The movie is based on a true story from Romania's rocky path from a corrupt totalitarian country to a modern society. Although based on real characters, the movie is not a documentary. It paints the characters with enough depth to capture the essence of the events, while being an entertaining thriller along the way. I found the director struck a superb balance between introspection and entertainment, making the movie both appealing to watch and thought provoking (even inspiring).
In a tip of the hat to "The Conversation" (with Gene Hackman), there is a scene where the young prosecutor, driven close to (justified) paranoia by being watched by the secret service, starts tearing up the wires in his house. Of course, nowadays surveillance is far more sophisticated and non-intrusive (wireless), but the scene drives home the point that the danger of a corrupt surveillance society is not specific to countries of the Eastern block.
In a tip of the hat to "The Conversation" (with Gene Hackman), there is a scene where the young prosecutor, driven close to (justified) paranoia by being watched by the secret service, starts tearing up the wires in his house. Of course, nowadays surveillance is far more sophisticated and non-intrusive (wireless), but the scene drives home the point that the danger of a corrupt surveillance society is not specific to countries of the Eastern block.