Tito and Me

The chuckling style and nostalgic tone may be pure Neil Simon, but the content of this 1992 autobiographical feature by Goran Markovic is something else again–a fascinating, pointed, satirical look at growing up in Yugoslavia in the mid-50s, obviously given more edge by the fact that it couldn’t have been made until fairly recently. The ten-year-old narrating hero–an overweight worshiper of Marshal Tito sharing a cramped Belgrade apartment with his artistic parents as well as his grandparents, aunt, uncle, and cousin–develops a crush on an older girl who’s an orphan. After writing a dutiful essay declaring that he loves Tito more than his own parents, he is selected to go on a camping trip to the ruler’s homeland-and so is the girl. But he hits it off poorly with the tour leader and eventually has some second thoughts about Tito as well. Entertaining and often illuminating, this offers a much more interesting reevaluation of the 50s than most Hollywood equivalents. Music Box, Friday through Thursday, February 25

through March 3. Read more