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The Reject

Name: The Reject
Director: Miloš 'Miša' Radivojević
Released: 2007
Duration: 97 min

Representation Score

5.7/10

Fair

2007

Director

Miloš 'Miša' Radivojević

Runtime

97 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

The film is a character-driven study of psychological fragmentation and social alienation. It prioritizes the internal decay of a single individual over a broader, multi-layered demographic spread. While the film lacks significant representation regarding race and LGBTQ+ identities, it offers a critical look at traditional masculine roles and the failures of modern institutional structures. It functions as a localized drama rather than a vehicle for progressive social representation.

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Category Breakdown

Does The Reject have LGBTQ+ representation?

Limited

The film does not explicitly explore queer themes or non-straight relationships. It focuses on the protagonist's marriage and his relationship with a female secretary.

How does The Reject portray gender?

Fair

The story centers around a male crisis, which may reinforce traditional male roles. However, it challenges the idea of a stable patriarch by showing the protagonist's failure as a husband and provider.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The Reject?

Limited

As a Serbian production, the film features a predominantly homogeneous cast reflecting local identities. It focuses on individual struggles rather than a diverse, multi-ethnic ensemble.

How does The Reject represent religion and culture?

Good

The film critiques modern institutions such as capitalism and the family unit. It explores disillusionment with social and economic safety nets through the protagonist's personal decay.

Does The Reject include disability representation?

Fair

The elderly mother's declining health serves as a plot device to create financial stress. This seems to function more as a narrative tool than a detailed exploration of disability.

Present on Screen

Challenges the cliché of the 'stable patriarch' by showing a man failing in his familial roles.
Provides a skeptical, nuanced critique of capitalist institutions and modern social safety nets.

Limited or Absent

Lacks multi-layered representation, particularly regarding LGBTQ+ and multi-ethnic identities.
Risks using physical decline and illness as mere plot devices for the protagonist's development.

Official Synopsis

A man whose life is on the verge of collapse looks for new inspiration in this drama from Serbian filmmaker Milos Radivojevic. On was once a reporter, but now makes his living working as a public relations man for a banking firm. On is in his forties and has started to sink into a mid-life depression. On's wife has left him and while he tries to keep in touch with her and his daughter, he feels they're drifting away from him. On often finds himself retreating into a world of daydreams, which becomes all the more common after he loses his job. On struggles to drown in ennui with alcohol, gambling and meaningless sex, but matters only get worse as he learns that his elderly mother's health is failing, and he can no longer keep up with the bills for her medical care. When On discovers some forgotten savings, he sets out on a vacation in hopes of recapturing his muse, with his beautiful and loyal secretary in tow. Film received its American premiere at the 2008 Palm Springs Film Festival.

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