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Reviews
Cum mi-am petrecut sfârsitul lumii (2006)
How I Celebrated the End of this movie
First of all I heart about the content of this movie from the trailer, and I thought "there is a brilliant idea concerning a kid who's going to assassinate Ceasescu". Of course I expected to find out a metaphorical ending. Then I saw Dorothea Petre in "Rhina" and I expected more from her.
Sick and tired of Daneliuc's absurd and Pita's imagistics I hoped that Cristi Puiu's success with "Moartea Domnului Lazarescu" might open the door for many romanian directors willing to cross over the 80's. Unfortunately "Cum mi-am petrecut sfarsitul lumii" wasn't anything else than a disappointment. I could easily understand this movie as a chronicle, but finally, it wanted more. I only found a new director trying to copy Jarmusch and in a wrong manner Kieslowski. The single metaphor of the movie is the big chewing gum balloon, that reminded me of Pink Floyd's symbols of estrangement, which wasn't able to find its place in a concrete film. How I Celebrated the End of the World is the end of coloquial jokes, the end of apparent happiness and a triumph of communication breakdown. The heroes do not speak, after 90 minutes you find nothing more about them than you knew in the beginning. Full of short cuts, "Cum mi-am petrecut sfarsitul lumii" follows its simple story filling in all this time with useless scenes of a suburban Bucharest. During one hour we have: a boyfriend, rebellion out of nothing (accidental hooliganism against one of Ceausescu's statue), expel, sickness, a new school, a new friend, a baptism, an "undercover" securitate neighbour, the temptation of illegal crossing the Danube. From now on, things are said, we quickly find that the small brother is going to assassinate Ceausescu, out of nothing, and surrounded by a lack of communication. Even if a youngster in the 80's, I can remember the jokes and the general discontent of the masses. In this movie the is no relation between poverty and rebellion, between the old world ending and the new one, being born.
I am not able to understand what good in casting Mircea Diaconu, a brilliant actor in an invisible role, same as Jean Constantin, full of feelings and expression if you don't lean on their performance. They could easily save this movie, but unfortunately this din't happen. It was such a big waste. As for the young actors, nobody was allowed" to act, they only contributed phisically to this movie.
The single good thing that happened in this movie was the music, Alexander Balanescu is once again great, composing and singing a thrilling and obsessing score. As for the "single" Tara noastra, I am afraid it happened the same phenomenon as for Noi in anul 2000 from "Occident". Just an old song, fastening the heart beats for all nostalgics.
Once again, I am tempted to consider Cristi Puiu and Nae Caramfil the best Romanian directors of the moment. "Cum mi-am petrecut sfarsitul lumii" is only a lucky movie, with a fine script idea, but just this. Nothing more! No wonder Wim Wenders and Martin Scorsese produced din movie, seduced off course by the project, the perspective offered by a kid who's going to assassinate Ceausescu in the very day the Romanian revolution irrupts. Such a pity the collective soul doesn't react properly and the whole moment lasts only a couple of minutes.
We have good actors, I might say brilliant actors, but absolutely chaotic directors and "Cum mi-am petrecut sfarsitul lumii" is the best proof. The difference between Catalin Mitulescu and Cristi Puiu is that Puiu dares to be himself, Mitulescu is still governed by Jarmusch without noticing the impossibility to do a Jarmusch movie without a proper school and concept. Not every raw movie is a Jarmusch movie.
I hope Mitulescu's next movie will not be another disappointment, though I think it would be better not to release another movie.
Rocky Balboa (2006)
Stallone at his best as a director!
I have seen the all 5 Rocky movies, from III starting to get bored because of the recipe. The latest, "Rocky Balboa" is by far a nice study on Philadelphia night feelings and regrets. Such a pity this movie had to explode and to fulfill the spaces of a not important boxing match, Stallone could have go on with his study without any explanations. Not wanting to praise too much Stallone as a director and script writter, it's impossible not to notice an European direction towards analysis and human feellings. Balboa is a good friend and sportsman. He is the leader of the pack, and not a VIP. He is not a lover, and no trace of Rambo, thanks God.
I hope there will not be a Rocky Balboa II, but I strongly wish Stallone could film a sequel, on his son and on his nowadays problems, just a simple European movie. It would be fabulous. Stallone is now a mature director and the best is yet to come.
Moartea domnului Lazarescu (2005)
Nice people, bad karma
Somebody said this is the best Romanian movie ever made. Not true. This is one of the greatest Romanian movies, and perhaps the best Romanian movie from a nonpolitical point of view. In "Moartea Domnului Lazarescu" for the first time in 16 years nobody puts the blame on a president, on a party or on "the Romanian fatalist model". Perhaps it sounds strange but it's true. Ignoring the end of the movie, it looks a lot like Frank Capra's "Live is Beautiful". There are things in life nobody can change, and this happens in Cristi Puiu's movie too. It's hard to work when everyone sleeps, especially when it doesn't depend only on you. People are kind, funny, natural in "Moartea Domnului Lazarescu", except karma. You can't fight against it.
Ion Fiscuteanu is perfect, Monica Dean (Barladeanu) is decent.
Ignoring the simple story and the innuendos of a road movie "Moartea Domnului Lazarescu" is also a biblical cover, more exactly, Mr. Lazarescu is Lazarus and Mioara, the nurse on the ambulance is Mary.
A movie about The One who started a joke and the others who have to end it, telling the naked truth!