bee-knacks

Watched this movie at the Leiden International Film Festival. What a masterpiece! Absolutely stunning cinematography, witty dialogue, and a brilliant soundtrack. The decor perfectly recreated the vibe of Romania in that period, from the clothing that I could easily recognize from my parents' photo albums to the light switches in those old communist buildings. There were some brilliant transitions between scenes and stories, and everything came together so beautifully towards the end. The actors were very good and their acting felt so natural. Overall I felt like I travelled back in time, as they managed to (re)create a universe that is believable and complete. The irony and absurdity of certain events were well planned and executed, which fits well with the overall Romanian cinema scene. One thing that perhaps could be improved is not even about the movie itself, but the English subtitles - they definitely did not do it justice. There were moments when only the Romanians in the room would laugh, whereas everyone else felt a bit confused. But perhaps that's exactly the beauty of it, that the movie is so culturally relevant and detailed that it will likely become a classic for a very long time.