Manor House

In high school years, I read the book of Soloviov. The impression was powerful and, after decades, its taste, the state are far to be altered.

The film selects its audience - this is the premise in its case. For dialogues, themes, for the three hours long, for the acting and for the atmosphere on set, for nuances and grace of silences, for perspectives and for relation between characters.

In fact, its virtue is be more than an exceptional film and, maybe, the masterpiece of Cristian Puiu filmography, but a precious seed for the viewer mind, return to youth lectures and to old fears and doubts.

In some measure, a film for teenagers. Indeed, old teenagers.

But just perfect for them.

If you wanna go through Brothers Karamazov and Crime and Punishment in less than 4 hours, this is your chance.

People who write about "wasting of time" simply don't have appropriate optics just yet. My advice - stop watching Transformers.

With impeccable framing of each scene, both in terms of the material environment and the framing -classically precise- by the camera, Puiu dares to film a dense but rewarding theological conversation informed by philosophy, history and the subtleties of upper class politesse. The discussion itself is drawn from the work of Vladimir Solovyev -who in Russia and Eastern Europe is as central a thinker as Kierkegaard in the Wést-, often remembered as the friend of Dostoyevsky and the noble campaigner against antisemitism in Russia. Laced with irony (Puiu's), it offers a meditation on the nature of good and evil. But this is not merely a conversation filmed. The filmic construction of each scene through camera perspective, the bodily language of the actors, the choreography of servants and aristocrats, all combine to produce a deeply moving fresco of an instant in time, a lull before the impending storm which would sweep the characters and their world away. Sublime.

I start by saying that it is indeed a long and pretentious film with the audience, which requires patience and attention.

I can say that in the first half hour of the movie is the big test of patience for what follows, but patience that deserves every minute. Malmkrog is a cinematic success with a special experimental air vibe underneath a classic presentation of great visual value. The only negative point, if I may call it negative, is that it is not for everyone, not for any level of thinking, therefore not for any age, there is a good chance that you will not understand some of the discussions in the dialogue if you are too young. The essence of Cristi Puiu's films lies in the dialogue and interaction between the characters in relation to the environment. The atmosphere in the film is unique and captivating. if you are not interested in topics such as religion, Christianity and history, chances are you will find it boring. But if you are passionate, prepare to enter into a dizzying dialogue about God, truth, subjectivity, objectivity. The film touches on themes relevant to the world we live in and to which we are heading. It's that kind of movie that's good to see several times. For lovers of the art of cinema, it deserves all the patience and all the attention.

Excellent cinematography, superb editing and the actors play great. A cinematic creation that begins in a special way and ends in equal measure. Malmkrog will surprise you in a way like human nature.

I think this is his best movie creation so far! 9/10