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Reviews
O lacrima de fata (1980)
Murder mystery in communist Romania
This film stands out in the Romanian filmography for the way it was filmed. Even though I mentioned it is a murder mystery it is presented more a documentary with many scenes of the detective recording the conversations with the village people while asking them about the murder of a girl.
This film was way ahead of it's time for this approach of filming. Especially given it was shot in Romania during the communist regime. Some of its influence seep through to the movie but overall it was something entirely new and different to the Romanian film industry.
I would definitely recommend this movie for anyone studying film moreover the people in this part of the world which understand those years of communism.
The Poseidon Adventure (1972)
You still wanna take that cruise?
This movie uses the disaster adventure formula and does it textbook but the movie holds up extremely well today and is still a classic.
One of the things this movies does well is limiting us to a small number of characters that traverse the sinking ship. This way they are each unique and you get to care for them.
Another thing that was done well is the timing. Nothing feels rushed or dragged out in this film. It managed it's timing perfectly and always kept me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next.
As for the adventu, it's fun. Each room they enter is different from the next one and always keeps you guessing as to what would happen.
Rio Bravo (1959)
A game-legged old man and a drunk
This is a fantastic story that still holds up well to this day. It presents a simple story but executes it flawlessly and in a fun way.
The sheriff of a small town must hold his ground against an army of men with only 3 men at his disposal. This is what gives the movie its charm because you get to know those characters more in depth and you really get to care for them. Moreover you are celebrating along with them when they succeed.
In addition we have the sheriff's love interest and the hotel manager which both add a romantic and comedic relief respectively giving the movie an additional dimension.
Highly recommend, a great family watch!
Padurea spânzuratilor (1965)
A Romanian Classic
This is a Romanian Classic and widely regarded as one of the greatest film in th Romanian filmography. It is adapted from a realist novel in Romanian literature. The novel is inspired from the true events of the First World War when soldiers in the Austrianhungarian infantry were forced to fight against their own countries.
This is one of those cases where one Romanian soldier is forced to fight on the Romanian front against his own country. Hence he request a move to a different front but is denied resulting in him trying to flee the battlefront.
In my opinion the film has incredible cinematography given it's time. However, the story isn't best in my opinion. It tries to focus on the psychological battle of the main character but it doesn't really succed in my opinion.
Katharina (2022)
Katharina
This movie is something new in a good way. I think it brings a new dynamic to Romanian cinema and shows that you don't need a big budget and production to create a good movie. Moreover the cast of children gives this movie its charm.
I found this movie to have some nice twists. The first being that the ghost of Katharina turned out to be friendly and just wanted to become friends with the group of children. Second twist being that upon being rejected by them she returns to the abandoned hotel in the woods where she continues haunting the ones daring to venture inside.
Overall I think this movie brings a fun adventure to Romanian cinema. It's a fun viewing children and adults. 8/10.