ruxandra-grecu Reviews

Till We Meet Again (1989)

One of the earliest TV memories of my childhood

[8/10 · 13 January 2009]

I saw this for the first time when I was six or seven, and the memory of it really stuck with me, since we didn't have too many TV programs in Romania, back then.

I actually remember Hugh Grant's character being evil (think it was his only evil character) and how he (spoiler) collaborated with the Nazis... And I remember the girls, I especially liked Delphine (whenever I - rarely - see Mia Sara in something, I think about this role). Weirdley, Courtney Cox's face didn't ring a bell years later, when I got to see "Friends".

I saw it six or seven times I think, there were years when mini-series were 'en vogue', but thinking of it now, I imagine it was pretty melodramatic. I'd love to see it again, though, and I hope I'd be pleasantly surprised.

Pa-ra-da (2008)

A very moving slice of life

[9/10 · 1 December 2008]

I am a journalist and I first heard about this movie when it had a screening at the Venice Film Festival earlier this year. I found the synopsis intriguing, thinking "Oh, no, another prejudiced film about Romanian homeless children". So I did an interview with one of the Romanian actors, and I felt emotion in his voice as he talked about it.

So now, at the Bucharest DaKino Festival, I finally saw the movie, and I was so very touched. I was very young in 1992, when the action takes place, so I don't remember that much from the post-communist era. I do know that this french/Algerian Miloud, an idealist, really tried to make a difference, and he did! He actually saved children living in the sewers, and for that I thank him

12:08 East of Bucharest (2006)

Very emotional and bittersweet film

[10/10 · 30 August 2008]

Porumboiu's film is extremely funny (in a very Romanian way), and it's also very realistic. It's like I know all those crazy characters... The old man saying "It was better in the communist regime", most of the people calling just because they can and not because they have something important to say... I was very fond of the history teacher and I kept hoping that someone would call to rehabilitate him... I felt like they were stealing the most important moment of his life, his minutes of glory. He didn't have any witnesses to his presence there. And you know what happens: people with common sense, even alcoholics, they don't think they should defend themselves for something they did... and he said simply that he was there. his only friend, the Chinese shop-owner, tried to defend him, but was rejected by the rich guy, in a very prejudiced kind of way, that we see here so much... I found myself knowing that it was true... he was there before 12.08, and there was a revolution in that town, thanks to the four teachers. I guess everybody has to decide what he believes. I believe good people like Manescu never get a lucky break i this country, they are just considered suckers. And rich guys know how to manipulate people around them, like Bejan, the former secret service guy. (By the way, every member of the secret service said they were on holiday, just like Bejan). I hope Porumboiu makes us another good movie very soon!