Love.net (2011)

Such a frustrating disappointment

What a freaking movie. So many twists and turns. Absolutely intense from start to finish.

a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Blistering performances.

In this film there are about a dozen different characters using computers, which is normal, given the topic. Fact is that all of them use Sony Vaio laptops. And there is not a single scene where the computer is present and the logo is absent. Good business.

When I watched Love.net for the first time I thought that it was quite a decent and fun to watch film. I think it has a rather interesting and modern plot. The idea is original and the main actors were fine, I think. The script itself is not very deep but then again this is not the type of films you would spend your whole day thoroughly analyzing. Also, some of the lines are very hard or impossible to translate into English so you can't get the real meaning, but I guess that goes for all Bulgarian films… As one review said, Love.net is direct, topical, without inhibitions.I would not call the film a masterpiece in any way but I absolutely don't agree with people claiming that it does not show the realistic way of life in Bulgaria. First of all, it's a movie for God's sake… It has an imaginary plot like most films do and the director may choose whatever environment he finds appropriate for his characters. I would perhaps agree with you people if it was a historical film or a film which aims to introduce a problem or in some way the severe life that some of the Bulgarians have to deal with. And actually people working as surgeons and journalists in Bulgaria, believe it or not, do afford to live in flats like those in the film… It's like watching an American movie where all the characters live in palaces and saying 'Well, that's not realistic because there are many poor people in America'. I really don't understand that… And the other thing I read in disbelief is about Bulgarians who like the movie because of patriotic motives. Are you kidding me?! I myself criticize almost every Bulgarian film that comes out and I would not say that I liked Love.net because of patriotism… And finally, another thing I read was about the prostitute and how absurd it looked that she lives in an apartment like that and that this is not how prostitutes look like. Well, actually there are some luxurious and very well-paid prostitutes who have regular customers that don't treat them like garbage. And as she said in the film-she has established bonds with regular clients who she calls 'friends'. I may be mistaken but somehow that seems very legitimate to me. As for the rating…please don't criticize that considering that films like 'The Avengers' have a rating of 8.3…Just, please.

I did watch the movie somehow late, just now on TV. I was however gladly surprised: Bulgarian movies are usually in the extremity of being so pretentious in being art or too populist in being consumer oriented. Love.net for me is just on the balance of being a genuinely good movie and good entertainment for those interested in having good value for their tickets. Let me try to explain why this worked for me.1. The story told in the movies is real. This could happen anywhere in the world with people speaking Bulgarian, English, Spanish or Chinese for all it matters. The moral choices the protagonists have to make to make sense and could relate to anybody in our internet world. This is why the movie should not be seen as Bulgarian as staging and the showcases lifestyle is not the lifestyle most Bulgarians enjoy, but this is how anybody in the world that has similar problem would live, and I do dare to say Bulgaria is right on the money there.2. The movie is good fun: perhaps too much nudity in some scenes, but again this is art: the scenes are from a very successful staging of Casanova at the national theater. Yes, I do agree there are some flat lines, but give some proper English translation and all will be fine.

I completely agree with the person who says that the 8,4 score is a joke. It is as false as the movie itself. I disagree with the other person on the account of the actors' performance, camera work, music, etc. The acting is so bad that I wanted to leave the cinema in the first few minutes. The actors recite their lines as if they were in some third class theatre play. Shopov utters his words with a pompous, almost tragic intonation but may be the worst is the actress who struggles with the English as well as with the lines in Bulgarian.There are lots of shortcomings, I just don't know where to start. The script is not very good, there are lots of clumsy lines which make the job of the not very talented actors even more difficult. The music is quite obtrusive, non-stopping and plain annoying. The exaggerated, unnecessary camera movements increase the nausea, already present in the viewer. Bulgarian film makers don't understand that less is always more, especially when a real concept and ability is lacking.When I say that this movie is false I mean that it gives an untrue picture of the life in Bulgaria. Yes, there are some affluent and even very rich people there but if you judge from the film only, it looks as if Bulgaria has reached and surpassed the life standard of Western Europe which of course is far, far from the bleak reality. May be this is one reason why many Bulgarian viewers like the film - it makes them forget the ugly apartments they inhabit, the run-down streets, the poverty, etc. In the film we see interiors looking as photographs in a furniture store catalogue, everything is overly coordinated and unreal, yet far from stylish. One of the couples in the film ate sushi which provoked some excitement from the audience, oblivious to the fact that they were eating the sushi with fork and knife! Another problem of the film is the product positioning - everybody seems to use the same type of computer and drink the same brand of whiskey. And the list could go on and on.I think the biggest problem in Bulgarian cinema now is not the the lack of finance but the lack of real, original talent. The tendency is to make films which follow all the bad Hollywood clichés because the film makers think that in this way the movie will appeal to the Western audience. Wrong! Just look for comparison to the Romanian '4 months, 3 weeks and 2 days'.