the best actor and he saves the film from obscurity. His lighthearted but murderous thug is the strongest character.

I must say I liked the film, but I can’t help feeling that it could have been so much more.

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