LOVE.NET
(Hristo Shopov as Philip Bogatev)
ORIGINAL TITLE: Love.net.
YEAR: 2011.
DIRECTED BY: Ilian Djevelekov.
MAIN CAST: Hristo Shopov, Zahary Baharov, Lilia Maravilia, Koina Ruseva, Diana Dobreva, Diliana Popova, John Loutan, Mick Box, Yordanka Kuzmanova, Vladimir Penev and Lora Cheshmedjieva.
PRODUCED BY: Georgi Dimitrov, Ilian Djevelekov and Matei Konstantinov.
WRITTEN BY: Neli Dimitrova, Matei Konstantinov and Ilian Djevelekov.
ORIGINAL MUSIC BY: Petko Manchev.
RUNTIME: 109 minutes.
COUNTRY: Bulgaria.
GENRE: Comedy | Love | Drama.
SYNOPSIS:
Love.net is a film that deals with love in many of its manifestations: superficial love, inexplicable love, utopian love, true love or short-lived love.
The film presents four parallel stories with a range of very colourful characters; some try to fix their lives through the internet and others simply have fun on the web. Also, couples appear that have got together thanks to the web pages dedicated to this type of personal encounters.
Love.net is not just a romantic comedy, it is a colourful puzzle, made up of different stories that have one thing in common, their origin in the Internet.
The central plot of the storyline lies in the relationship between surgeon Philip Bogatev and his wife. Especially bored of his passing daily life in spite of having a comfortable
status, with no attraction in his personal relationships, Philip decides to join a dating website.
Meanwhile, Mila is an intelligent woman, devoted to her work and loves her husband but does not have the time to realise or even suspect that her husband is unfaithful.
One day, by chance, she discovers that Philip is having a virtual affair. However, she chooses to keep quiet to her partner, while gradually her marriage deteriorates and she does not know how to fix it.
The remaining stories of the film come from people like Philip’s brother, Andrey, a frequent writer to the website in order to find female companionship, he realises the professional relevance of a research paper on this kind of relationship network.
We also find Emilia, a woman of character, without a husband, who is limited to seeking pleasure through dating sites, with one daughter that spends too many hours in front of the computer and whose conduct she criticises continuously without realising her own problems.
Finally, completing the plot, the theatre director Joana, a close friend of Mila, who finds the composer of a song whilst looking through the internet.
*NOTE:Love.net is a completely new, fresh film with an ultramodern and contemporary theme such as that of the world of online relationships and loving bonds that sometimes arise from them. In Love.net the characters lives change rapidly with just a few clicks and it considers communication through the internet even on a philosophical level, reaching morality and total liberation.
The development of the stories that make Love.net, are well posed, all intertwine and complement each other well and, most importantly, the spectator can follow with ease, despite taking place in different places and at the same time.
Regarding the actors work, they all play their role very well. The representation of the couple (Philip and Mila) played by Hristo Shopov and Lilia Maravilia
is simply perfect. It is certain that the audience will not overlook that they both cry naturally in front of the camera, which is not easy, not even for experienced actors
like them. They are the ideal actors for their characters.
Throughout the film it is possibly the actor Hristo Shopov who shows the most feelings of his
character before the cold computer screen as their relationships evolve, and rather than with exclusively gestural expressions, a very complete set of feelings (frivolity,
curiosity, interest, eagerness, passion, sadness…) are transferred to the audience.
If you are looking for an entertaining film, that has a fresh storyline, with true human stories, where each one is accompanied by a different and positive message… Love.net is your film.
The film won three awards at the Bulgarian Film Festival Zlatna Roza (2011). Best Actress, Best Debut Director and Best Screenplay. In addition, Hristo’s excellent work that featured as the surgeon Philip Bogatev was rewarded the Best Actor award at the South-East European Film Festival (25.05.2012) .
The DVD includes numerous extras, including a large number of photographs of the filming and scenes from the film.
Furthermore, the viewer will find over one hour (68’) of
unreleased material: interviews with director llian Djevelekov and the main actors, Hristo Shopov, Dilliana Popova and John Loutan, screenwriters as well as
the other professionals who participated in the development of the successful film, anecdotes of the filming, fun times, soundtrack, making etc.
The DVD offers the option of watching the film with Bulgarian or English subtitles, which is always appreciated. There is also a specific subtitle option in Bulgarian or English for the deaf.
... some reviews:
- OperationKino.net: “Актьорската игра от страна на Христо Шопов и Лилия Маравиля беше перфектна…”
- Кафе Ops: “Христо Шопов играе прекрасно, поставен в прекрасна роля – мъжът на средна възраст, който има всичко, но не вижда нищо...”
- it in the press: “Голямата двойка обаче са Шопов и Маравиля…”
- Blife.bg: “Христо Шопов – блестящ”
- Cinebum.eu: “Христо Шопов и Койна Русева дори няма да ги споменавам, защото при тях има една константа на качеството, която е постоянна величина или по-точно НЕ Е ПРОМЕНЛИВА!”
- Cinefish.bg: “В централната и най-сериозна сюжетна линия, която журналистът на Бахаров може да наблюдава реално и виртуално, брат му хирург (сдържан, но емоционален Христо Шопов, както най-много го харесваме) е затънал в криза на средната възраст, която се опитва да разреши с уреждането на неангажиращ секс чрез интернет...”
- георги неделчев monitoring: “На техния фон Христо Шопов е с класи отгоре, а още по-впечатляваща е Лилия Маравиля в ролята на съпругата му.”
- Avtora.com: “Въздействието е още по-силно и благодарение на блестящото изпълнение в каста на имена като Захари Бахаров и Христо Шопов, чието присъствие може да съживи всяко едно заглавие повече от всяко друго...”
RELATED WEBSITES:
VIDEO:
|
LOVE.NET - Official Trailer (2011) |
LOVE.NET - D2 "Cherry Tree" - O.S.T. Love.net |
LOVE.NET - Official Trailer (2010) |
|
LOVE.NET - Smiles Behind the Scenes |
LOVE.NET - Premiere (03.29.2011) |
LOVE.NET - Special Features & Extras on Love.net DVD |
HRISTOSHOPOV.com's Links