Went to the premiere night, not knowing exactly what to expect. The poster is that of a thriller, but the movie is, simply put, a drama of characters. The central role goes to an expert in identifying former Communist police criminals.He picks up a young apprentice and has him do various routine tasks; the only thing is that the day-to-day stuff that is boring to the expert (and to the public, up to a point), is making the youngster's skin crawl with disgust.
So the youngster decides to leave the job, but as he departs, things get interesting. The expert catches the trail of a priest who had not only signed a pact with the Romanian version of the KGB, but seems to also be involved in a murder. The youngster comes back and the hunt is on.
Once the movie picks up the pace, after the first half an hour, we get to meet some of the most interesting human types - since the search for the suspect is taking place at a remote monastery in Romanian mountains. The main characters know their acting, and the script is pretty viable; but the scenery is definitely extraordinary and some of the people in there seem ripped right out of a 19th century book. Compared to what's been out so far this year, I'd say it makes for a 9 out of 10.
