A Tight Spot
A Tight Spot | |
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Vojislav Kostić Riblja Čorba | |
Release date |
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Running time | 92 minutes |
Country | Yugoslavia |
Language | Serbian |
A Tight Spot (Serbian: Tesna koža) is a 1982 Yugoslav comedy film directed by Mića Milošević and written by Siniša Pavić along with Ljiljana Pavić . The film achieved enormous popularity throughout SFR Yugoslavia, spawning three sequels by the end of the decade.
The story centers around Dimitrije "Mita" Pantić, a bewildered clerk in his mid-fifties working in a crusty state-owned company under corrupt boss Srećko Šojić. Constantly frustrated and stressed out, Pantić's personal life isn't much better either. Living in a cramped apartment with his wife Sida and their three grown children Branko, Mira, and Aca, each with their own problems, Pantić also has to endure his cranky mother and a state-assigned subtenant Suzana under the same roof.
Plot
This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. (November 2014) |
At 56 years of age Mita Pantić (Nikola Simić) is still only a junior clerk in a Yugoslav state-owned company. Another typical workday for him is starting at 6 a.m. as frustration awaits at every turn from the moment he gets up. Trying to get ready to go to work, he can barely get a turn to use the bathroom in a crowded apartment he shares with his family. Other members of the household are not without their frustrations either, meaning that nagging and shouting are a staple of their home life at any time of day.
Pantić's spouse Sida (
All the morning commotion at home leads to Pantić often being late for work where more frustration awaits. On this particular occasion, it's his crooked boss Srećko Šojić (
Meanwhile, Pantić's youngest son Aca is having problems with his demanding and nitpicky English professor (Irfan Mensur) who obsessively makes his students dissect the linguistic nuances of Leigh Hunt's poem "Jenny kiss'd Me". Nicknamed Japanac (The Japanese) due to his deep admiration of Japanese culture and way of life, the professor has a low tolerance for Aca's smart-alecky retorts and demands to speak to his father.
Back at Mita's work, it's time to collect monthly paycheques, but he is horrified to find out his pay has been docked due to his tardiness as part of the company's new initiative to maximize productivity. Hopping mad, he storms back to his office but is soon approached by an unknown man who introduces himself as Oliver Nedeljković (Vladan Živković) and proceeds to offer Pantić a bribe in return for his approval when it comes to a decision on new hiring. Though short on money, Pantić refuses the payoff and reports the corruption attempt to director Šojić.
Japanac soon comes to Pantić household in order to speak to Aca's father but finds Pantić feverishly listening to radio
Japanac and Pantić eventually do meet to talk in Japanac's apartment, but this time the professor is more interested in discussing Pantić's subtenant than his son. Japanac expresses his desire to marry Suzana, which Pantić sees as a way to finally be rid of her.
Pantić cashes in his 12 correct guesses ticket for which he gets YUD7 million. Coming into work to he gets mad when he finds out Nedeljković, the man who attempted to bribe him got the job and goes to confront Šojić only to find out that Melita has advanced to the position of Šojić's personal typist, much to Pantić's annoyance and frustration after which he insults Šojić and leaves.
Back home with 7 million in cash in his bag, he wakes up the next morning to usual morning routine of family nagging and complaining about money. Sick and tired of listening to their complaints he reaches into his bag and starts throwing bills in the air. Then on the way to the bathroom, he runs into Japanac who informs him that he married Suzana and moved into her room, as the house in which he met with Pantić was his friend's house. Japanac puts a bathroom schedule and enters the bathroom. After walking silently an angry Pantić screams, charges at the bathroom door and breaks it as the film ends.
Cast
- Nikola Simić as Dimitrije "Mita" Pantić
- Milan Gutović as Srećko Šojić
- Ružica Sokić as Persida "Sida" Pantić
- Irfan Mensur as Japanac, high school English professor
- Jelica Sretenović as Suzana, the subtenant
- Gojko Baletić as Branko Pantić
- Danica Maksimović as Mira Pantić
- Aleksandar Todorović as Aleksandar "Aca" Pantić
- Rahela Ferari as Mita's mother
- Nada Vojinović as Melita Sandić, Šojić's personal typist
- Vladan Živković as Oliver Nedeljković
- Lepa Brena as herself
- Mirjana Joković as the girl with the walkman in Aca's English class (uncredited)
Production
The film features six songs — "U dva će čistači odneti đubre", "Kad ti se na glavu sruši čitav svet", "Ja ratujem sam", "Pravila, pravila", "Kako je lepo biti glup" and "Dobro jutro" — that also appear as tracks on Riblja Čorba's 1982 album Buvlja pijaca, which got released one month after the movie's premiere. Though not conceptualized as A Tight Spot soundtrack album, with the band essentially using the movie as a promotional vehicle for their upcoming album, many ended up thinking of Buvlja pijaca as the film's soundtrack.
The character of Srećko Šojić had already appeared a year earlier as supporting character in 1981's Laf u srcu, a comedy film also written by Siniša Pavić and directed by Mića Milošević.
External links
- New York Times overview
- A Tight Spot at IMDb