are you tired of all the hot new releases being gone by the time you get to the video store ? wafflemovies . com is dedicated to finding those hidden gems that lie on the shelves . everyweek , wafflemovies . com reviews independent film and big studio pictures that deserve a second chance on video . here is a sample review : welcome to sarajevo in light of america's recent intervention in kosovo , welcome to sarajevo is a reminder of the horror america and the world ignored for years . set in sarajevo 1992 and based on actual events , this picture examines the human and societal casualties of war . the picture opens with a family escorting their young bride to her wedding . as they make their way down the street , a sniper shoots the mother of the bride . yet another reminder that daily life in war torn sarajevo can never escape the horror of war . in this scene , we meet joe flynn ( woody harrelson ) , an american reporter who stops reporting to help a priest carry the mortally wounded mother into a church . joe is cocky , but also good at heart as he continues to carry out kind deeds for people he doesn't even know . his fellow reporter is the british michael henderson ( stephen dillane ) . michael is quickly growing tired of the horror that surrounds him and the world's lack of interest . henderson is haunted by the memory of an altar boy who witnesses the mother's death as well as a young girl who he finds orphaned in a hospital after a mortar attack on citizens waiting in line for bread . he decides to take action when a united nations' delegation descends upon the area to declare yugoslavia the fourteenth most dangerous place on earth . henderson begins a series profiling an orphanage located on the front lines . he finds children of all ages living in fear and taking care of each other with the help of one adult . during his visits , he befriends a pre-teen girl , emira ( emira nuseric ) who serves as surrogate mother to baby roadrunner . he promises to get emira out of harm's way if he gets the chance . after the un delegation leaves the country without rescuing any of the children , henderson loses hope . however , his reporting has grabbed the attention of nina ( marisa tomei ) and her children's aid group that helps to find homes for the yugoslavian orphans . unfortunately , only babies are wanted for adoption , so henderson pledges to take emira to england . the group of children , nina and henderson depart the front lines on a dangerous escape for italy . can they complete this dangerous trek through the war torn countryside and avoid hostile troops gathering up muslims for concentration camps ? the movie was beautifully and sensitively made . director michael winterbottom and screenwriter frank cottrell boyce vividly express the societal destruction that has occurred . they show the destroyed lives , families that have been split up , and the desolation that everyone attempts to cope with . this is best exemplified by the group of yugoslavians henderson , his producer and flynn have befriended . the group of twenty-somethings reside in a bombed out bar without life's simplest pleasures and amenities . one of them is an accomplished musician who spends his days playing the piano and promising to play a concert when sarajevo is declared the most dangerous place on earth . like the rest of those deeply effected by the war , this small group tries to survive instead of trying to live . winterbottom brilliantly intersplices scenes with actual news footage to give the film the feel of a documentary and keeps the viewer aware that many of these horrors are being carried out thousands of miles away as you sit safely in your living room . the picture is also bolstered by beautiful cinematography that captures the devastation of this city that hosted the 1984 olympics . winterbottom and boyce also produce a realistic portrayal of the reporters covering the atrocities . this portrayal is much more flattering to reporters than earlier wafflemovies . com selection mad city . we watch them struggle to cover the horror , while trying to remain professionally detached . however , they are human and question the reason behind it all , why no one cares , and how they can get out . stephen dillane is wonderful as henderson . he portrays the character as an everyman caught in the middle of extraordinary events . dillane avoids making the character overly heroic and preachy . henderson realizes that he cannot save the world , but he can help a few . it is a wonderful opportunity for dillane after he had to suffer through the denis leary-sandra bullock disaster two if by sea . woody harrelson continues to prove that he is one of the finest , most versatile actors of his generation . harrelson plays the cocky celebrity reporter with a heart of gold by allowing the character's caring nature and vulnerability shine through . harrelson is equally adept at taking on roles as zany leading men ( cheers , white men can't jump ) as well as excellent supporting roles such as this one . this ability will serve him well and give him a long , successful career . america's involvement in this struggle comes seven years after the events of the movie take place . for those who do not have a full understanding of the history of the conflict , the entire movie , most importantly the opening scenes , provide a history lesson . war is a foreign concept to most of us in america . battles are fought thousands of miles away among people we have no attachment to . televised images of the gulf war are all the experience most of us have with war . this picture brings it right into your living room and makes you think outside of our own small world , something we don't do enough of in 90's america .
