sol- Sent to Bosnia to report on the war in the early 1990s, a British journalist finds it hard to stay neutral in the conflict in this war drama from Michael Winterbottom. The film is based on the true story of a journalist who adopted a girl orphaned in the war. "We're not here to help; we're here to report" he is reminded early on, but can he just stand by and watch so many children devastated by war? 'Welcome to Sarajevo' is a noble attempt to shed light on a sad chapter in history seldom portrayed on screen, but it is also admittedly a bit of a mess. The story is very unfocused as it tries to cram so much war horror into the plot. The protagonist does not even meet and think about adopting the girl until nearly halfway in and even then there are few scenes of them bonding. His affection for her is never well conveyed and we barely get a sense of her desire to leave the country. Winterbottom's inexplicable choice to only subtitle certain portions of Bosnian dialogue is awkward too and the blaring music soundtrack never quite feels right. Stephen Dillane makes for a decent lead and the film provides an admirable snapshot of 1990s Bosnia, but the overall film unfortunately leaves a bit to be desired.

freemantle_uk The Bosnian War was one of the most brutal war in recent years, with hundred thousands people being killed, and Bosnians and Muslims were killed. It was a conflicted that showed the weakness of the UN, and took time for the West to get involved. Sarajevo itself became a war zone the centre because a no-mans land.Welcome to Sarajevo starts in the early days of the Bosnian war in 1992. Sarajevo is besieged by the Serbian forces and Bosnians are being rounded up to locked up or killed. An ITN reporter Michael Henderson (Stephen Dillane) is assigned to cover the war-zone. Sarajevo is a place where snipers are hunting on the roof-tops and shooting people who dare cross the streets: including children and journalists. In the city Michael befriends Flynn (Woody Harrelson), a American journalist who has a seemingly uncaring attitude, but is really interested about the people. Michael ends up reporting about an orphanage and the children on the frontline. He becomes very involved with the story, reporting on it every night and start a campaign to get governments involves. When a Children's Charities is able to evacuate some children and babies to relatives abroad and in Italy Michael becomes involved. He ends up taking a care of one nine year old girl, Emira (Emira Nusevic), who ends up living with his family based in London.This film is based on a true story, with some names and events changed to moral and dramatic reasons. But the issues of the film is the same. Michael Henderson was bit like Oscar Schlinder, an ordinary person thrown into a extraordinary circumstances. But the twist is as a journalist he was not meant to get too involved, but he broke that golden rule of journalism. It is a film about the ethics of journalism and when someone should get involved with the issues there are reporting. The film is also about the war, and random killings that happened in the conflict. Civilians were hurt and killed and non-Serbs were rounded up. Serbia has always seen itself as a nation that had a right in nations like Bosnia and Crotia, and wanting to ensure power for the Serbian minorities. Serbia has often been a power broker in the region since World War I. Sarajevo itself was a shell of a city, with it being a live and death struggle. Electricity cuts are normal, and water supplies are short. But some people still try and make a go of it in the city until the fighting increases. The film is also about the inaction of the UN. They were late getting involved, and even the troops there didn't do much at first. The West were reluctant to get involving, fearing that it would be a propaganda coup for the Serbs. This was not a good time for Western nations and the UN at this point in history.The acting in this film was excellent, as expected. No one let the film down. They was a fine tort script, preventing the film getting bogged down, and find direction by Michael Winterbottom. They are some shocking and surprise moments, giving the film a more edgy film, and the use of hand-held cameras added to the realist feel. There are some continuous shots which I live and good editing. The use of news footage was also fitting and well done, giving the audience some background information and showing the wider affects of the war with the international community. However, I think some of Winterbottom's music choices were ill-fitting. He used some classic pop song which felt out of context. It does sometimes work, like in Vietnam war film, but that is normally to show the sixties setting and because the films have a longer timeline.However, this is a worthy film about an important war. If you like this then I also recommend Hotel Rwanda and Shooting Dogs are essential viewing.

Emir Kazic The movie was depressing. Thats because it told the war like it is. Its true that both sides suffered in the war, but one side suffered a cut while the other side was cut in half.I liked how the movie depicted the situation as it was, and illustrated the media as a corporate entity trying to make money and advance themselves to the "first page" of the paper as opposed to something overly sympathetic. Bottom line, it was believable.My knock against the movie was the ending. I suppose the directors left the ending open and up in the air, just like the war. You think you have an idea of what may happen, but you really have no idea at all. So it was symbolic, but the whole movie didn't follow this theme, rather it was a story, and naturally you want to see how it ends.

rogerdarlington The wars in former Yugoslavia were prolonged and bitter and - need we remind ourselves - located in 'civilised' Europe, so it is surprising that the conflict has resulted in so few films. It's almost as if there is a collective guilt about the weakness of international involvement until the Serbs tried to subjugate Kosovo and NATO finally intervened. Hollywood still shows no interest in this topic - this movie is a largely British effort, although it features two American stars (Woody Harrelson and Marisa Tomie)in support roles.The narrative, most of which actually occurred, is set in the Bosnian capital Sarejevo and - like "Under Fire" dealing with Nicaragua - focuses on war as seen through foreign media correspondents. It is based on the book by the British ITN journalist Michael Nicholson entitled "Natasha's Story". The reporter Michael Henderson (played sensitively by little-known Stephen Dillane) finds himself unexpectedly involved emotionally in events to the extent of deciding illegally to bring supposed orphan Emira out of the war-ravaged country and to his own home in England.British director Michael Winterbottom shot the film on location in Sarjevo itself and parts of Croatia and Macedonia and this, plus the semi-documentary style of filming, gives a powerful authenticity to the work. There is no political background or scene-setting: we jump straight into the carnage and are as confused as the Bosnians being shelled and shot at. The political messages come from short but effective news clips of quotes from international figures, showing the powerlessness and incapacity demonstrated by too many of them at the time.