Yes, I thought so. For the first two thirds of the movie. Then I started understanding it's so much more. If torn apart, crushed people can be amusing, then, yes, this is a comedy, and so is everything in life. Living a sordid life can be accepted as normal, and can made be fun of - and, in the end, what else is left to do?
What's interesting is that all characters, no matter how decaying might look, are given the chance of rehabilitation. The depressive drunken teacher? Well, he used to be a good man. His racist words have no actual meaning for him, just as curses don't have an actual meaning for children. And he used to play guitar, sometimes..
This movie's point is just so much deep beyond the visual - and even though it tricks us into believing it focuses on facts (in Romanian, the title reads like 'Was it or was it not?'), the message I perceived was that somehow, in the end, facts don't matter, not so much, but people do. Is it a comedy? Well, yes. But it's not 'hilarious', it's not Beavis and Butthead. It's a very sad comedy. It's life.
What's interesting is that all characters, no matter how decaying might look, are given the chance of rehabilitation. The depressive drunken teacher? Well, he used to be a good man. His racist words have no actual meaning for him, just as curses don't have an actual meaning for children. And he used to play guitar, sometimes..
This movie's point is just so much deep beyond the visual - and even though it tricks us into believing it focuses on facts (in Romanian, the title reads like 'Was it or was it not?'), the message I perceived was that somehow, in the end, facts don't matter, not so much, but people do. Is it a comedy? Well, yes. But it's not 'hilarious', it's not Beavis and Butthead. It's a very sad comedy. It's life.