Promise Me This (2007)

Em Português

If you haven't heard of Serb director Emir Kusturica or any of his great movies, like Black Cat, White Cat, Arizona Dream, Underground or Life is a Miracle; well I'm sorry to say, you've been living under a rock.


Promise Me This is the heartwarming tale of a farmers' grandson (Cane) and his journey into the unknown urban area near his village (city of Užice) to sell his cow, and bring back a wife. Cane meets his long lost step-brothers and they wage violent war together to save the city from a gangster crook.

The movie is depicted as a series of spectacular events: gun battles, love scenes, crazy drunken antics and ridiculous situations; the film is at its best in these scenes, with dressed up animals, over the top violence, funny characters and improbable coincidences. Whoever is familiar with his movies knows that these are common elements throughout his filmography, and makes for a nonstop hilarious experience.

What I found interesting though was the contrast Kusturica presents in the form of rural/urban life in Serbia, something that wasn't always present in his previous movies. Here I noticed how innocent Cane is in respect to urban life, and how his ideals and assumptions adapt to the city. He has never seen so many women and believes it's fine to buy a wife outright, for example. The outcome is side-splitting and thought provoking as the spectator gets a glimpse of Serbian quotidian life.

The movie screened at the 60th annual Cannes Film Festival. Keep this movie present on your radar. 9/10