Film Review: Natasha (Nataša, 2001)

Serbian actor Ljubiša Samardžić, once among the greatest stars of Yugoslav cinema, has, following the dissolution of the federation, found new and successful career as producer. He also dabbled in directing, with first two of his directorial efforts dealing with some of the most important chapters of recent Serbian history only months after the events. The first one, 2000 drama Sky Hook, dealt with devastating 1999 NATO bombing of Serbia, while the sceond, 2001 thriller Natasha, became the first film to deal with the overthrow of Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević, which had occurred only few months earlier.

The protagonist, played by Tijana Kondić, is Nataša, 17-year old girl from Belgrade. A year earlier she witnessed assassination of her father, police inspector Toša (played by Samardžić). Two weeks before the 2000 presidential election, when Milošević’s regime begins to crumble, Nataša decides to find people responsible by stealing a mobile phone and sending threatening message to people who suspects to be involved. Her quest is helped by Marko (played by Nikola Đuričko), book store owner who is, despite age difference, attracted to Nataša. Marko’s good friend Kiza (played by Davor Janjić), man who moves in circles between police and organised crime, also takes interest in Nataša and what began as child’s play turns into something quite serious.

Script by Srđan Koljević and Đorđe Milosavljević represents combination of black comedy, melodrama and political thriller where the various genre elements aren’t properly balanced. Thankfully, Samardžić, who had long and prolific career, apparently learned a thing or two about work behind the camera and Natasha is well directed. Although cinematography at times looks a little bit too dark, atmosphere of government changing is brought to screen in convincing manner. Like in many Serbian films at the time, the cast is very good. Veterans like Davor Janjić, Anica Dobra (playing Marko’s wife) and Dragan Bjelogrlić (in the role of Milošević’s secret police chief) are good, but even more impressive is young Tijana Kondić in title role. Sadly, her performance in Natasha failed to launch promising career. Samardžić could have made even better film if not for trying a little bit too hard to convince foreign, mainly Western, audience that 1990s Serbia was something more than Milošević’s thuggery and warlike nationalism and that there were people who adopted liberal Western values, thus becoming regime’s victims in the process. One such attempt can be seen in the character of transvestite Dženi (played by Boris Milivojević) which seems to be introduced only to fill certain quotas that were becoming the norm in Hollywood and other Western cinema industries at the time. Despite that, and somewhat confusing ending, Natasha is still a good film that can be recommended even to audience that isn’t particular curious about recent history of Serbian cinema.

RATING: 5/10 (++)

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