Panama (2015) Reviews

• Sexual desire leads to obsession in Serbian film "PANAMA"

  sinnerofcinema2015-05-23

  Milan (Milos Pjevac) wages periodic bets with his buddy Jovan ((Slaven Doslo) to see how many sexual conquest they can acquire in short periods of time. However when he meets Maja (Jovana Stojiljkovic) what originally begins as another score for Jovan, after several heavy sexual encounters, suddenly his conquest turns into an "open relationship". Maja accepts his conditions, but it seems Jovan has problems dealing with his own rules as he becomes obsessed with Maja's every move on social media. Obsession leads to jealousy and to Jovan attempts to try to re-categorize his relationship with Maja as he follows her every move. Jovan find it increasingly difficult to deal with his own rules he implemented in the relationship causing Maja to denounce his contemptuous treatment of her on several occasions. His temper progressively turns volatile and his feelings for Maja makes Jovan paranoid that everyone in her surroundings is either a culprit in hiding the affairs he thinks she's having or they are having an affair with her themselves. This situation becomes unbearable for Maja and it does turn Jovan into a walking mess as he's unable find answers amidst his continuous accusations of Maja's infidelities. There is something to be said about Jovan's allegations, for Maja's demeanor is very withholding and vague towards Jovan's claims, giving him more ammunition to doubt her credibility. His increasingly paranoid scenarios regarding Majas affairs with whomever may be chummy with her on her social media leads Jovan to a borderline nervous breakdown. A once carefree player is now on the other side of his game, and the results take a toll on his daily existence for he trails and follows Maja's every move online with unconvincing results. The intelligence of "Panama" comes as a result of the way the social media information is gathered by Jovac and the way it makes him borderline manic, as he strategizes how to conduct his surveillance of Maja to mixed results and to the detriment to his relationship with her. The Panama connection becomes apparent as Jovac is lead to believe that Maja has departed to Panama under mysterious circumstances never to be seen again, or did she?. A riveting cause and effect tale, all the subplots of Majas whereabout tie in nicely with the progressively self destructive behavior of Jovan. Jovan's obsession is acquired as a results of his apparent self projecting insecurities of Maja due to the standards and lifestyle he lives by. The film's beautifully crafted explicit sex scenes complements the story visually as it tacitly explains a darker addiction to pornography & social media. The radical changes that leads the Jovan into a tailspin of self deception grows in apparent misplaced distrust of his friends and surroundings. Panama is a very thought provoking film as it begs to question the role social media is having on relationships and how misplaced trust in this media can prove destructive if not checked against reality.

• The Perils of Scoring Low

  EdgarST2016-05-14

  When a work of cultural consumption makes references to technological development, through gadgets that rapidly go out of fashion every time a new formula, measure or chip appears, the work runs the risk of quickly becoming obsolete, unless its dramatic basis is sustained on prevailing reflections on human beings and, even better, if it is done with honesty, so it can become a valid testimony of what people thought and how they behaved in a given time of human evolution. Serbian director Pavle Vuckovic based his first feature "Panama" in his own experiences as well as those of acquaintances to tell a story about how social communications and pornography have contributed to exacerbate narcissism among people and, consequently, to deteriorate human relationships. The protagonist is Jovan (Slaven Doslo), a graduating senior of Architecture that leads the life of any upper middle class young man in the mid-2010s, with access to social networks, nightclubs, private university and employment. Jovan proposes an open relation to Jana (Jovana Stojiljkovic), a humble girl who consumes the same things offered by the market economy of our times. The drama soon develops when Jovan begins to suspect that Jana leads a double life, through his cell phone and computer. Although the target audience of the film may be the young, "Panama" tells us, the elderly crowd, many things that perhaps Vuckovic were unaware of or not: this is neither a romantic comedy nor a passionate drama, but a loveless portrait of everyday neurosis about compulsive sex and how it can destroy a relationship in the absence of the creative potential that defines its opposite, personalized sex (see Dane Rudhyar). Eloquently, the erotic formula that Jovan and Jana repeat in their sexual encounters is sodomy, the "derisory grin" of life, as De Sade called that reversal of the procreative act, where the "pearls of life" (as Buddhists call semen) end in a "rotting zone"... My viewing of "Panama" also coincided with my reading of Ernesto Sabato's "The Writer and His Ghosts", in which he says, give or take a word or two, that in our time the human body has been denied its rich metaphysical dimension and it has been deprived of its capacity to make us reach knowledge through it. Thus, the other person's body is a mere object and sex is almost an onanistic act, because only through the association with a personalized body and its energy, we humans can transcend our egos and solitude, and achieve communion... which social networks will never give us. "Pure sex is sad," says Sabato, because it leaves us back in the solitude where we started, but now also with a failed attempt at communication. In the end, in his futile search for love through the "negative way", Jovan looks for a Panama (where Jana apparently has gone without notice) in social networks, streets and abandoned buildings of his city, while Jana may be perhaps in the global corruption of a paper-made Panama. As limitations, "Panama" could (and should) have been more graphic in its depictions of arid sex and, like many first works, it tries to say too many things. However, it is a sincere drama, with suggestive visual and musical metaphors of our mind tunnels, as we search for happiness, which makes us reflect on many things beyond its story, and long after the projection ends.

• provocative

  Kirpianuscus2016-07-09

  its theme, its manner to use sexuality, the precise portrait of dominated society by internet and pornography, the spirit of a special age, the levels of a love story are arguments who defines a remarkable film. a film with good script, inspired performances, the right atmosphere, who has the virtue to be provocative not for the sex scenes but for the many open windows. because it is a film about Serbia, about career, importance of studies and jealousy. about insecure states and about masks. about illusory forms of truth and about the fear to loss the other. but its basic gift is to be reflection of its public. because it propose not the ordinary recipes of teenager films. because it has few traces of XIx Century Russian literature. and the final preserves touching form of poetry. short, a provocative film.

• Serbian heartthrob Slaven Doslo thrills in Panama

  Marcus_Agar2015-10-20

  In an age when quantity trumps quality and lives can be judged on the number of Facebook likes, commitment-averse teens have reduced sex to a numbers game. That is a premise for Panama, the debut feature from Serbian director Pavle Vucković, starring Serbia's hottest screen star Slaven Došlo. The film, which screened to positive reviews at this year's Cannes Film Festival and has attracted attention for its steamy sex scenes, receives its premiere in Belgrade, this week (Wednesday, 21 October). Slaven, aged 24, takes the lead in this dark look at a hedonistic whirl of porn-fuelled experiences and no-ties sex replacing genuine interest in other people. But while social media can be the conduit to these self-gratifying hook-ups, it can also waken age-old vices such as jealousy, pride and greed. Slaven plays Joven, a good-looking young man for whom sex is a score and the idea of any commitment, whether to his studies or a relationship, is still an unfathomable concept. Even though Jovan has returned to university after dropping out, he is not so committed to his studies that he cannot go clubbing, clocking up nightly notches on his bedpost. In a contest of cheeky charm versus chiselled good looks, Jovan and his irresponsible best friend Milan (Milos Pjevac) keep detailed score of their sexual conquests, with a monthly award their only endgame. And Jovan is often the loser. Slaven does not have any such problem in his own life, as he experiences the increased attentions delivered by his standout role in Stevan Filipovic's box office smash Pored Mene (Next to Me). Undeniably, the camera loves Slaven, and Pavle Vucković makes full use of that in Panama. From the washed-out pastels of lake-side summers to the convincing sex scenes, Slaven's self-assured performance leaves a lasting impression that will cement his new-found fame. One slight niggle is Jovan's stream of prominently branded sports shirts, which he switches in almost every scene. If there was a drinking game linked to how often he changes his clothes, I wouldn't have made it to the end of the film. During one of his regular nights on the pull, Jovan moves in on his latest hook-up Maja (Jovana Stojiljkovic). What he does not count on is that great sex with this one-night stand should take a dark turn. Despite Maja agreeing, if a little reluctantly, to a no-ties sexual relationship, Jovan believes that she has other ideas. Unable to express his feelings, Jovan opens the door to the green-eyed monster. What starts out as a glance over Maja's shoulder to see a text message soon descends into spying on her social media accounts and other stalker-like behaviour. When he can't get Maja out of his system, Slaven's attentions veer towards obsession and he tracks her movements via social media, with inevitable consequences. While the thriller elements of the film kick in, it never really commits to a particular genre. Coupled with some under-realised story elements, it is easy to feel that illuminating footage was left on the cutting room floor. These are relatively minor issues, though, and should not detract from general enjoyment of the film, largely thanks to acting that holds it all together. This should ensure that Panama does well on the festival circuit and, with a release that is timed perfectly to capitalise on Slaven's current popularity and the success of Pored Mene, it should perform well in Serbian cinemas, too.

• Serbian Tale of Love Jealousy and Intrigue.

  t-dooley-69-3869162016-11-08

  Jovan is a trainee architect who acts like a middle class playboy – his best mate is obsessed with scoring with 'the ladies' and likes nothing more than to compare conquest notes with Jovan. Then Jovan meets Maja who works in a bookshop and seems interesting, demur and very attractive so they get it on and he tells her he wants, the classic, 'open relationship'. Well soon he starts to find out there is more to Mija than meets the eye and thanks to the intrigues afforded through social media he starts to suspect that she may be not telling him everything. Now this is actually a very good film, it is well acted and directed and the story is compelling - the suffocation that jealousy causes is very well realised and the tensions get slowly ramped up like the turning of a screw. It does seem to get a bit confused towards the end – but that may have been deliberate – to say any more is running the old plot spoiler risk. In Serbian with good sub titles this is a modern day tale that will have you thinking about social media and the new dimensions that it can bring on your love life.