9.12.18

Un jour mon Prince viendra: One and a Half Prince the romanian hype



The form of this film is technically a romantic comedy, 
albeit a particularly straight-faced one.

Yet there are plenty of moments that elicit a smile, 

but not in an outright funny manner.


" One and a half Prince" presents relationships with no hint of movie conventions.

As this film has an instinctive realism, 
an ear for the way real people talk and interact.

It possesses a knack for drawing multi-layered 
and always drwas appealing performances out of its cast. 

Here characters talk and talk,
frequently about their emotions and what they want. 

It remains though necessary to read between the lines, 
to pick up subtle cues, 
to understand that what they say they want 
is not necessarily 
what they actually want. 

Ana Lungu lays bare the romantic complications of a young actress and three men, 
two friends and a potential lover, 
with consummate skill.

She turns the film from a conundrum to a poetic, 
free-flowing treatise 
on relationships and connections.

"One and a Half Prince" is shot in a naturalistic and minimalist style.

What more appropriate expression for its organic, 

unhurried 
and unrehearsed quality?!

It has long stretches of dialogue that unfold,
performed with effortless ease by the cast
( Iris Spiridon, Matray Laszlo, Istvan Teglas, Marius Manole)
and it reminisces of Richard Lanklater or Eric Rohmer.


The characters eat, drink, travel, pay visits to cemeteries, 
seemingly carefree and revelling in their youthfull age.

But they also indulge with sincerity 
in their emotional insecurities.
Which are exactly ours.

One may accuse " A one and a half Prince" of being circular, 
meandering 
and ambiguous.

But this is a film whose sum 
is more than its parts.

And it articulates deftly the uncertainty of loving someone

—and being loved in return.
Yet,
 it is also about embracing the future
 as life charts its own course.


Giulia Dobre

4.12.18

My first reviewed Lanthimos: THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER



From the director of Dogtooth & The Lobster comes another weird, 
whacky & wicked concept.
Unravelling its plot with patience, 
with an air of mystery & a sense of foreboding, 
infused with a warped sense of humour, 

The Killing of a Sacred Deer is a crazy, demented & uncomfortable psychological horror
 that’s consistently engaging, 
thoroughly unnerving 
& fiendishly amusing.

The story follows a cardiac surgeon 
who secretly develops a deep & empathetic bond with a teenage boy, 
acting as a father figure to the young kid with whom he shares a past connection. 
The two even invite each other to meet their respective families 
and all appears to be going well for the time being. 
Things, however, take an unexpected turn 
when one of the surgeon’s kids falls mysteriously ill one day, 
but if he is to save his family, he must confront a past mistake and make an unthinkable sacrifice.

Co-written & directed by Yorgos Lanthimos, 
The Killing of a Sacred Deer is as bizarre as his previous works.
 Lanthimos takes his time to set up the premise.
He focuses on establishing the secretive relationship between the surgeon & the young kid 
without offering any details about the origin of their bond.
 Nevertheless, an uneasy feeling is detectable in those moments, clearly conveying that something is about to go wrong.

The script packs a simple, straightforward revenge plot 
but what makes it such an intriguing sit 
is its peculiar tone & ominous vibe. 

Character interaction is zany, lines are spoken with deadpan expression, 
and it brims with a discomforting quality. 
Its eccentric wit is another element that makes you laugh & feel disgust at the same time. 
It has a very polished look & feel. 
Cinematography encapsulates the film with a sinister atmosphere.
Camera is manoeuvred in a very controlled fashion.
Its use of colour palette & excellent lighting is worth a mention as well. 
Editing keeps things tense & gripping throughout its 121 minutes runtime.
The film features a faithful cast in Collin Farrell, Nicole Kidman, Barry Keoghan, Raffey Cassidy, Sunny Suljic & Alicia Silverstone, and all of them play their idiosyncratic characters with sincerity. 


On an overall scale, 
The Killing of a Sacred Deer is as fascinating & compelling as it is disturbing & surreal. 
The film is not without its shortcomings though, f
or there are moments that linger on longer than required,
 and few dialogues exist only for their effect instead of serving the plot.

 I found it more accessible & involving than Lanthimos’ last film which for me was dull & sterile. 
Those who are familiar with the director’s filmography know what to expect. 

As for the newcomers, they are in for a hellacious ride too. 
A deranged, haunting & upsetting delight, The Killing of a Sacred Deer is worth your time .

giulia dobre