The last years proved that Romanian cinematography is on the right track. Films like Filantropica, Occident, Moartea domnului Lazarescu are the signs that Romanian filmmakers are, finally, trying to compete both Eropean and American productions, escaping that localism that, in my opinion, spoils many Romanian productions. From this point of view, Exam has been an overwhelming experience. I had no great expectations and maybe this added some good points for it. This and, of course, some very good usage of film-making techniques: no artificial dialogues, no theater-like interpretation, some very good shooting and - something that Romanian filmmakers forget about - a soundtrack that made sense. The story too was pretty surprising for me, as, from the beginning, I was expecting another film about the "day-to-day Romanian tragedy". Surprisingly, the insights on the late Romanian Communist system and the brutality of Securitate - the Romanian Secret Police - in the '80's are quite accurate and the idea of generation gap (the young that do not understand what the communist dictatorial regime was all about)is implied without any judgmental attitude. All in all, after watching Exam, my first idea was to recommend it to everyone I know... I'm starting here!
2 Reviews
What life is all about
tributarystu7 November 2003
Warning: Spoilers
It's a new day in the new life of Romanian cinematography: I have finally seen a film which can be compared, quality wise, with any decent American production. Great image and great sound have made out of "Exam", which I believe would be the translation of the original Romanian title, a very interesting movie. In a way every film, especially any Romanian creation, is an exam.
SPOILERS
The story is about communism. It's about an almost forgotten time, especially among the "new people". A student has to make a short film for her exam and she decides to look into the story of a taxi driver, who says he has an interesting event to tell. Sometime during the 70's, around 1977, when a Hippie like trend traveled even to communist Romania, a young man, the taxi driver named Cristi, suffers the first real contact with the communist regime. While living his life like any "wild" youngster, aged 25, he is arrested for a crime he has not committed. And he is convicted. His story is touching and in the same time incredible, in an ethical sort of way. The tales about the communist regime, about their inhuman ways to handle things and to think, are very similar to myths to the "new people". The uninterested voice of the reporter is almost exaggerated for this purpose, to show the lack of interest of the new generation to those terrible times. The story itself has been heavily influenced by American films, but it's got its own spark of originality which goes even beyond the very smart ending. Actually, at the end, the reporter and the cameraman forget to shut the camera and it keeps on filming, meaning that what they have spoken there, that the subject of our recent history which tends to be forgotten, should not be closed. As usually we can admire the wonderful way how "we" handle things, the lovely "Romanian-way" of thinking. It always comes back, this sarcasm while describing the current situation in our country, but I think it's still ok. I wonder though when we'll get something really now...something that goes beyond characters, something where everything revolves around the story and around the art of film making.
The actors are exciting! Except Alexandra Mutu, the ex-wife of current Chelsea player Adrian Mutu, they are all able to impress. Well, more or less. Alexandra is just another star who feels like giving the acting career a shot. It goes wide, very wide, wider than any shot her ex-husband hes ever shot in his life. I think so at least. The direction is...ok I guess. It doesn't amaze, but it's good.
So if you want to learn something, you should see this. The beginning is quite poor and it's not about all the pieces falling in place, it's about the mentality, so you shouldn't really expect anything thrilling story wise. Except the end, which, let's say, is very smartly done. 7.5/10
SPOILERS
The story is about communism. It's about an almost forgotten time, especially among the "new people". A student has to make a short film for her exam and she decides to look into the story of a taxi driver, who says he has an interesting event to tell. Sometime during the 70's, around 1977, when a Hippie like trend traveled even to communist Romania, a young man, the taxi driver named Cristi, suffers the first real contact with the communist regime. While living his life like any "wild" youngster, aged 25, he is arrested for a crime he has not committed. And he is convicted. His story is touching and in the same time incredible, in an ethical sort of way. The tales about the communist regime, about their inhuman ways to handle things and to think, are very similar to myths to the "new people". The uninterested voice of the reporter is almost exaggerated for this purpose, to show the lack of interest of the new generation to those terrible times. The story itself has been heavily influenced by American films, but it's got its own spark of originality which goes even beyond the very smart ending. Actually, at the end, the reporter and the cameraman forget to shut the camera and it keeps on filming, meaning that what they have spoken there, that the subject of our recent history which tends to be forgotten, should not be closed. As usually we can admire the wonderful way how "we" handle things, the lovely "Romanian-way" of thinking. It always comes back, this sarcasm while describing the current situation in our country, but I think it's still ok. I wonder though when we'll get something really now...something that goes beyond characters, something where everything revolves around the story and around the art of film making.
The actors are exciting! Except Alexandra Mutu, the ex-wife of current Chelsea player Adrian Mutu, they are all able to impress. Well, more or less. Alexandra is just another star who feels like giving the acting career a shot. It goes wide, very wide, wider than any shot her ex-husband hes ever shot in his life. I think so at least. The direction is...ok I guess. It doesn't amaze, but it's good.
So if you want to learn something, you should see this. The beginning is quite poor and it's not about all the pieces falling in place, it's about the mentality, so you shouldn't really expect anything thrilling story wise. Except the end, which, let's say, is very smartly done. 7.5/10
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