The Happiest Girl in the World

I saw this Romanian film at Berlinale and was amazed at how much it achieves with a simple plot and a very limited budget. The film follows Delia, a teenage girl who, after winning a brand new car in some kind of sweepstakes held by a fruit juice brand, has to film a fruit juice commercial in which she has to introduce herself as the winner - the happiest girl in the world, and drink a bottle of advertised juice. That's it as much as the plot is concerned basically, and though it sounds trivial, it is at times hilarious and at times very dramatic. The director based the film after his own experience when shooting a similar commercial with a somewhat difficult girl. He uses long static takes that seemed like a bit of a gimmick at first, but after seeing the excellent actors go at each other in the more dramatic scenes, I completely forgot about it and it made perfect sense to let them do it all in one take.

So long story short, it's a great simple film that really engaged me at the dramatic parts while still making me laugh out loud a lot. See it if you get a chance!

'This is who we are!'. This is the message that film director Radu Jude repeats obsessively in all his films. He puts an uncomfortable mirror in the face of the sometimes unwilling Romanian spectators, bound to face unpleasant truths about the Romanian society today, about the more recent or the more distant history, about the prejudices against those living alongside the Romanians in the same country and the discrimination generated by these prejudices, about ignorance and its effects in the Romanian present. His recent films have produced, with no exception, controversies in his country along with appreciations and prizes abroad. "The Happiest Girl in the World", Radu Jude's debut feature film already contains all these elements.

Made in 2009, Radu Jude's film has many elements specific to the minimalist trend in Romanian cinema in the first decade of the millennium, but already contains the elements that will enable him and his colleagues to overcome the patterns imposed by their own success. The story in the movie is simple, the action taking place in one afternoon. Delia, an 18-year-old from the province has won a car at the draw of a soft drinks company. Together with her parents she comes to Bucharest to film a commercial ad in the center of the city, in the University Square. Her win is the family's chance to break the vicious circle of poverty by selling the car and investing money to start a tourist hostel. The sale of the car, however, blows the dreams of the girl, for whom it is more important to the enjoy the status of driving a dream car and spending a holiday together with a girlfriend. Mercantile dreams in a mercantile reality, that of the transition Romania.

Radu Jude manages to concentrate in the 99-minute film, much of it filmed in the same place very familiar to those living in Bucharest, much of the essence of the Romanian society two decades after the change of regime: lack of moral compass, mercantilism, lack of hope, cultural conflicts between the center and the rest of the country . He is helped by good acting, especially Andreea Bosneag's role as Delia and Serban Pavlu as the director in a supporting role. The main problem of the film is that none of the characters succeed in gaining the audience's empathy. Even Delia finally appears more like a manipulator who poses in the victim, although her character, a girl born around the time of the revolution, would be the least responsible for what happens to her. The mirror set by the director in front of the spectators wants to be straight and ruthless, but the lack of characters with which viewers can identify is diminishing from the power of the film and the efficiency of the message.

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.

Sadly I completely disagree with the previous comment. This pathetic excuse for a movie was poorly shot and edited, with a weak - or rather -non-existent story line. Better suited to be a work of a film student in his or her first year, not a feature film representing Romanian cinematography worldwide. Could possibly make a decent short film... Or a TV film... if the story were expanded and more characterisation added. Zero portrayal of the Romanian society's struggle with consumerism, which theme it purports to tackle, or any broader social commentary that a viewer may relate to. The original idea was good maybe but in no way viable enough for a full-blown feature. Don't waste your time! The first time ever when I wanted to ask for my money back at the cinema...

Nice scenery and interesting camerawork, also the clothing was made nicely. Actors were good enough, but not good enough to carry through the moss of boredom.

The story was too weak for a full feature film, in my opinion, and I found myself wishing the movie would end already at around 60 minutes mark, so I couldn't possibly recommend this for anymore as it is.

If it was made into a mediometraggio form, it could've worked. Now it was just tedious and boring.

And to think this film was nominated for editing?