Well-timed trap

Rating: 8/10 (28 February 2008)

This 2001 Oscar winner for best foreign film is basically a simple remonstration against the absurdities of war: two men caught between their sides on the Serbo-Bosnian conflict and a wounded soldier laid over a bouncing Betty are forced to deal with their own hatred and dehumanization of each other while their respective armed forces, the UN, and global media reporters prove entirely impotent to do anything to save them. It proves very effective at being both hilariously funny (the two men arguing over who "started it" like little children, having to constantly one-up each other with weapons, and running around half naked trying to grab attention so that they can get help) and darkly desperate (their inability to fully lay down arms, the lack of care by the higher ups of any of the potential saviors, the leaving of the prone soldier to his own fate upon the land mine).
The best part about it is that it presents its themes rather directly and earnestly without pounding it in too hard or lingering on it--even with an almost two-hour runtime, it actually breezes by never puts too fine a point on it; it knows when to end and it progresses fluidly through the plot the entire time. The pacing on this film is almost immaculate and the writing is really good, so that by the end it's really very satisfying even if it does provide a rather dark denouement.
--PolarisDiB