The Trap, also known as Klopka, is a Serbian film released in 2007. It is a solid drama/thriller with a film noir flair. This film was Serbia's submission to the 2008 Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film. Although it was not a finalist, the film had a polished quality that is sure to engage fans of this genre.
Mladen (Nebojsa Glogovac) and his wife Marija (Natasa Ninkovic) are struggling in post-war Serbia to make ends meet. Mladen appears to be a principled worker, who strives to keep his company viable for a free market purchase in spite of rampant corruption and worker malaise that accompanies the transition to a free market. Mladen seems to have his head squarely on his shoulders. However, their son Nemanja (Marko Djurovic) suffers from an illness that requires an expensive operation. As Nemanja's symptoms become more pronounced and more frequent, the couple take drastic measures to try and save their only child.
Marija takes out an advertisement in the local paper asking for donations to be anonymously submitted to a bank account. The measure proves a futile move that only causes Nemanja embarrassment at school. Mladen takes a more drastic approach, agreeing to kill the business associate of a shady character who finds the article his wife placed in the paper. The decisions Mladen makes become increasingly worse, leading him down a dangerous path. Meanwhile, Mladen becomes entangled in an odd relationship that draws him close to the widow of the man he murders. Bad decisions can have bad consequences, but it may be a price that Mladen willingly pays to save his son.
Writers Melina Pota and Srdjan Koljevic deftly adapt Nenad Teofilovic's novel into an engaging screenplay. The story artfully weaves elements that any audience should be able to identify with while allowing fate to deliver painful blows to the characters. The paths of the characters cross at interesting intersections that help build suspense. The characters themselves are carefully layered with likability along with believable flaws. The flaws drive this story forward creating suspense, character development and some interesting twists. Although the story was frustrating for some of the decisions (which often felt implausible), the writing was excellent overall.
I am unfamiliar with the cast in The Trap, which allows me to judge their performances without any preconceived biases. It is refreshing to me when I can enjoy an unknown actor or actress. This film had plenty of strong performances. As we witness Glogovac's character devolving from his poor decisions we can appreciate the performance for making the transition palpable. On another point, there is a saying "it's not crying if the snots not flying" which is used by investigators during statement analysis. It is easy to turn on tears, but true crying normally causes an automated response that creates a runny nose. This feature was noticeable in Glogovac's emotional scenes lending exceptional credibility to his performance. The young Djurovic was also noteworthy. While Glogovac carried the film, Djurovic made it matter. His performance was engaging and credible. The young actor was well coached, giving his role teeth. A well cast film.
The Trap version I watched was unrated. This film would likely be rated PG-13 if the MPAA were to apply a rating. The film is pretty basic when it comes to questionable material. There are a couple of F-Bombs, some violence (with no gore) and a child that has seizures. The material is contextual and tastefully rendered. I would not place any restrictions on this film, although it does deal with death and might raise questions in young viewers. The film has a run time of one hour, 46 minutes.
I like the thriller genre, so I am always happy when I find something fresh, like The Trap. An intriguing story that is well constructed. The writing, character development, acting and cinematic qualities are all exceptional. Although I was frustrated with the main character, I was also engaged by him. It was an odd connection that was strained by actions that bordered on losing credibility. However, it was balanced with credibility in other areas that allowed me to overlook the necessary manipulation of decisions. While they could be considered contrivances, I chose to view them as character flaws. Other viewers may feel this film feels contrived at times. It's a matter of perspective. Overall, an excellent thriller. 8/10.
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