Sergeant

Two men meet at a bus stop. They are, we discover, lovers, but their relationship is difficult. There are tattoos, scars, faces and looks. The awkwardness of a post-coital space, asexual, asocial, a surprise or two in store. There is a callousness, a bleakness. There is mention of the war, the army. A lot happens offscreen, a lot happens unmentioned, a lot has happened before, or elsewhere, or undiscussed.

The preview copy Eye For Film saw was without colour grading or final sound design, but even with that it's fair to talk about the technical ability on display. Milan Maric and Milo Timotijevic deliver good performances which require them to go in very different directions. Nikola Ljuca does well directing their delivery of his script, with some bold choices in framing and pacing. A cramped shot in a car veers from intimacy to danger to disgust in short order. If the final product bears any fair relation to what we saw, Jakov Munizaba's sound work is to be commended. There's just enough to suggest when it's needed, to confirm at other times. Dusko Ruljevic manages costumes and sets that convince - contemporary films face challenges that crinoline and corsetry do not, but the shared, private, public and closed spaces all convince.

There is a moment with a hesitant gaze - it's a long look before he turns away, and it speaks volumes. That silence, that confidence, speak well of the abilities of those involved.