Houston, We Have a Problem!

Houston, We Have a Problem!

Houston, We Have a Problem!

Houston, We Have a Problem!

This documentary should be watched without any previous information delivered, as Slavoj said: "even if it didn't happen, it's true. That's the crucial message". This documentary is all about telling a story of how a story might be considered as reality, if you believe it. A myth (a good narrative that is most likely false) is being written with true facts that are presented with a twist towards the truth that you want your audience to believe in. We should always remain skeptical, as reality is real only for those who believe in it, which is the true message of this mockumentary film, which is being presnted brilliantly - if you believe in it.

A conspiracy theory movie in a nutshell, with layers of myth, fiction, and with a truth on top. For me, a movie works on every level, it is a funny and captivating, and you need to look at it until the end. It really delivers its purpose - entertainment. Take out the myth and fiction, about "yugoslav space program", "naive americans who bought a faulty program" and "neutral russians/soviets who standed aside and watch it happening right in the front of them", and you will get the essence. Strong outside forces influensed a small country in Balkans trough out its brief history, with money and politics due to geopolitical position, Tito was a charming and beloved guy, but a dictator to the bone, and a tragedy that happened 30 years ago in this region, it happened mainly due to unresolved conflicts as old as western civilisation, and had not started with Kennedy and Tito. Yes, when you have a barrel of gunpowder, one small flame is enough to cause a disaster. Who set that fire is now less important, the important is an idot who holds a barrel under the bed, and lives on like nothing will ever happened. Enjoy the movie, its a fresh look on the old and sad story.

If this movie is true, that would explain many things. Being a Bosnian Serbian, I tried to be as unbiased and as objective as possible. I enjoyed the movie, found some answers I had had since I was a kid, and in the end felt extremely sad. It's a good documentary, with lots of genuine videos and recordings of phone calls. Definitely recommended.

The movie could be interpreted in many different ways, that is the reason why it is so entertaining. You can see it as comedy and a stupid presentation of Yugoslavia like Borat did with Kazakhstan, you can see it as black satire made by Kusturica, you can see it as story that actually happened (somehow) in real world or you can see it as total fiction..... . The special aspect of movie is in Slavoj Žižek's involvement. For those who never have any experience with Yugoslavia it seems that he is the person who is trust able - at the end he said, that even it is not truth, it really happened. For those who lived in Yugoslavia, it could be some "way for explanation" why living in Yugoslavia was not so frustrating and was really better in comparison to other communists states. On the other hand, the consequences of "selling space program".... were so devastating for many in Yugoslavia. Anyhow,it is must to see this movie...

"Houston We have a Problem" started with an interesting enough concept through a documentary/narrative/fictional structure and strategy in order to deliver a certain idea, which in the end becomes a kind of clinical allegory about the disintegration of Yugoslavia – trying to be entertaining and funny while at it. Until the last third of the film, it was interesting, I admit, and intriguing where it would end up. By the end it was somewhat disgusting by the shallowness of its "irony," given the tragedy it depicts. Zizek's usual overcooked but useless philosophical platitudes ring even more hollow than usual in this context – although he did have some funny lines in the beginning (yeah, and the socks, whatever). It may be an interesting film for a disengaged and clueless audience, who were not affected by the history depicted in this film (or similar experiences in other parts of the world) – but imagine making such a clinical allegory of another, more "relevant" "country disintegration war" or even (gasp) genocide – take your pick – Israel, Palestine, Syria, Libya, etc. -- the filmmaker would maybe be more vilified/ostracized/banished than celebrated for his "cleverness." If you want an effective allegory of what happened with Yugoslavia, watch Tanovic's Oscar winner "No Man's Land," or even better, Kenovic & co.'s SaGA films (google it) – from that part of the world, Bosnians are much better and more interesting storytellers and record keepers than Slovenians (and much funnier, too – for full disclosure, I am not Bosnian and I don't subscribe to ethnic disparagement or similar). PS. It's not really a "1" more like a "5" rating, but just to counter this ridiculous overrated extravaganza here.

This documentary is a pathetic attempt to represent a lie as truth. As a person who was born in Yugoslavia, I feel the urge to review this, even though I never do it. If you want to find the truth about Yugoslavia and Tito, please watch other documentaries made from the people who actually lived and fight in the war. Slovenia was the only winner after Yugoslavia fell apart. Wonder why Clinton visited it right after it happened.

For starters, every movie that gives you new information and makes you think, is a good movie. That said, I didn't really like the whole picture that movie tried to describe. But, that said, that picture is directors prerogative, and I respect that. There are a few informations in this film that were hardly obtainable before it, but they are used to paint that fore-mentioned directors vision. In his eyes, by my opinion, he tried to paint the story of Icarus, through a whole country of Yugoslavia and its late president Tito. But, in essence, it is a classic story about capitalism vs. communism (sociallism derived from communism) OK, Tito was master of "sales of testicles for kidneys" (majstor prodaje muda za bubrege), but nevertheless, while he was president, of former socialist republic of Yugoslavia, people always had their 13th paycheck, they were getting condos from their firms for contribution, and they had 30 days a year of paid vacation. It was a happy life. His main mistake was, by my opinion, that he didn't MAKE his successor in like 1965., and gave him power over country in 1970., continuing to lead from the "shadows". This movie, in first half is very joyous, but later it makes you think that all the bad things that happened in Yugoslavia were direct consequence of one bad deal in 1960, and some kind of revenge for that bad deal (SPOILER ALERT: Nikson says: "we will bomb the hell out of those Yugoslavs". In what civilized society is killing people OK as an retribution for bad deal?!). Film is also describing Slavoj Zizak as copy/paste of today's Srdja Popovic. Really didn't like the, not bitter end, but obnoxious end. (It is destiny of a single person, and opinion too. And a bit much dramatically intense). Base 505 (Objekat 505) was a military project whose prime mission was control of the Yugoslavian sky from strategically good position. Whose to say that Yugoslavia didn't sell a working project and after that America just said "IT DOES NOT WORK" (They did send a man on the Moon 7 years later). This is a movie that is supposed to tickle your imagination, and it is very good it that aspect. Makes you think, and that is what I love about it! 4 years ago I saw trailer for this movie and I was expecting it on my toes. I heard it was finished a year ago. And, if you look form marketing aspect, or marketing point of view, why wait so long for premiere?! Well, it has to have something with change from summer to autumn, people tend to stay at homes because it is cold outside, it is Sunday and this is literally THE PRIME TELEVISION time. HBO, Sunday, 8 PM. Prime goal is to reach to as many people/viewers as it can. (...but that is normal economic goal too...) So, to conclude, very interesting movie, but don't take it as the whole truth! :D