Marius_Stan Reviews

5 Minutes Too Late (2019)

We are all right and wrong at the same time

[9/10 · 30 January 2021]

-Plot: A tenacious journalist hunts the leader of a local police squad accused of inaction at an LGBT event in Bucharest. -A captivating movie that kept me on the edge of my sit. Congratulations, Dan Chisu! -Powerful, well established characters and excellent acting: Major Nicu Holban (Mihai Calin), journalist Liliana Calomfir (Diana Cavallioti), Coman (Emanuel Parvu) and Anca (Ana Radu, only 17 at the time of the filming). -Good script by Dan Chisu, with several themes woven into a colorful rug: the conflict between generations, the relationship with authority, attitudes toward homosexuality, the importance of tolerance, the depth of religion, various forms of love ... -Being right feels good. With the flag of righteousness in hand, various characters stump on law and morals, hurting love ones and themselves. -Several good final scenes in a quick succession. I thought: "What a good ending! But wait, this next scene is even better! OK, this is the real ending." -A movie about imperfection. -Quality cinematography by Adrian Silisteanu and editing by Letitia Stefanescu. It felt like a live news broadcast: dynamic, gripping. -What a difference 5 MINUTES can make! (?) -Let's go to the movies!

Being Romanian: A Family Journal (2018)

If your name ends in ESCU, then you are Romanian. If not, that's OK.

[7/10 · 30 January 2021]

-Plot: Serban Georgescu tells his daughter the story of the Romanian people, touching upon customs, clothing, rural vs urban life, music, religion, politics ... -Good cast of kind, smart and good-humored Romanians: Ioana Parvulescu, Mihaela Miroiu, Sorin Ionita, Stelian Tanase, Theodor Paleologu and Vintila Mihailescu. -A documentary made with love and respect; I tip my hat to Serban Georgescu. -Ceausescu fell because daily life was miserable and the TV program was too short. -Outstanding collage of pictures and video clips from the old days. Kind of disorganized but then memory is randomly allocated. -Very little about the post-revolutionary Romania (after 1989). Risky. -Ceausescu fell because the electricity went out during soccer games. -Rural and urban Romania are slowly merging: electronic devices conquer the countryside and folk inspired fashion conquers the cities. -Good final scene: it is all in our mind! -Ceausescu fell because Romanians had enough. -Let's go to the movies!

The Cardinal (2019)

Never give in, never give up!

[8/10 · 30 January 2021]

-Plot: In the 1950s, a group of Greek-Catholic leaders is imprisoned at Sighet (Romania) and asked to convert to Eastern-Orthodoxy. -Good, complex script by Bogdan Toma, the right mixture of history and fiction. -A broad collection of wooden languages: the communists', the Securitatea's, the prison leaders', the soldiers', the Greek-Catholic clergy's, the Vatican envoy's, etc. Furthermore, the language used by Episcope Hossu (masterfully played by Radu Botar) changes from 1918 to 1950 to 1976. -What am I ready to give up for a just cause? Not easy to answer. I guess ... time. -Well edited. There is a scene in the prison hallway where after all have left the camera lingers by an interior gate for a few seconds, not too many, not too few, just enough to convey the loneliness and the despair. -Body pain goes down while praying. Including someone else's pain. -When I was a teenager, I had a secret "screen crush" on Maria Ploae. After decades, I found her as beautiful and as good of an actress as ever. -Nicolae Margineanu directed an impressive movie, a work of art. -Let's go to the movies!

Parking (I) (2019)

In pursuit of happiness!

[8/10 · 30 January 2021]

-Plot: Adrian is a Romanian poet who keep trying to make it in Cordova, Spain. He a good poet and a lousy bodyguard. -Message: Love conquers everything! -Maria is warm and beautiful. An OK singer, she is a woman to admire. No, she didn't give birth to Jesus but yes, she restored our faith in humanity. -Tudor Giurgiu is an outstanding director, with a clear vision and a firm hand. -Outstanding directors should avoid car chasing scenes. -I was moved by the love story, the love, and the story. -We learned that parking is always temporary. -Who the heck is fine with living in an uncomfortable, dirty, non-functional, colorless RV planted in a parking lot? Those in pursuit of happiness! -Let's go to the movies!

Alice T. (2018)

About youth, blood and beauty

[10/10 · 21 October 2018]

"All happy families are alike; each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way," wrote Leo Tolstoy. "Give me a T!" recently said a cheerleader. What's in a name, other that vanity? Alice T. could be your daughter or your distant niece or your high school crush. That is the key to this beautiful cinematographic masterwork: it is about you and yours. The movie is carried by Andra Guti and Mihaela Sirbu. The young and beautiful Ms. Guti is showing it all: her inexperience, her mischievousness and her genuine joy of life. Rarely one can witness the cruel effects of socially unacceptable conditions on apparently defenseless youth. And then the Mother of all people - especially yours and mine - the Mother who is always ready to defend us all and heal us all, the pinnacle of parental love, masterfully portrayed by Ms. Sirbu in a post-impressionist manner. I cannot explain why I love Cezanne and I cannot explain why I love Mihaela Sirbu but they made such an impression on me. Yes, the movie is dirty: lots of blood and lots of lies. But you have women in your life and they bleed and you still love them. Sometimes even more. As for lying, that is an expertise equally shared by men and women, teenagers and seniors, philosophers and politicians. So go see it and let the story swirl you in. You are up for unexpected rewards.

Two Lottery Tickets (2016)

Two winning lottery tickets

[9/10 · 13 May 2018]

Loosely inspired by Caragiale's play with the same title, the movie is original, captivating and funny. The story of three musketeers searching for a lost lottery ticket morphs into a sweet tale of camaraderie. It is impossible not to like Dinel, played with restrain and hilarious seriousness by Dorian Boguta. What an "air head" for a faithful friend and husband. In contrast, Sile, brought to life by Dragos Bucur, displays a talent for flirting that can only be rooted in years of practice. The trio is completed by Alexandru Papadopol, who delivers the pompous Pompiliu, carefully greasing the complicated mechanism of friendship. Papadopol is outrageously funny either standing behind a glassy door or simply passing by a black and white car. The movie is stolen by the three actors and we unfairly forget the director, cinematographer, editor, and all others. But isn't that a measure of success, to have the story and the characters stand out? Yes it is.

Dogs (2016)

Of men and dogs

[9/10 · 1 May 2018]

How do you handle a pack of barking dogs? The same way you handle a gang of drug dealers. The same way you handle an informant or your girlfriend. Control is the key to this superb quasi-horror movie that starts with the weirdest use of silverware in the history of cinematography and ends with an eviscerated Police (also a dog). It's all about control, about acquiring, maintaining and abusing power. In "Dogs," control of border town smugglers is exerted via verbal and physical terror. The audience however is subjected to a more subtle version of manipulation, via simple questions such as "Did you have a hammer?" We are all under the spell of Bogdan Mirica's brilliance and monitored anger. Mirica doesn't leave anything to chance: he wrote the script, directed, edited and picked up the actors with the talent and fervor of a master creator. And what can I say other than: Terrific movie!

Gheorge Visu carefully constructs a policeman (Hogas) using small gestures and soft syllables, barely moving, calmly shifting the attention to other characters, with a most impressing minimalism and modesty. His exceptional performance is only matched by Vlad Ivanov's portrayal of the smugglers' ring leader Samil, the alpha dog. If there was justice in this world, these two actors would have been already on the front page of international cinema magazines. Dragos Bucur and Raluca Aprodu seem out of place, which is in fact consistent with the nature of their characters - big city people lost in the middle of nowhere.

So, pay attention! Here is what you have to do: buy tickets, go watch this movie, take detailed notes, and then write down two hundred times "I hate dogs!" It is all about control.

Aferim! (2015)

The beautiful and cruel story of Don Quixote of Wallachia

[8/10 · 28 April 2018]

Set in 1835 Wallachia (now southern Romania), approximately half-way in time between Miguel de Cervantes' masterpiece and present day, the film follows Constandin, a bounty hunter, and his son Ionita, as they chase a runaway gypsy slave. And yes, there is a Dulcinea del Toboso, maybe less adored and more punched in the face, and yes, they do stop at the inn, and yes, the combination of Romanian proverbs and down to earth conversations is reminiscent of the Don Quixote-Sancho Panza exchanges. The father and son journey is recreated from historical, literary and musical sources by the Director Radu Jude with creativity, intelligence and obvious sympathy for that part of the world.

Beautifully shot from a necessary distance by Marius Panduru in black and white, the movie smoothly fades in and out of images, thoughts, prejudices and superstitions characteristic of a society marked by poverty, corruption, racism, xenophobia, misogyny, and religious intolerance. Things of the past, one might say, things of the past.

Teodor Corban gives Constandin determination, humor and a certain kindness, mainly directed toward Ionita (a well-cast Mihai Comanoiu) and rarely toward the gypsy slave Carfin (Toma Cuzin, in a convincing role). Mihale Sirbu and her tormented character Sultana skillfully navigate the dangerous waters of passion and fear, especially in the menacing presence of boyar Iordache (Alexandru Dabija). In a deceptively easy role, Alexandru Bindea portrays a Priest who summarizes the mentalities of the time.

So, is "Aferim!" a masterpiece? Unfortunately, although it comes so close, is not. Shot in only 23 days (according to an interview given by Radu Jude) the movie appears to be assembled in a hurry. The verbal and physical violence is overwhelming. After seeing the movie, go home and hide all scissors! Radu Jude decided that cruelty is the legacy of that era and should also be the mark of his movie. He placed the most violent scene at the very end to shock the audiences and festival juries, with vastly different results. Should that scene had been placed earlier, the mark of the movie could have been the donquixotesque father and son horseback trip across Wallachia in search of the meaning of life. Too bad that instead of a masterpiece we got a master and a piece.

Scris/Nescris (2016)

Ignore the posters and trailers, this is a 20 min love story

[9/10 · 26 April 2018]

The movie describes the weird, unspoken, outrageously misbehaved love of an old gypsy man for the newborn girl of his teenage daughter. Because love is when you would do anything for somebody. Pardica - stunningly acted on instinct by Sorin Mihai - drives long hours to face his estranged older daughter and her aggressive husband. Pardica drags Giuberina to the hospital to sign papers that make no sense to him. Along the way he curses and pushes and shovels everybody and everything out of love for a minuscule body of flesh and blood, a long line of his flesh and his blood. What is written in the meaningless documents - meaningless to the Pardicas of the world - pales in comparison with what remains unwritten: his love for "my beauty." Rarely a short impacts the audience with such power. Alina Serban brings determination, sensibility and painful quietness to her character, Giuberina. In a perfectly orchestrated contrast, Claudia Silisteanu delivers an apparently cold Doctor caught between compassion and the rule of law. But as some say, there are no rules in love and war and the excellent screenplay - by the same Claudia Silisteanu - makes us take an unexpected side. Beautiful cinematography and careful editing add to this love story that can be located anywhere in the world, even right there, in "that neighborhood" of your city.

6.9 on the Richter Scale (2016)

Forget "La La Land," the best musical comedy is here.

[8/10 · 26 April 2018]

An earthquake of laughter of 6.9 degrees magnitude (on the Richter Scale) has been triggered by Nae Caranfil's comedic family drama. Never thought that I would be laughing at nightmares but art inspires in mysterious ways. One of the rare box-office successes in the recent Romanian cinematography, the movie has it all: uplifting storyline (boy finally realizes that he loves girl), inspired directing, a plethora of diverse characters, and a talented cast - with a plus for Lurentiu Branescu's singing, Maria Simona Arsu's versatility, and Teodor Corban's uncanny lying abilities. This is a movie about how little we appreciate those who temporarily occupy our homes and our lives. While enjoying the cascade of pranks and witty dialogues, pay attention to the family drama running in the background and ask yourself: Does my relationship have a red bullet? If it does, invite your dear one to "6.9 on the Richter Scale." It will rock your world in more ways than you think.

Fate Accompli (2012)

art accompli - the ideal mixture of joy and fear

[10/10 · 21 June 2015]

Well done, very well done. I got caught in the story and time went by like nothing. What is a call girl after all? A reflection, a mirror, a look into past deeds and present guilt. Gabriel made a call and got what he deserved - not what he asked for but what he deserved - and that projected a sense of justice, always comforting. Interesting plot and story line by Eric Neal, who also directed with elegance and precision. The cinematography is also a plus, with good angles and warm lighting. Very good acting: restrained, subtle, and - above all - convincing. I would see this movie again even just for the atmosphere, the music, the slow progression of fear. In summary: this short is a joy to watch.

Beyond the Hills (2012)

Love in times of prayer

[8/10 · 14 October 2012]

A grim and intense story about love, faith, the presence of God and the absence of God, slowly penetrates the viewer's mind, so slowly that it takes Director and Screenplayer Cristian Mungiu more than two hours to make a convincing case for redemption. No doubt that he has a skilled team, to include Oleg Mutu (cinematography). This is not a horror movie; what is horrifying is the knowledge that it is based on a real story of a 2005 Christian Orthodox exorcism gone wrong, somewhere beyond the hills of Moldavia (a region in Eastern Romania). The scariest aspect is that it can happen to you, no need for a monastery or any kind of mental illness. All it takes is to express disdain against a highly controlled environment, the kind of environment that requires continuously patching the stove such that no smoke comes out to spoil the harmony of a strict yet loving family. The movie builds upon the viewer's expectancy that what can go wrong it will, and, with a remarkable lack of explicit violence, creates a gripping parallel reality where all imaginary roads are paved with good, harmful intentions. Both the priest and the doctor want to help, each in his system of reference. The police are interested in helping too, to the best of their ability. In the end, it's hard to blame or hate anybody for the strange turn of events. Even the priest (Valeriu Andriuta) draws some sympathy for his apparent lack of options. But hey, there is a bright side to this bleak work of art, not a masterpiece but still an outstanding work of art: the thin line between desire and rejection drawn by Cosmina Stratan (Voichita) and Cristina Flutur (Alina). Patched with moments of fragile silence and delicate whispers, their relationship evolves into one of the most tender and frightening love stories. Now, who harbors the Devil is still up for debate

The Phantom Father (2011)

Excellent mixture of realism and fantasy. And humor.

[10/10 · 27 March 2012]

I saw the movie in Chicago and... well... I loved it! It may be the tender, discrete love story, or the cheerful "on the road" adventure. Or the landscape, or the mixture of sadness and joy, I am not sure what it was but I did like it.

The movie has elements of realism and surrealism, minimalism and maximalism (just kidding...) and above all subtle character relations and warm humor. It was refreshing to get a more luminous view of Romania after "The Death of Mr. Lazarescu". This movie is more like "The Life of Mr. Lazarescu".

The acting was good, superb at times (the bus scene, the hotel room scenes, the countryside visits) and rarely sketchy(some City Hall and caravan scenes). Outstanding directing and solid screenplay. Loved the music too.

All in all a very pleasant experience for an open minded viewer. Don't expect a documentary about the hardships of contemporary Romania. You can watch TV for that. Instead, let yourself dream and play along. And towards the end, take a look at your girlfriend...