THE TRAP/Austin Film Society

Tonight's Essential Cinema film in this SouthEast Europe series was an excellent film from Serbia, directed and co-written by Srdan Golubovic in 2007.  The wars are over and a new middle class is emerging facing many of the economic dilemmas many young families face without healthcare, support services and a bank account.  And so a young couple, educated and hard working are unable to pay for cardiac surgery needed by their young son who won't survive without the procedure.  And so this decent loving  father agrees to commit murder in order to pay for the surgery.  The film is described as neo noir (I looked that up) and that's a fine description.  Aside from the story line it was the acting that I found so compelling. The father played by Nebojsa Glogovac demonstrates his internal conflicts skillfully and believably.  His relationship to his wife takes turns up and down and both are perfect as desperate parents willing to do anything to help their son.  Abe and I loved this film.  Chale says the Americans are going to produce a remake.  Why?  We all agreed this one is plenty good enough.