This was a friend's reaction after watching the movie...I can't really compare films like that, but it seemed fair to quote him...the comments on this site don't do justice...
"Cum mi-am..." is indeed a magnificent film. It's not a political movie. It's not a social movie. It's just about childhood, wonderful, happy childhood, the trips and twists of a kid's mind in a period of turmoil (the last year of communism in Romania).
The movie surprised me in so many respects...
First of all, Catalin Mitulescu succeeded in making romanians actors to really create something...I have seen in this movie Grigore Gonta ("Ceausila")acting good! It's such an achievement, most of the people who read this will not understand it, but I have seen Gonta in so many theatre performances and he was horribile always, yet Mitulescu managed to make him act! He also 'ressurected' Jean Constantin, a tremendously gifted actor who was type-casted for his entire career in silly comedies.
Every actor in the movie is good. Finally I watched a romanian movie that was not gimped by performances, but enhanced by them!
The whole movie has a richness in details...It has a feeling that will remind you of "Once upon a time in America", or "Cinema Paradiso", and even your own childhood...It has a warmth that will leave you with a delicate tenderness...
And the shots...Some beautifully composed, some very rough and direct. Conceptually speaking, Panduru's work with the cameras is by far the most interesting in this part of the world. Huge talent, so masterfully put to use by Catalin Mitulescu.
Just go and see the movie!
It's not 'another romanian movie where we see life is bad there'.
"Cum mi-am..." is indeed a magnificent film. It's not a political movie. It's not a social movie. It's just about childhood, wonderful, happy childhood, the trips and twists of a kid's mind in a period of turmoil (the last year of communism in Romania).
The movie surprised me in so many respects...
First of all, Catalin Mitulescu succeeded in making romanians actors to really create something...I have seen in this movie Grigore Gonta ("Ceausila")acting good! It's such an achievement, most of the people who read this will not understand it, but I have seen Gonta in so many theatre performances and he was horribile always, yet Mitulescu managed to make him act! He also 'ressurected' Jean Constantin, a tremendously gifted actor who was type-casted for his entire career in silly comedies.
Every actor in the movie is good. Finally I watched a romanian movie that was not gimped by performances, but enhanced by them!
The whole movie has a richness in details...It has a feeling that will remind you of "Once upon a time in America", or "Cinema Paradiso", and even your own childhood...It has a warmth that will leave you with a delicate tenderness...
And the shots...Some beautifully composed, some very rough and direct. Conceptually speaking, Panduru's work with the cameras is by far the most interesting in this part of the world. Huge talent, so masterfully put to use by Catalin Mitulescu.
Just go and see the movie!
It's not 'another romanian movie where we see life is bad there'.