The Happiest Girl in the World (2009)

Delia, a young Romanian girl, drives to Bucharest with her parents to collect a prize she won in a contest.

Director:

Radu Jude

Writers:

Radu Jude, Augustina Stanciu

Stars:

Andreea Bosneag, Violeta Haret-Popa, Vasile Muraru

7 wins & 11 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Andreea Bosneag	...	Delia Cristina Fratila
Violeta Haret-Popa	...	Mrs. Fratila (as Violeta Haret)
Vasile Muraru	...	Mr. Fratila
Serban Pavlu	...	Director
Andi Vasluianu	...	Cinematographer
Diana Gheorghian	...	Producer
Alexandru Georgescu	...	The client
Petre Constantin Bombardel
Luminita Stoianovici	...	Gabi - make-up artist
Doru Catanescu	...	Mr. Arvunescu
Bogdan Marhodin	...	Viorel
Cristina Serbu
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Claudiu Dumitru	...	Banel
Marian Pîrvu	...	Recuziter 2

Storyline

Delia, a young Romanian girl, comes to Bucharest with her parents to collect a prize she has won in a contest organized by a soft-drinks company. The prize is a beautiful new car. All Delia has to do now is appear in front of the camera in a commercial. All goes well until it becomes clear that Delia and her parents have very different ideas about what to do with the new car. Meanwhile, the contest's sponsor needs a radiant prize-winner with a gleaming smile. A wicked satire and a psychological portrait of a society perverted by its slavery to capitalism and consumerism.

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Plot Keywords:

new car | mother daughter relationship | makeup | lottery | juice | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Drama

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Did You Know?

Goofs

When the family reaches the filming site, they park their car in the parking lot near the fountain, next to the faculty of Architecture. But when the girl has a fight with her dad, and finally accepts to sign for the papers to sell the car, the car is parked near the filming site, next to the sidewalk.

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Connections

References Reconstruction (1968)

User Reviews

Winning isn't everything

The film starts as a girl and her parents are driving to Bucharest. The girl is going there because she sent in a number of labels from some juice bottles and won a car that she is now supposed to collect. Part of the contract is that she agrees to be an actor in a commercial the juice seller is making, so she's a little nervous.

Using a very small cast this film uses this girl and the car she won as the backing line for a couple extra tangents. It makes for a very interesting combination - small, simple, completely believable and totally adorable.

The lead (and title) character being a somewhat insecure girl in her late teens comes across as a typical teenager - strong willed, happy to do what she's being told (as long as it helps her to get where she wants) and a volatile barrel of emotions. She's the anchor that keeps the film in place and the actress playing her pulls it off very well. The added story arcs complete the film and give room for a nice pace.

All in all, very enjoyable.

8 out of 10 shots taken.

Details

Country:

Romania Netherlands France Japan

Language:

Romanian

Release Date:

8 May 2009 (Romania)

Also Known As:

The Happiest Girl in the World

Filming Locations:

Romania

Box Office

Budget:

EUR650,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$9,998

Company Credits

Production Co:

HI Film Productions, Circe Films, Romania Film

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min 100 min 99 min (Buenos Aires Festival Internacional de Cine Independiente)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1