are you tired of all the hot new releases being gone by the time you get to the video store ?
wafflemovies .
com is dedicated to finding those hidden gems that lie on the shelves .
everyweek , wafflemovies .
com reviews independent film and big studio pictures that deserve a second chance on video .
here is a sample review : welcome to sarajevo in light of america 's recent intervention in kosovo , welcome to sarajevo is a reminder of the horror america and the world ignored for years .
set in sarajevo 1992 and based on actual events , this picture examines the human and societal casualties of war .
the picture opens with a family escorting their young bride to her wedding .
as they make their way down the street , a sniper shoots the mother of the bride .
yet another reminder that daily life in war torn sarajevo can never escape the horror of war .
in this scene , we meet joe flynn ( woody harrelson ) , an american reporter who stops reporting to help a priest carry the mortally wounded mother into a church .
joe is cocky , but also good at heart as he continues to carry out kind deeds for people he does n't even know .
his fellow reporter is the british michael henderson ( stephen dillane ) .
michael is quickly growing tired of the horror that surrounds him and the world 's lack of interest .
henderson is haunted by the memory of an altar boy who witnesses the mother 's death as well as a young girl who he finds orphaned in a hospital after a mortar attack on citizens waiting in line for bread .
he decides to take action when a united nations ' delegation descends upon the area to declare yugoslavia the fourteenth most dangerous place on earth .
henderson begins a series profiling an orphanage located on the front lines .
he finds children of all ages living in fear and taking care of each other with the help of one adult .
during his visits , he befriends a pre - teen girl , emira ( emira nuseric ) who serves as surrogate mother to baby roadrunner .
he promises to get emira out of harm 's way if he gets the chance .
after the un delegation leaves the country without rescuing any of the children , henderson loses hope .
however , his reporting has grabbed the attention of nina ( marisa tomei ) and her children 's aid group that helps to find homes for the yugoslavian orphans .
unfortunately , only babies are wanted for adoption , so henderson pledges to take emira to england .
the group of children , nina and henderson depart the front lines on a dangerous escape for italy .
can they complete this dangerous trek through the war torn countryside and avoid hostile troops gathering up muslims for concentration camps ?
the movie was beautifully and sensitively made .
director michael winterbottom and screenwriter
frank cottrell boyce vividly express the societal destruction that has occurred .
they show the destroyed lives , families that have been split up , and the desolation that everyone attempts to cope with .
this is best exemplified by the group of yugoslavians henderson , his producer and flynn have befriended .
the group of twenty - somethings reside in a bombed out bar without life 's simplest pleasures and amenities .
one of them is an accomplished musician who spends his days playing the piano and promising to play a concert when sarajevo is declared the most dangerous place on earth .
like the rest of those deeply effected by the war , this small group tries to survive instead of trying to live .
winterbottom
brilliantly intersplices scenes with actual news footage to give the film the feel of a documentary and keeps the viewer aware that many of these horrors are being carried out thousands of miles away as you sit safely in your living room .
the picture is also bolstered by beautiful cinematography
that captures the devastation of this city that hosted the 1984 olympics .
winterbottom and boyce also produce a realistic portrayal of the reporters covering the atrocities .
this portrayal is much more flattering to reporters than earlier wafflemovies .
com selection mad city .
we watch them struggle to cover the horror , while trying to remain professionally detached .
however , they are human and question the reason behind it all , why no one cares , and how they can get out .
stephen dillane is wonderful as henderson .
he portrays the character as an everyman caught in the middle of extraordinary events .
dillane avoids making the character overly heroic and preachy .
henderson realizes that he can not save the world , but he can help a few .
it is a wonderful opportunity for dillane after he had to suffer through the denis leary - sandra bullock disaster two if by sea .
woody harrelson continues to prove that he is one of the finest , most versatile actors of his generation .
harrelson plays the cocky celebrity reporter with a heart of gold by allowing the character 's caring nature and vulnerability shine through .
harrelson is equally adept at taking on roles as zany leading men ( cheers , white men ca n't jump ) as well as
excellent supporting roles such as this one .
this ability will serve him well and give him a long , successful career .
america 's involvement in this struggle comes seven years after the events of the movie take place .
for those who do not have a full understanding of the history of the conflict , the entire movie , most importantly the opening scenes , provide a history lesson .
war is a foreign concept to most of us in america .
battles are fought thousands of miles away among people we have no attachment to .
televised images of the gulf war are all the experience most of us have with war .
this picture brings it right into your living room and makes you think outside of our own small world , something we do n't do enough of in 90 's america .
brilliantly continues to prove that he is one of the finest , most versatile actors of his generation a wonderful opportunity will serve him well beautifully and sensitively made bolstered by beautiful cinematography excellent supporting roles such as this one