Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: The Train Driver's Diary (Dnevnik mašinovođe)

This is topic The Train Driver's Diary (Dnevnik mašinovođe) in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 12-05-2016, 05:58 PM:

The word in town is that this one and Aquarius are shaping up to be the leading contenders for the foreign film Oscar in February; deservedly so in the case of this one. It will definitely appeal to those with a sense of gallows humor.

Plot - a train driver (engineer) in Serbia, close to retirement, is coming to terms with all the people he's run over in suicides and accidents. This gives the impression that the movie should be as depressing as hell, but it isn't. The opening scene, in which the lead character is offered psycho-counseling to get over the PTSD of mowing down six gipsies in a VW camper van who got stuck on an at-grade crossing, describes it to the shrinks in gruesome detail ("...that severed head stuck to my wing mirror ... it winked at me!"), and as a result it's the therapists who need the therapy from the train driver, sets the scene for what follows.

It packs a lot into 85 minutes or so, with strong lead performances, script, direction, photography and music. It certainly deserves to be seen beyond the usual art movie circuit where this sort of pic tends to go.