R.M.N. (2023)

Direction: Cristian Mungiu
Country: Romania 

R.M.N. is a dark, complex, sometimes strange work that attempts to open peoples’ eyes to real problems through the sociological and psychological description of its characters. This drama, written and directed by the ever-interesting Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, 2007; Graduation, 2016), is a powerful examination of European struggles and fragilities. The title is a Romanian acronym for nuclear magnetic resonance.

Depicting modern violence and irrational fears within a multiethnic village in the heart of Transylvania, the film is properly informed about rejection, division, machismo, fiery populism, frustration, and nationalism. Opposite values clash within an emotionally unbalanced community that brings xenophobia and violence to the fore. Everything’s toxic here, even the fear we breathe during long fixed takes.

The story follows Matthias (Marin Grigore), who returns to his home village after a failed work experience in Germany. He’s concerned with the education of his son, Rudi (Mark Blenyesi), who has been dealing with irrational anxieties lately to the point of stopping to speak, as well as with the health of his father, Otto (Andrei Finți). He's clearly not on good terms with his wife (Macrina Bârlădeanu) but remains smitten by an ex-girlfriend, Csilla (Judith State), who manages a bakery that just started hiring foreign workers. This triggers xenophobic and racist movements among the locals. 

In his recognizable style, Mungiu knows exactly where to pinch and call our attention to the unjustified anger of ignorant people and the powerlessness of those who care. The final shot may be a bit too off, but will make you think about the intentions of the author, whose clinical observations and intended unpredictability are reaffirmed.

Unidentified (2022)

Direction: Bogdan George Apetri
Country: Romania 

Unidentified is the first installment in a crime trilogy envisioned by Bogdan George Apetri, who keeps one foot in the ridiculousness of the Romanian police routines and the other in an impossible-to-solve crime mystery that puts us off-balance. Even slipping in critical observations about the precariousness, human disconnectedness, sexism, and prejudice in his country, the director wasn’t as efficient in the orchestration of this coal-dark satire as in Miracle, the film that followed up. Both films were shot simultaneously and share a couple of characters.

Florin is the man that catches our attention here; an indebted, sleepless and highly obsessed police inspector determined to solve a strange case in which two mothers were burned alive. But if his colleagues sin for indifference, then he takes his efforts too far. This is a challenging role for actor Bogdan Farcas in a work whose staging sinks into mannerism, leaving only room for the paranoid behavior of a policeman who thinks he is above the law. 

Unidentified is exactly like its protagonist: too serious to make us laugh, and too laughable to be taken seriously. A strong sense of incredulity grabs you by the throat and doesn't let go. The result, an attempted mixture of adrenaline, madness and despair, never managed to keep me on the edge of my seat. 
Without sparing us any details related to this cop’s machinations, Apetri seems fascinated by him. We, less.

Miracle (2022)

Direction: Bogdan George Apetri
Country: Romania

This revenge cop drama film written and directed by Bogdan George Apetri (Outbound, 2010; Unidentified, 2020) consists of two different parts which, in spots, are well capable of surprising you. The story, unfolds gradually and intriguingly, as an afflicted 19-year-old novice, Cristina Tofan (Ioana Bugarin), asks a special permission to leave the monastery in secrecy.

A known local taxi driver, Albu (Valeriu Andriuta), takes her to the hospital because of frequent headaches, but we get to know the truth when she enters the obstetrics ward. Sadly, Cristina never returns to the monastery again, and the second part of the film renders an unorthodox police investigation led by a bad-tempered inspector, Marius Preda (Emanuel Parvu), whose unusual commitment to solving the case keeps us wondering. Notoriously brutal, the first part is as realistic as the unflinching idea of revenge that follows it.

In the middle of so much sadness and misfortune, Apetri finds a way through funny dialogues and itchy frictions. He doesn’t shy away from exposing the problems of Romanian society whenever he has a chance. The representation of the police is caricatural, and you won’t get bored with the tension surrounding each scene. 

The script is strong and its only sin is the unnecessary tail, which should have been cut out in order to let the retaliation speak louder. Miracle is an uncompromising howl of righteous fury anchored by stark performances and a competent direction.

Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (2021)

Direction: Radu Jude
Country: Romania 

Romanian writer-director Radu Jude (Aferim!, 2015) fabricates a subversive parody adapted to the pandemic era and peppered with explicit sex. Following an atypical narrative structure, the film comprises three distinct parts with situations that are not particularly comic but rather wrapped in furious criticism and objection of the country’s social and political states. 

A tepid first part, pelted with unattractive images of Bucharest, discloses that Emi (Katia Pascariu), a dedicated History teacher, has her job in jeopardy due to a sex tape leaked on the Internet after her computer was taken to a repair shop. Part two puts the main story on halt, presenting a sequence of ironic sketches that doesn’t spare the country with observations and considerations about politics, culture, family, sexual assault, and even global warming and social distancing.

Things heat up a bit during the third chapter, when the protagonist argues back fiercely in the presence of wrathful parents who demand her dismissal. This teacher-parents interaction is deliberately silly, navigating through a zillion of topics such as personal privacy, kids accessing adult websites, the definition of fellatio, bribery at school, conservative hypocrisy, conspiracy theories about the Holocaust, homophobia, and many more. In her turbulent defense, Emi even recites one of Eminescu’s erotic poems.

When the film was feeling already too long, we are presented with three possible endings, the last of which offering deplorable derision. 

Unapologetically, Jude gives the middle finger to the Romanian administration and hypocrite society, sending a wave of mutilation to engulf the crooked system they have created. But on the other hand, the way he found to get attention to his cause was with an excessive anarchy that brings nothing smart in it. Purposely beyond the good taste, this is one of those cases where the satiric catharsis is too severe to be likable.

Collective (2020)

Direction: Alexander Nanau
Country: Romania

This elucidative Romanian documentary directed by Alexander Nanau (Toto and his Sisters) follows a tenacious investigation led by Gazzete’s journalist Catalin Tolontan who, alongside a small team, disclosed governmental and corporate corruption related to the rotten Romanian health care system. 

People moderately injured by a fire in the Bucharest night club Colectiv succumb due to bacteria in a hospital with improper disinfection policies. 

The findings led to massive public protests and then to the resignation of the Minister of Health, prompting the new one, Vlad Voiculescu, to cooperate with the journalists and take unprecedented measures. Corrupt hospital managers and politicians  were identified together with negligent medical staffs. Still, in the end, we are consumed by the frustration that arises from unpunished bribes and a fraudulent, dysfunctional Romanian state.

Solidly structured and incisive in its observations, the film never leaves you in doubt, showing that the truth is way too hard to digest. What we see here is not pretty - it’s simultaneously scary and infuriating to realize that people who are paid to guarantee a proper functionality of a health system don’t give a damn if you live or die. Collective leaves us speechless, but, fortunately, honest journalism still exists.

Manor House (2021)

Direction: Cristi Puiu
Country: Romania / other

Cristi Puiu is a Romanian director credited with accomplished films such as The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005), Aurora (2010) and Sieranevada (2016). Manor House, his sixth feature, however, is an interminable philosophical debate set in the 19th-century Transylvania that doesn’t take us anywhere beyond aristocratic pretentiousness. 

The film, based on a text by Russian philosopher Vladimir Salovyov, denotes a remarkable cinematography by Tudor Vladimir Panduru (My Happy Family; Graduation) and an impeccable, evocative mise en scène that ceases to create an impact as the tedium of the conversation gradually installs.

This plot-less exercise centers on a Christmas gathering hosted by Nikolai (Frédéric Schulz-Richard), an aristocrat landowner, who seems to enjoy the company of his four argumentative guests - the Franco-Russian politician Edouard (Ugo Broussot), the ironic middle-aged Madeleine (Agathe Bosch), the young pious Olga (Marina Palii), and Ingrida (Diana Sakalauskaité), the wife of a Russian general. In their complex examinations, the group addresses war and peace, God and the antichrist, death and sins, Russia and Europe, reason and conscience, politeness and human progress. Puiu also gives us a quick glimpse of the servants’ work and behavior around the house, which is the most interesting part of the film. 

These erudite discussions, sometimes recalling the elegant formalism of Manoel de Oliveira, are captured by excessively long takes where the actors, with more or less theatrical demeanor, vomit their thoughts with no interruption or restraint. Can you imagine a film that you have to wait an entire hour for something to happen - an abrupt faint, in the case - and absolutely nothing comes from that? Puiu was never more obstinate and futile than in Manor House.

The Whistlers (2020)

Direction: Corneliu Porumboiu
Country: Romania

In his latest release, writer/director Corneliu Porumboiu probes the neo-noir crime thriller genre with unremarkable results. The Whistlers stars Vlad Ivanov (4 Months 3 Weeks and 2 Days) as Cristi, a secretive and corrupt cop who works on the side for the Romanian mafia.

As a solitary money hunter, he tries to deviate the attention of his greedy boss, Magda (Rodica Lazar), at the same time that protects Gilda (Catrinel Marlon), a femme fatale turned into the woman of his dreams. An agreement with the latter will take him to La Gomera in the Canary Islands to learn the whistling language known as silbo gomero.

Although never confusing in tone and not relying on any type of show-off, I wish the film was wilder and with less cerebral maneuvers. The script is rife with superficialities, wobbly in the details and sparse in thrills, whereas the execution is permanently cold but maintaining an artificial pose of cleverness. Occasionally the actors make it look entertaining, but for most of the time, it feels predictable due to an overwhelming dearth of surprises.

Corruption, double crosses and criminal schemes have been the essence of Porumboiu’s filmography, yet The Whistlers, playing a more crowd-pleasing and less ambitious formula, never reaches the mordacity and intelligence of 12:08 East of Bucharest (2006), Police Adjective (2009) and The Treasure (2015). I was unimpressed except for the whistling language itself.

Lemonade (2019)

Direction: Ioana Uricaru
Country: Romania

Identity and immigration are two intimately related topics in Romanian Ioana Uricaru’s debut feature, Lemonade, which also addresses xenophobia and abuse of power. The film’s main character is Mara (Mãlina Manovici), a thirty-something Romanian nurse and single mother, who, living in the US, struggles to make a new life for herself and her nine-year-old son, Dragos (Milan Hurduc). In five weeks, she fell in love and got married to Daniel (Dylan Smith), an American landscapist whom she treated after a severe work accident. She applied for a Green Card, but is still not allowed to work in American soil until the case is approved, what makes her financially dependent on Daniel. The process can take years and everything depends on Moji Wijnaldum (Steve Bacic), the US Immigration official that interviewed her.

When the prepotent Moji calls her, mentioning a problem with her application, it was inevitable to cogitate about sexual favors. Because her son was with her, Mara gets late to the meeting and naively agrees to get in Moji’s car to be interrogated, an illegal procedure aggravated by the subsequent sexual assault. She is also informed that her husband has a record, a past case related to an offense against a minor. And because misfortunes never come singly, she finds the police at her door since her best friend, Aniko (Ruxandra Maniu), left Dragos temporarily alone at home to go to work. No need to say that serious family problems arise as soon as Daniel finds out what happened.

It’s easy for us to involve in the drama of this woman. However, the film, co-produced by celebrated writer/director Cristian Mungiu (4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days; Graduation), weakens in its second half when both the inquisitiveness and uneasiness gradually fade out to give place to humiliation and legal strategy. It’s a well-acted, if too polished, exercise tinged with sadness and hope alike. Still, the valid ideas had a considerable margin for improvement.

Sieranevada (2016)

Directed by Cristi Puiu
Country: Romania

The films of Romanian auteur Cristi Puiu usually contain a fascinating blend of thoughtful realism and pungent social commentary. "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu" and "Aurora", his second and third movies, respectively, marked the peak of an auspicious career whose impact softened up a bit with the practically unknown Three Exercises of Interpretation, which lacked a proper distribution.

His new comedy-drama, cryptically entitled "Sieranevada", finds his focus on family matters, living from awkward situations and clear-cut observations while adopting a sly pose. It's all condensed in a package of effervescent tension that lasts for 173 minutes.

The script can be a hard nut to crack, mostly because of the political references that occasionally wallow in the dark past of the country.

Puiu designates Lary (Mimi Branescu) as the main focus of a story that takes place in Bucharest during one single day. He is a specialized doctor who apparently is doing great in life just by selling medical equipment. His wife, Laura (Catalina Moga) is a compulsive shopper who can’t hide a wide grin whenever she’s in possession of her husband’s credit card.

They are heading to a traditional family reunion in his mother’s house that will serve to remember the 40th day of his father’s death. The important occasion is supposed to be addressed with joy, respect, and total commitment, however, the behavior of a few characters undermines the plan.

Once they get there, we are gradually introduced to the many members of the family, an undertaking that takes some time. Lary’s mother, Nusa (Dana Dogaru), stands up for her devastated sister Ofelia (Ana Ciontea), whose quarrelsome husband, Toni (Sorin Medeleni), is being systematically unfaithful to her over the years. Sandra (Judith State) and Relu (Bogdan Dumitrache) are Lary’s siblings, and while the former cries when poked by aunt Evelina (Tatiana Iekel), a staunch supporter of the old Communism and a camouflaged antagonist of the church, the latter is a communications officer who confesses he's dabbled in fear. Sandra’s husband, Gabi (Rolando Matsangos), and her cousin, Sebi (Marin Grigore), embark in animated political debates that have the Internet as a frequent mediator. Sebi’s younger sister, Cami (Ilona Brezoianu), loves night parties and drags a junkie Serbian friend into the house, causing everyone to panic. The only guests are the Popescus who seem as much shocked as uncomfortable with the disarrangement.

The funniest aspect of the movie is that everyone is extremely hungry - Lary, for instance, didn’t eat anything the whole day - and to overcome all the unexpected predicaments before finally sitting down, hang loose, and fill their empty stomachs, seems to take forever.

I wouldn’t be surprised if some moviegoers find "Sieranevada" a bit overlong and sometimes even repetitive in its almost exclusive indoor/conversational mode. In fact, I see the house factor somewhat limiting, maybe because one of the most thrilling incidents happens on the street, in a hyper realistic disarray that involves Lary and Laura.

On the other side, it is no less true that I exulted with a generous number of disconcerting and delightful episodes where Puiu, employing his directorial competence to better capture the family’s moves with sharpness and wittiness, attempts to satirize life in today’s unstable Romania.

Graduation (2016)

Directed by Cristian Mungiu
Country: Romania / France / Belgium

Acclaimed Romanian writer/director/producer Cristian Mungiu called the world’s attention through observant contemporary dramas like “Occident” (2002), “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days” (2007), and “Beyond the Hills” (2012). He has a background in English literature and his work for the big screen focuses on quality rather than quantity.
His fifth film, “Graduation”, is a pungent drama whose story, set in a small Romanian town, touches themes such as corruption and influence peddling, education, family, and obsession, at the same time that looks at a problematic Romania with mordacious dissatisfaction.

The film has an intriguing start when someone throws a stone at the window of the Aldeas' house, breaking the glass and provoking more curiosity than indignation in Romeo (Adrian Titieni), the head of the family and a respected doctor, his vulnerable wife Magda (Lia Bugnar), and their teenage daughter Eliza (Maria-Victoria Dragus).
The latter admits to her father she’s a bit anxious for a crucial scholarship exam that will permit her to study at the London’s famous Cambridge University. However, her anxiety is nothing compared to her father’s. He lived abroad himself after graduating, but decided to return to Romania for the impossible mission of getting ‘things’ changed. Disappointment and failure are at the base of his overwhelming obsession with Eliza’s future.

The communication between Romeo and his daughter is uncomplicated, but with Magda things are not so smooth since he has been unfaithful to her with Sandra (Malina Manovici), a 35-year-old single mother, former patient, and teacher at Eliza’s school.
Pressure and nervous tension surround him at all times, but Romeo is pretty confident that Eliza, a brilliant student, is going to make it. However, a day before the exam and on her way to school, Eliza was violently attacked by a stranger who attempted to rape her. Emotionally disturbed and with a wounded arm, is Eliza psychologically and physically ready to do the exam? 

For the first time in his life, the desperate Romeo has to sacrifice his good reputation and put his honesty behind, using his connections and medical influence to guarantee a decent future for his daughter. Shouldn’t he be worried about her emotional state instead? This dilemma haunts us throughout the film and we can’t help feeling sorry for them. 
Climaxing in a spiral of anguish and deception, the well-acted drama culminates its insightful analysis with disconcerting irony.

Mungiu remains faithful to a style that combines realism and emotional depth allied with an impressive cinematic dexterity. Dispensing a musical score, he privileges handheld shots in detriment of a more static approach, yet the camera movements never translate into abrupt or awkward images.
“Graduation” might not be his best work to date, but it’s certainly an urgent, denouncing, and intelligent eye opener that tells much about a ruined country in terms of moral values. Here, besides brandishing a powerful critical voice, the director also reinforces his admirable filmmaking credentials.

The Treasure (2015)

Directed by Corneliu Porumboiu
Country: Romania / France

There’s a cynical ridiculousness in the low-key “The Treasure”, the fourth fictional feature from Corneliu Porumboiu, author of “12:08 East of Bucharest” and “Police, Adjective”.
I confess I expected more from the Romanian director/screenwriter, especially if we take into account the more valuable cinematic treasures mentioned above.
All the features that characterize Mr. Porumboiu’s directorial approach can be found in his new deadpan comedy, which starts in a curious way, becoming overdetailed in its midsection, only to resuscitate in its laughable final part. 

Costi (Cuzin Toma) is a caring father, despite arriving late at school to pick up his son, Alin (played by Cuzin’s real-life son, Nicodim), a Peter Pan enthusiast who’s often beaten up by another kid.
When his neighbor, Adrian (Adrian Purcarescu), pays him a visit with the intention of borrowing 800 Euros, he never imagined how his monotonous daily life would turn into a singular adventure with an authentic treasure hunt.
Adrian discloses he wants the money to rent a metal detector and hire someone professional to operate it, envisioning spotting an old treasure that was buried by his grand-grandfather in the garden of his propriety located in the countryside, province of Ostenia. 
Even if financially unstable, the intrigued Costi manages to skip work and get the money, heading immediately to a company where he negotiates an acceptable price with Cornel (Corneliu Cozmei), a metal expert.

The neighbors set off to the country, eager to find and split a fortune in gold, but also aware of the necessity to report whatever they may find to the authorities, having the right to keep just 30% of its value. So, Adrian’s plan consists of selling the gold to the gypsies who would melt it, evaporating any trace of its provenience.
Once arrived at the place, they are joined by Cornel, whose character clashes with Adrian's. An eternity goes by just to read the detector’s data and to discuss what are the chances of the beeps coming from the device refer to gold, silver, copper, or aluminum.

The plain, absurdist script contains a few wry commentaries on politics, economics, and history, keeping the film minimally interesting. However, the dragging excavation and the moments that preceded it were a bit discouraging in terms of fluidity, almost putting me to sleep before the ultimate stimulus.

Aferim! (2015)

Directed by Radu Jude
Country: Romania / others

Wittily co-written and passionately directed by Radu Jude, “Aferim!”, is an extremely entertaining historical adventure, set in Eastern Europe in 1835, that gallops at an effortless pace and carries death, sickness, greediness, and punishment in considerable amounts to grab your senses in several ways.

The filming locations are superb, providing the perfect background for the incredible black-and-white canvases created under the supervision of the competent director of photography, Marius Panduru. This prophetic manhunt, occurring in the idyllic surroundings of Romania’s Wallachia, is simultaneously eventful, chatty, outlandish, and grotesque in its very own way. Its characters are wonderfully sarcastic, moving in idiotic, toadying, and peremptory manners that can be considered equally stupid and funny.

The tale follows Wallachia’s constable, Costandin (Teodor Corban), a preachy lawkeeper who sets off on a peculiar journey, crossing the borders of his dominion in the company of his only son, Ionita (Mihai Comanoiu), to chase down Carfin (Toma Cuzin), a gipsy slave on the run, who was accused not only of stealing from his master, the wrathful boyar, Iordache Cindescu (Alexandru Dabija), but also of sleeping with his wife. Costandin boasts about being just and honest, always having words of wisdom on the tip of his tongue for each situation, and trying to instill the same astute spirit in his nitwitted son, who plays the innocent observer and learner. However, the truth is very far from what Costandin shows off. Along the journey he accepts bribes to let go the wrong man caught; he helps a Catholic priest and agrees with his chauvinistic sermon against all nations except Romania; he leaves a wounded man dying in the middle of the forest, stating that fear is a God’s gift; he negotiates outside the law with rulers and informers; he then kidnaps and sells a frightened kid who’s fed up of being beaten up by his masters; he urges his son to go with a whore after promising to drown him in the case he’s a sodomite; and finally, he returns the innocent Gipsy to the boyar, who castrates him in front of everybody.

For different reasons, the film’s tones brought to my mind the Hungarian classic, “The Red and the White”, and the Russian “Hard to be a God”, which are denser and less fluid than this one. Almost insultingly, Mr. Jude builds a hilarious satire that unreservedly mocks the human values, ethnicities, and the society itself. Pleasurable for the viewer, this manhunt ends up in a disillusion for the protagonists.

White Gate (2014)

Directed by: Nicolae Margineanu
Country: Romania

Movie Review: The mischaracterized “White Gate”, directed by the veteran Nicolae Margineanu, was supported by true events in order to examine the fates of three Romanian youngsters who, in a desperate attempt to flee the communist regime of their country, resolve to swim across the Danube. The year is 1949, and the unhesitating carpenter, Ninel, was the one who came up with the idea, persuading the siblings Adrian and Anuca to follow him. On the shore, behind tall vegetation, ravenous mosquitoes bite them while they wait for the dusk to sneak into the water. Halfway, they were spotted by a patrol boat and told to surrender, facing the possibility of being shot dead. Adrian and Ninel are captured and taken to Poarta Alba (White Gate), a forced labor camp where they’re assigned to work in the construction of the Danube-Black Sea Canal, while Anuca disappears in the waters. The harsh working conditions of the camp supervised by ruthless criminals who had been promoted to brigadiers, drive them close to insanity. The film takes most of its time building the usual sadistic tortures inflicted to the undisciplined workers, together with the negligence of the communist authorities in regard to illness and exhaustion. Margineanu presents all of this in a classic black-and-white that tries to recreate the period when the events took place. At the beginning, a briefly colored scene introduces religious components into the story, when we are told that a fresco, exhibiting Baby Jesus wearing a typical labor-camp vestment, was found in a Bucharest church. This aspect is reinforced, but not totally succeeded, with the presence of an inscrutable monk among the inmates. Another character that is given prominence but fails to engage is Petre, a poet who can’t refrain himself from writing ‘forbidden’ poetry. This historical illustration assuredly condemns the vile regime and honors its victims, however, the trite approach, elementary production values, and impersonal execution, shove it into delicate territory.

Child's Pose (2013)

Directed by: Calin Peter Netzer
Country: Romania

Movie Review: I was not wrong in expecting quality in “Child’s Pose”, since its script was written by creative Razvan Radulescu, co-writer of “The Death Of Mr. Lazarescu” and “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”. Built with well-worked dialogues and severe postures (nobody smiles here), the story follows Cornelia, a super-protective mother who lives to control her adult son, Barbu. When the latter kills a humble 14-year-old boy in a car accident due to excessive speed driving, she will use her high-society connections and influence to assure that every report and witnesses’ statements would be altered favorably. The title of the movie is quite explanatory, since Barbu is nothing more than a spoiled and irresponsible man who needs desperately her mother to cover up his reckless deeds but at the same time is completely suffocated by her obsessive control. Therefore, “Child’s Pose” works simultaneously as a compelling character study and poignant criticism of a decaying society where the power of money and socialite connections see no limits. Cornelia’s contempt regarding the victim’s family was outrageous and was able to infuriate me. However, an ambivalent finale expects you to make your own judgment of the situation. Netzer’s direct approach and shaken zooming camera not always led to good results, but the story was too interesting, for us to bother with it. The film won this year’s Golden Berlin Bear and counted with an inspired performance by Luminita Gheorghiu.

Somewhere in Palilula (2012)

Directed by: Silviu Purcarete
Country: Romania

Movie Review: Awaited with great expectation by the fans of Silviu Purcarete, a renowned Romanian opera and theater director, “Somewhere In Palilula” didn’t disappoint, bringing a stirring story that works as a satire of the Romanian medical profession. Dr. Serafim is a fresh pediatrician who accepts a job in the phantasmagoric Palilula, a small city known for not having children, all killed at birth by the recently deceased Dr. Pantelica. In difficult times, where food was a whim and drink was a must, doctors and patients were immersed in alcohol and smoke, slowly pushing the unbusy Serafim for a life of excesses and debauchery. After a fast introduction, we get to know all the characters a bit closer: Dr. Gogu, a black man beloved by all women in town; Dr. Ilie, a choleric drunkard; the toothless and passionate Virgil; Barza, a rich Italian frog-seller; the spooky and newly arrived Kiki; negligent Leonardo and his heartless superior; a woman who turns man every half-moon nights; and many more. With a bold and stylish approach, Purcarete presents us insanity everywhere with appealing hints of surrealism, creating this way a disconcerting atmosphere of eccentricity that comes very close to Peter Greenaway’s works. Its bizarreness and dark humor fits as a glove in a mockery with social and political considerations. The only setback is that the film runs for too long, always with a lavish cinematography whose intensity sometimes becomes exhausting.

Domestic (2012)

Directed by: Adrian Sitaru
Country: Romania

Review: “Domestic” is a Romanian comedy with touches of drama, which tries to create funny scenarios of homely coexistence between people and animals. Divided in two different parts that I couldn’t differentiate in terms of relevance and interest, the film is a muddle of parents-sons relationships, collected animals, law matters, reconciliations, death, and many unconnected dialogues among family members, which involve UFO’s, technology, tourism, religious matters, odd dreams, and many more. Sitaru’s way of filmmaking wasn't unfavorable, reminding me the 80’s, but the floating concept used in the plot could have been funnier if not so insistent on continual discussions between kids and their parents regarding the animals, which vary from rabbits, hens, cats, dogs and pigeons. In these discussions, everybody speaks at the same time, creating a surprising effect at first, but soon becoming annoying. Adrift and lacking real funny moments, “Domestic” showed dispersion on its characters’ delineation, leaving me in a state of apathy most of the time. This tale of life and death is nothing but a Noah’s ark condemned to sink.

Everybody In Our Family (2012)

Directed by: Radu Jude
Country: Romania / Netherlands

Review: “Everybody In Our Family” belongs to those typical Romanian films with lots of tension, quarrels, and action, where nobody is innocent, and madness takes possession of its characters. The story follows Marius, an unstable dental technician, who leads a disorganized life after having lost his wife to her accountant, as well as the custody of his five year-old daughter Sofia. However, having the right to spend some time with Sofia, he planned a holiday trip to the seaside with her. But things go wrong from the beginning, first when he asks for his dad's car, and then when he went to his ex-mother-in-law’s place to fetch his daughter. The film has plenty of funny situations, even when the verbal excesses and aggressions take hold of the story. Its dysfunctional characters were very well conceived, often sulking, accusing themselves, and evincing deranged behaviors. A strong scene is when Marius, completely out of his mind, starts to tell his daughter what he thinks about her mom, who was tied and gagged in front of them along with her new boyfriend. What started as a plausible family drama, ended up in a battlefield, with hostages, police involved, and a lot of turmoil. “Everybody In Our Family” never discards its frantic rhythm, being filled with poignant humor and extremely entertaining situations; some of them are stupid and exaggerated, but entertaining anyway. Impeccable direction and acting, in one of the craziest movies of the year.

Beyond The Hills (2012)

Directed by: Cristian Mungiu
Country: Romania / France / Belgium

Review: Cristian Mungiu’s new feature film is a tale of obsessive love and religious mysticism. Voichita and Alina were best friends but eventually their lives went separate ways. The former sought refuge in an Orthodox convent, while the latter went to Germany to work in a bar. Years later, in Romania, they will realize that their relationship was not as before. Jealousy, faith and exorcism, are hot topics depicted here. “Beyond The Hills” is absorbing, evincing a grey temper that reminded me Bruno Dumont’s approach in “Hors Satan”, yet without being so aggressive. Skillfully framed, Mungiu showed to be consistent with a steady or moving camera, as the case demanded. The absence of music was not surprising, in a movie that doesn’t attain the immediate fascination of  “4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days”, yet still shows a powerful determination and credible performances during its 150 minutes.

Of Snails And Men (2012)

Directed by: Tudor Giurgiu
Country: Romania

Review: “Of Snails And Men” is a Romanian comedy that tries to gain our sympathy through the habitual political mockery and social criticism. A factory is about to be privatized in a business involving a French company whose main activity is selling snail cans. George, one of the workers, struggles with despair and comes with a possible solution: trying to persuade all his co-workers to donate sperm, collecting the money needed to save the factory. Crossed romances and popular soundtrack, complete the parody – Michael Jackson Tour, Julio Iglesias’ karaoke moment and many representative Romanian songs gave a good contribution to animate the atmosphere. “Of Snails And Men” is a mildly funny political satire that delivers some dose of good-disposition despite the sadness hidden in its story.

Wedding In Bessarabia (2009)

Directed by: Nap Toader
Country: Romania

Plot: Love and wedding business in the time of transition.

Review: Presented with a big dose of irony, “wedding at Bessarabia” is a well-disposed movie that parodies with the possible motives for a Romanian boy to get married with a Moldavian girl. All this happens in Bessarabia, a region of Eastern Europe that once was dominated by the soviets, and for several years was disputed between Romania and Moldova. The wedding has its peak with the lemon dance, but also contains other points of interest - the suspicion involving each family; a best man with a forbidden passion for the bride; and a lot of inspired jokes concerning the economical situation - are some of them. Despite of a finale in need of better inspiration, this is a lively movie.

Relevant awards: -