I know I was laughing far too hard at the opening scenes of this wickedly funny comedy because from the word go I knew the plot was horribly un-pc. This is a Serbian movie that poked fun about widespread homophobia but also indulged in racial slurs between all the different peoples that once made up Yugoslavia. Unapologetically clichéd and wreaking in stereotypes, this farce is the unlikely story of two warring factions who agree on a ‘ceasefire’ to suit their own means but end up becoming friends.
It all starts with a drive-by shooting. Someone speeds past Lemon’s large gated house and shoots his pit-bull. Lemon, an extreme macho man, former paramilitary soldier and thug rushes his precious dog to the hospital and threatens poor Mirko the quivering vet at gunpoint to tell him that if the dog dies so does he. Thankfully the dog lives. Fast forward to a Wedding Boutique and Pearl, Lemon’s rather robust fiancé, is being persuaded by Radmilo her wedding planner to go for something totally over the top and outrageously camp. Radmilo is incidentally Mirko’s boyfriend.
Lemon hates all the wedding plans and when he puts his foot down too firmly, Pearl ups and leaves. Negotiations take place and the only way Pearl will come back is if she gets the wedding of her dreams, and the only way Radmilo will provide it now that he knows who her fiancé is, if Lemon will provide some much needed security for the upcoming gay parade. No small demand in a country where homophobia is rampant and Lemon’s own son is a known ‘fag basher.’What occurs then is hilarious, as none of his usually thuggish mates will do it, Lemon resorts to going next door to Croatia to call in some old favors from his ex-war buddies, who turn out to not so tough as they first look.
Despite all its humor not everything goes well and there is a moment when you are brought up sharp with the reality of the situation and the story takes on a different tone.
I wont apologize for enjoying this rather crude and simplistic movie, as the ‘message’ part still sunk in very loud and clear. Even in the very heat of the violent battle that is about to start writer/director Srdjan Dragojevic still peppers his script with some wee gems. Pearl dons a flak jacket and lines up with Lemon and his few men to fight off hundreds of skinheads who are standing a few feet away …. but she says ‘only if it will take an hour as I have parked the car on a meter.’
I’ve absolutely no idea at all if this is based on a true story but one can only imagine that the all the gay bashing in that Region is very much a reality. The heartening footnote is that since its release in Serbia and neighboring countries some 500000 people have viewed it and one can only hope and pray it helps change the playing fields for the gay community a little.
P.S. The movie won 3 Awards at the Berlin Film Festival in 2011, and is now (finally) available at Amazon etc.
