Police, Adjective (2009) Politist, adjectiv (original title)

Director:

Corneliu Porumboiu

Writer:

Corneliu Porumboiu (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 July 2009 (Romania)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Plot:

A police officer refuses to arrest a young man for offering drugs to his friends.

Plot Keywords:

Police | Police Officer | Romania | Marijuana | Prosecutor

Awards:

10 wins & 5 nominations

Cast

Dragos Bucur	...	Cristi
Vlad Ivanov	...	Anghelache
Ion Stoica	...	Nelu
Irina Saulescu	...	Anca
Cerasela Trandafir	...	Gina
Marian Ghenea	...	Prosecutor
Cosmin Selesi	...	Costi
Serban Georgevici	...	Sica
George Remes	...	Vali
Adina Dulcu	...	Dana
Dan Cogalniceanu	...	Gica
Costi Dita	...	Officer on Duty
Alexandru Sabadac	...	Alex
Anca Diaconu	...	Doina
Radu Costin	...	Victor
Viorel Nebunu	...	Alex's Father
Emanoela Tigla	...	Alex's Mother
Daniel Bîrsan	...	Barman
Mioara Bungeanu	...	Shopkeeper

Directed by
Corneliu Porumboiu

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Corneliu Porumboiu		screenplay

Produced by
Corneliu Porumboiu	....	producer
Marcela Ursu	....	executive producer

Cinematography by
Marius Panduru

Film Editing by
Roxana Szel

Production Design by
Mihaela Poenaru

Costume Design by
Georgiana Bostan		(as Giorgiana Bostan)

Makeup Department
Cristina Ilie	....	make-up artist

Production Management
Sorina Dumitru	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Alexandru Belc	....	assistant director
Adina Dulcu	....	assistant director
Cristi Iftime	....	assistant director
Mihai Sofronea	....	first assistant director
Alexandru Vitzentzatos	....	assistant director

Art Department
Cosmin Brezuica	....	props
Paul Dinescu	....	props
Negoita Mihai	....	props (as Mihai Negoita)
Eugen Pisau	....	props
Adrian Sofran	....	property master

Sound Department
Alex Dragomir	....	sound (as Alexandru Dragomir)
Christian Mike Sugar	....	sound recordist
Attila Tõzsér	....	sound re-recording mixer
Sebastian Zsemlye	....	sound

Camera and Electrical Department
Nica Constantin	....	focus puller (as Costel Nica)
Dinu Costel	....	gaffer (as Costel Dinu)
Sebastian Imbrea	....	grip
Cristi Lupu	....	camera mechanic

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Monica Florescu	....	costume assistant

Editorial Department
Dana Cioplea	....	negative cutter
Mariana Cosor	....	negative cutter
Catalin Miloiu	....	telecine colorist

Transportation Department
Sorin Aftene	....	driver: film
Ionut Buburuz	....	driver: crew
Nicolae Chioveanu	....	driver: prop van
Dorel Dohotaru	....	driver
Ion Gramaticu	....	driver: production van
Daniel Haba	....	driver: actors
Beatrice Popa	....	transport coordinator

Other crew
Sergiu Balan	....	runner
Roxana Comes	....	production secretary
Dragos Gîlea	....	production assistant
Adriana Mînoru	....	production coordinator: Kodak Cinelabs Romania
Marius Pandelea	....	consultant
Marius Pandelea	....	location manager
Mihai Tirziman	....	production assistant
Eliza Tolu	....	customer service representative
Maria Voican	....	lawyer

Thanks
Naeif Abugamea	....	thanks: Minimarket Asia
Petru Asmarandei	....	thanks
Nuta Baetu	....	thanks
Nica Bocu	....	thanks: Vaslui County Council
Marcel Bot	....	thanks: S.C. MIRCO ITALIA S.R.L.
Valeriu Caragata	....	thanks: Vaslui Municipal Council
Mihai Carp	....	thanks: Vaslui County Police Inspectorate
Florin Ciurariu	....	thanks: Vaslui County School Inspectorate
Radu Corozel	....	thanks: Vaslui County Police Inspectorate
Aurora Cracea	....	thanks
Cornel Cracea	....	thanks
The Vieru Family	....	thanks
Aurel Felincioiu	....	thanks
Constantin Galescu	....	thanks: Vaslui Municipal Police
Laurentiu Maxim	....	thanks: Viitorul Vaslui Sport Club
Vasile Mihalachi	....	thanks: Vaslui County Council
Laurentiu Morosanu	....	thanks: Vaslui County Police Inspectorate
Baclea Nicusor	....	thanks: Vaslui County Police Inspectorate
Sorin Oprea	....	thanks: General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Antiterrorism
Vasile Paval	....	thanks: Vaslui Municipal Council
Thierry Perronnet	....	thanks
Gheorghe Popa	....	thanks: Vaslui County Police Inspectorate
Claudiu Rapa-Haj	....	thanks: Vaslui Municipal Police
George Sava	....	thanks: Vaslui Municipal Police
Manuel Stamate	....	thanks: Vaslui Municipal Police
Aurora Stefan	....	thanks
Dragos Sterian	....	thanks: Bar Magnolia
Laurentiu Turbatu	....	thanks: Vaslui Communal Police

Production Companies

• 42 Km Film
• Periscop Film
• Racova (in collaboration with)
• Raza Studio (in collaboration with)
• HBO (support)

Distributors

• Artificial Eye (2009) (UK) (theatrical)
• Babilla Ciné (2009) (Colombia) (theatrical)
• Cinemania Group (2009) (Slovenia) (theatrical)
• Discovery Film & Video Distribution (2009) (Croatia) (theatrical)
• Eye Film Instituut (2010) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmmuseum Distributie (2009) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Filmswelike (2009) (Canada) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2009) (Japan) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2009) (USA) (theatrical)
• IFC Films (2009) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Look Now! (2009) (Switzerland) (theatrical)
• Lumière (2009) (Belgium) (theatrical)
• Nutopia (2009) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Peripher (2012) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Primer Plano Film Group (2010) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Zootrope Films (2010) (France) (theatrical)
• novemberfilm (2009) (Sweden) (theatrical)
• Imovision (2009) (Brazil) (all media)
• Transeuropa Video Entertainment (TVE) (2011) (Argentina) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Color Front Budapesta  Dolby Digital mixing
• Comguard  thanks
• Comprest  thanks
• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix
• Exit Films 2002  casting
• General Directorate for Combating Organized Crime and Antiterrorism  thanks
• Ilvas  thanks
• Kodak Cinelabs Romania  post-production
• MOPAN  thanks
• Racova  accommodations provided by
• Racova  catering provided by
• Racova  thanks
• Raza Studio  sound editing and pre-mixing services
• Romanian National Center for Cinematography  funding
• Step 1 Media Agency  extras casting
• Ulerom  thanks
• Vaslui Communal Police  thanks
• Vaslui County Council  thanks
• Vaslui County Police Inspectorate  thanks
• Vaslui County School Inspectorate  thanks
• Vaslui Municipal Council  thanks
• Vaslui Municipal Police  thanks

Also Known As:

"Politist, adjectiv" - Romania (original title)

Runtime:

France:115 min | USA:113 min | Argentina:115 min

Country:

Romania

Language:

Romanian

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Canada:14A (Ontario) | Canada:G (British Columbia) | Netherlands:6 | Argentina:13 | Sweden:Btl

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

42 Km Film

Trivia:

Romania's official submission to 82nd Academy Award's Foreign Language in 2010.

Soundtrack:

Ce seara minunata

Police, subjective.

In "Police, Adjective", Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu devotes himself to the story of a small town cop reluctant of busting a minor for endorsing hashish with friends. Although vague at first, we learn that the civil police Cristi is having an unease conscience about nailing the young man, which may inflict seven years in prison for what Cristi believes to be a petty crime that will – soon enough – be looked upon more liberated. Throughout pic we follow his daily routines and interactions in the downbeat and austere town of Vaslui, including scenes of parodic bureaucracy and laudable lengthy takes.

"Police, Adjective" is admittedly in many ways difficult to interpret. The first half of the film deals with classic police work (classic as in reality, not classic as in previously depicted on film) including Cristi's pursuit of suspects and filing reports. For an audience used to clustered action flicks, this may seem as tedious and unbearable to endure. From a more objective perspective, I find it somewhat original and daring. This course of the film is harmless, it is on the contrary a certain, yet inevitable cul-de-sac initiated by a mere typo, that pushes it in a slightly too academic stand. On the other hand, it could also be considered an ironic twist when deciding how Cristi's moral dilemmas should be solved.

One of the more unfortunate aspects of Porumboiu's directing, in particular substantial for "Police, Adjective" but nonetheless equally visible in previous film "12:08 East of Bucharest", is that the (black) humor sometimes may appear so subtle that when juxtaposed to foreigners it can be completely lost (in translation.)

Watching Porumboiu's battle between an objective and supreme law versus Cristi's subjective conscientious law is evidently quite fascinating, despite being a bit too submissive at times.