A Disappointing Continuation

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

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 neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Who doesn't like treasure hunt films. They are always exciting with surprises. See this film poster, and the title is just perfect. That's what I expected, like if not another 'Indiana Jones', then 'National Treasure'. I was disappointed with that perspective. But realised it was unique with the most realistic approach. I've seen plenty of same themed films, but this one stood out to be one of the rare kind. This film is not fun as the others, but surely makes sense of what real treasure hunt means. Though the film did not take the complicated route to narrate the tale. Just a simple, small film.A man from a little middle-class family living in an apartment is approached by his neighbour guy who financially broke. All he wanted was some cash, so that he could go and look for treasure that his dying grandfather told him about. Now these two join hands for the unusual quest. They had to make all the pre-arrangement before jumping into it. Like hiring a metal detector and making it a weekend event for not clashing with their routines. So finally the most expected venture begins and how it all turns out are told with some fun filled tense climax.This is a very slow film. Particularly those treasure hunt sequences became even slower than what one would expect out of it. Probably a film for matured audience. It is considered as a black comedy and yes, that's how everything unfolded. Though not all black comedies are same. I mean not everybody understands clearly why it is called that.In my instance, I expected something else, but got another thing. In the end, I really enjoyed it. The initial story was unbelievable. I mean, if somebody approached me with a theory like that, not just me, most of the people won't easily want to be a part of it. Not because it is illegal, but does not make sense or gives enough reason to take part. It has to be convinced thoroughly.❝We've all got problems. You've got problems. I've got problems. A man makes his own problems. They don't descend from heaven.❞The little Robin Hood story at the opening was relevant to how the film has ended. That character called Costi was an ideal man for a typical world. His belief to be a good person in the society, definitely gives the right message. But I did not think he would go for such a quest. That's the first twist. Then following that, seeing his desperate to succeed, more than the man who took him in, it kind of made fun, like of course black comedy. Especially during the hunt, the verbal fight between two out of three set a perfect tone for the rest of the tale.Definitely not a predictable storyline. That's what kept my eyes open, despite frequent drops in the pace of the narration. I liked the dialogues, especially about the some of the technical terms. Like about metal detector, and the brief history about the Romanian communist era, including the Dos and Don'ts, what the law says about the treasures that has found. It was not like you take all the needed tools and the adventure begins. It excellently highlighted that the treasure hunt is not like one you have seen in the films.Finally, regarding the treasure, it comes in many forms. How this film sorted out that part was really cool. That's indeed a well written screenplay. It's not impossible to see such a film in Hollywood, but they won't make money, that's the difference. That is the reason why small film industries around the world shines with such little gems. This is the reason I want to explore the world cinema.When it comes to the development, in some of the parts, the film was not that logical. That's how it has to go, so it became what it is. As I said the end was really cool. I meant the post quest end. It had ended bringing a little smile on my face. Nice performances. The writer, director is the first to be appreciated. I haven't seen many Romanian films, but from those I've seen never disappointed, and so this one, a very satisfying film. My little advise is for those who wants to see it is expect it to be a drama than an action-adventure- thriller. Patience is another thing it required. Probably you would like it after watched it than while watching. But overall a worthy film.7.5/10

This Romanian movie has a plot that might sounds ridiculous at first sight, but with time becomes more and more engaging. The movie starts with one of the two protagonists, Costi (Toma Cuzin) telling his young child the story of Robin Hood. Suddenly, there is a knock in the door. It's his neighbor, Adrian (the other protagonist of the movie, played by Adrian Purcarescu). He tells Costi he is risking losing his apartment as he is late on his mortgage payments, so could he please lend him 800 Euros. Costi tells Adrian he sympathizes with him, but can't lend him anything as he is under heavy money problems himself. Eventually, after a long talk, Adrian tells Costi what he needs the 800 Euros for: he wants to hire a metal detector operator so as to see if in the garden of an old property of his family there might be a treasure buried by his grandfather when the communists took over Romania. At least that is what the family legend says, but no one is really sure there is really a treasure buried in his property. After some hesitation, Costi agrees to help Adrian on that search in exchange of a half of the prize.So the rest of the movie is basically Costi and Adrian pursuing this treasure, with the help at times of an old, slightly corrupt metal detector operator (played by a real professional in that job). This being a Romanian movie, the film is slow, deadpan, and deals quite a lot in bureaucratic detail (Romanian law states that any treasure holding historical value should go to the state, and the discoverers should only get a 30% of it, and Costi and Adrian try during the movie several times to see how to get around that law). Considering Romanian movies have some reputation for dourness, I thought this was going to end in tears, but it happily has (without obviously revealing too much about it) a very satisfying ending.

I spent $7 to rent this on Amazon, based on flamboyant critical praise. The trailer looked promising, like a deadpan comedy. But it wasn't anything like I expected. It couldn't have been slower, duller, plodding. I appreciate the low-key naturalistic style that is European cinema, but in this case, it wasn't shedding much light on any internal journey. And being halted as a comedy? I often marvel when reviewers claim something is a comedy. Why? Because there may be slight nuances of humannature's foibles? There was not a moment that I was amused in a heightened comedicway. The basic plot line - that a neighbor enlists another neighborwith a possible buried treasure - takes near 90 minutes for negligible plot development. I like slow, non-Hollywood movies, but this was really SLOW. And reviewers hailed the transformative payoff in the last two minutes. But for me it was too little, too late. Not recommended. Just plodding.

I watched this movie during the TIFF festival in Timisoara and I wanted my money back, but since the entrance was free, I want my time back.The plot could have been easily narrated in a 5 or 10 minute short. It contained many scenes that were stretched for no reason or dialogue that was totally irrelevant to the main theme. Almost all actors (especially the ones in supporting roles) were lacking acting skills. There isn't any climax/peak, but only an enumeration of events that naturally derive from one to another like a very slow flowing river. No action, no suspense and definitely NO comedy. Maybe the only good parts that made sit down and watch it until the end was the general Romanian feeling this movie had (with traditions, idioms which cannot really be translated and so on) and the hope that some turn of events will make this movie great or at least interesting, but sadly it didn't.I can't believe this movie got two awards and two nominations, since it was one of the most boring movies I ever saw.