Purely Joyful Movie!

A Disappointing Continuation

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

The movie is, well, nice. As a Romanian that lived a significant part of the life under communist rule, then witnessed the changes after 1989, I got the message. It's a nice movie, a rather friendly-sarcastic than critical approach to our approach on life. One step close to being too "minimalist" at times, or too "caricaturesque" or forced at times, the film is pretty close to what Romanian life and attitude to life means. Don't expect to find the book ad literam. The film is a little subversive, like some of the pre-1989 movies, and this is a carefully staged effect. The main character is very well portrayed by Luminita Gheorghiu. Great actress!