Another good example of Romanian cinematography, "Toată lumea din familia noastră" focuses on the character excellently played by Șerban Pavlu and the nervous breakdown he is going through on the day he wanted to take his daughter to the seaside. The apparent opposition he encounters from the mother's new boyfriend and then from the mother herself lead to growing tensions, verbal abuse and even physical violence, all of them already announced at the beginning of the movie, when we see Pavlu's character in his relationship with his own parents. Like most recent Romanian productions, it's a movie difficult to narrate and it has an open ending, a thing Romanian directors and script writers seem to very much enjoy. Nevertheless, it is undoubtedly more audience-engaging than other Romanian films, as the likes by Cristi Puiu or Corneliu Porumboiu. Strongly recommended.
11 Reviews
Quite veridical from my point of view
ruxicpit12 September 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I have just watched this film and was very interested in what others had to say about it. While I am not going to contradict the people claiming that this is meant to be a (very) dark comedy (I think that only the director and the writers know best whether this is true or not), I am going to state that from my point of view it is sadly way too close to reality. From the moment Marius refuses to wait for Otilia before leaving with their little daughter, my heart kept pounding in my chest because there was no way of knowing what would happen next. Marius acts like a mad person and Serban Pavlu beautifully portrays a cornered man searching for every possibility of getting away: violence, pleading, emotional blackmail, lies. What puzzled me was Otilia's calm, she was the one that reminded me it was only a film, but then again, everybody acts differently under such circumstances and it could be only myself that found her attitude slightly less real than the others'. Even Aurel, played very well by Gabriel Spahiu, with his inability to stand up to Marius, didn't seem comical to me.
I am without a doubt influenced by having had a similar drama in my own family, and thus might not be able to see it as it might have been intended - a dark comedy. However, being able to compare it to the real thing, I can say that it certainly made me feel the same, scared and experiencing mixed emotions towards each character, knowing that every so-called grown-up (as they are acting very childish) shares a part of the blame, and not being able to decide (at least at first) who it would be best to win this battle. And it is because the film achieves this that I recommend it.
I am without a doubt influenced by having had a similar drama in my own family, and thus might not be able to see it as it might have been intended - a dark comedy. However, being able to compare it to the real thing, I can say that it certainly made me feel the same, scared and experiencing mixed emotions towards each character, knowing that every so-called grown-up (as they are acting very childish) shares a part of the blame, and not being able to decide (at least at first) who it would be best to win this battle. And it is because the film achieves this that I recommend it.
Not easy
kosmasp30 April 2012
It's all about family in this movie. Not only one, but what can happen when things do not go as planned. The director present at the screening of this movie in Berlin at the Festival was keen to make a lot of jokes, which came as no surprise as the movie is very much a comedy (even if it is a very dark one).
The actors are really good in it and the story does concentrate on one location mainly. And this is important because this was shot on location, which made it very difficult for the crew and the cast of course. But that also means, that it is terrific work by the DP of the movie. Smooth and nice shots and even when they decided to use a take, where you can clearly see a cell phone ringing but not hear it (for obvious distracting reasons, story-wise), you are not too mad at the movie. Or you shouldn't be. Watch it, if you have no problem with Un-PC behavior and lots of dialogue!
The actors are really good in it and the story does concentrate on one location mainly. And this is important because this was shot on location, which made it very difficult for the crew and the cast of course. But that also means, that it is terrific work by the DP of the movie. Smooth and nice shots and even when they decided to use a take, where you can clearly see a cell phone ringing but not hear it (for obvious distracting reasons, story-wise), you are not too mad at the movie. Or you shouldn't be. Watch it, if you have no problem with Un-PC behavior and lots of dialogue!
new romanian cinema
barisemek19 November 2012
it was a nice movie that i've seen in Doha-Qatar Film Festival. it is like Cristian Mungiu style that is reflecting the new approach in Romania's movies. by a short scene famous author Panait Istrati was symbolized at the end it was neither a comedy, nor tragedy it was a cross section of our life. mislead,misunderstood standard ordinary life... the movie is in Bucharest, near gar north in Sector 2 very nice selection of a child player Sophie is appreciated the Gypsy funeral was a nice catch as well also the family ties che guavera symbol were all remarkable points that impressed me i really like it i strongly do recommend it
Interesting BUT...
capshuu29 September 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I really appreciated this movie, because you can see all the character's angles, but I think we're still supposed to lean with the main character, and I have some thoughts on that. It's subtle, but it's implied that he's the "nice guy" who does everything "out of absolute love for his child" and is "forced" to resort to violence. Which I disagree with. Because in the end, if his actions hurt people, his good intentions amount to zero.
It's hard to know who is telling the truth, who is exagerrating or not, who to trust, they all have (mainly) valid points and it's hard for us viewers to form an opinion from the outside, without having access to any of their background stories or seeing any of the events that are referenced. The guy keeps saying that he's not violent, that he was "pushed" to act like that by his ex and her current partner, but in the end it's our guy who's flipping tables, tying people up and creating chaos in front of the child, the other two seem to take care of the child and at least try to shield her from the drama. So to me, it's the behaviour that counts, and not the justification behind it. He's the one causing drama and subjecting his daughter to violence in the name of love (even if he didn't mean to), and maybe the wife had a point to try to keep him away?
I think he should protect his child from dangerous or traumatic situations if he loves her, but he's doing the exact opposite, and the ex-wife seemed to actually protect her kid. So I'm not sure we should just empathise with him just cause he's the main character. He wants to take her away by all means necessary, but is that for the child's benefit or his pleasure/ambition? Maybe he should've waited for Otilia to come back and talk to her, and not just assume she's doing everything to spite him. Maybe she really was trying to protect the kid, and he was chill about the kid's cold because he really wanted to get away that weekend at any cost. But would that have been that responsible? Who's more stubborn? I'm not sure who's right, to be honest, but at least they didn't start wreaking havoc.
I think Sofia's wellbeing should be the priority, and none of them (and unfortunately the worst in this respect is Marius) seem to be mature enough to understand that. It's actions that matter, not intentions, and Marius's behaviour hurt a lot of people, so it is not excusable in my opinion, even if I can see how he cares about her and how he wants to be in her life and how he's trying to be a good guy. We can't know his intentions, we can just assume they were noble, but the hard truth is that his actions scarred a lot of people that day, so he's not as good a guy as he likes to think and say he is.
Also... The way he switched from begging her to take it back to calling her a wh*re to confessing his love and assaulting her to shouting again... That's just creepy and manipulative. Love? What kind of love is that? Of course that lady wanted to stay away from him and shelter her child from all this drama. The relationship dynamic was hurting the child, not necessarily him or her, and she was wise enough to keep Sofi away from it. This guy doesn't get it that it's not about him, it's about what's best for the kid, and whatever this meeting (maybe others like it before) is not healthy.
His dad needs to grow up too. He cares about him, it's obvious, but why does he choose to show it by shouting at him, humiliating and insulting him? I can see where he gets his unfortunate ideas about love and communication from. People need to learn how to talk respectfully and think before they act, maybe consider what other people are thinking or listen to their side, compromise, think of what their responsibilities and priorities are.
It's hard to know who is telling the truth, who is exagerrating or not, who to trust, they all have (mainly) valid points and it's hard for us viewers to form an opinion from the outside, without having access to any of their background stories or seeing any of the events that are referenced. The guy keeps saying that he's not violent, that he was "pushed" to act like that by his ex and her current partner, but in the end it's our guy who's flipping tables, tying people up and creating chaos in front of the child, the other two seem to take care of the child and at least try to shield her from the drama. So to me, it's the behaviour that counts, and not the justification behind it. He's the one causing drama and subjecting his daughter to violence in the name of love (even if he didn't mean to), and maybe the wife had a point to try to keep him away?
I think he should protect his child from dangerous or traumatic situations if he loves her, but he's doing the exact opposite, and the ex-wife seemed to actually protect her kid. So I'm not sure we should just empathise with him just cause he's the main character. He wants to take her away by all means necessary, but is that for the child's benefit or his pleasure/ambition? Maybe he should've waited for Otilia to come back and talk to her, and not just assume she's doing everything to spite him. Maybe she really was trying to protect the kid, and he was chill about the kid's cold because he really wanted to get away that weekend at any cost. But would that have been that responsible? Who's more stubborn? I'm not sure who's right, to be honest, but at least they didn't start wreaking havoc.
I think Sofia's wellbeing should be the priority, and none of them (and unfortunately the worst in this respect is Marius) seem to be mature enough to understand that. It's actions that matter, not intentions, and Marius's behaviour hurt a lot of people, so it is not excusable in my opinion, even if I can see how he cares about her and how he wants to be in her life and how he's trying to be a good guy. We can't know his intentions, we can just assume they were noble, but the hard truth is that his actions scarred a lot of people that day, so he's not as good a guy as he likes to think and say he is.
Also... The way he switched from begging her to take it back to calling her a wh*re to confessing his love and assaulting her to shouting again... That's just creepy and manipulative. Love? What kind of love is that? Of course that lady wanted to stay away from him and shelter her child from all this drama. The relationship dynamic was hurting the child, not necessarily him or her, and she was wise enough to keep Sofi away from it. This guy doesn't get it that it's not about him, it's about what's best for the kid, and whatever this meeting (maybe others like it before) is not healthy.
His dad needs to grow up too. He cares about him, it's obvious, but why does he choose to show it by shouting at him, humiliating and insulting him? I can see where he gets his unfortunate ideas about love and communication from. People need to learn how to talk respectfully and think before they act, maybe consider what other people are thinking or listen to their side, compromise, think of what their responsibilities and priorities are.
Very enjoyable movie, I had a good laugh
tandrei200111 June 2012
This is indeed a well made dark comedy. Although the subject is very serious and the action is dramatic in the end, the dialogs are so hilarious that you can't hold yourself and burst into laughing. You also have the chance to see in secondary roles some of the most respected Romanian actors of the last decades. I am talking about Mihai's parents (Alexandu Arsinel and Stela Popescu) and especially Tamara Buciuceanu-Botez as "the badger", playing the old mother is law of the main character. The movie treats a very serious subject, of a dysfunctional family, custody and impact over minors. But it seems to me the authors just wanted to jeopardize life and problems and it succeeds with such humour! A last mention is Gabriel Spahiu as Aurel, the "replacement" father for Mihai. He is the funniest guy. He plays brilliantly the role of an accountant, responsible and loving stepfather, delicate to his gf/wife, but in fact he is a coward, doesn't even know to throw a punch and ends up lamenting pathetically. Watched it on TIFF festival in Cluj-Napoca.
Life as a child of the parted parents.
Reno-Rangan9 June 2014
I have not seen a Romanian movie for a while and good to be back with a good drama that partially filled with the dark humour. This family movie is about a father, Marius and his ex-wife, Otilia and her new husband, Aurel and his stepdaughter, Sofia. The movie determines the story of a family about a particular matter which varies the opinion from each others. Except the opening few minutes the remaining of the story takes place inside a house before it concludes.
The story is simple as that a divorced man goes to pick his daughter for the holiday. He wanted to go to the beach with her, but what he encounters is the resistance by the stepfather. Everything begins to be a complicate around and puts into the verbal war between them before violence takes its part. Can it be solved? but how is the remaining portion explained.
''A Japanese haiku says: Without a beloved child, there is no truth in cherry blossom''
A satisfying story with the interesting characters. A fictional story, but very much true in nature that resemble the real incidents of the divorced families around the world. Most of the couple separates because of the different ideology after the marriage. When it comes to matters of their children it won't vary much, they have to fight for the rights to provide what's best for the kids. That is what this story describes the family's difficulties which drags their children as well into such an awful affairs.
Might not have a valuable message in it, but the most essential thematic content movie for the present society. A story that provides to study about the characters. Families should watch this. This movie is also can be watched for entertainment purpose. Overall, a better movie than I expected something like the movie 'Death at a Funeral'.
The story is simple as that a divorced man goes to pick his daughter for the holiday. He wanted to go to the beach with her, but what he encounters is the resistance by the stepfather. Everything begins to be a complicate around and puts into the verbal war between them before violence takes its part. Can it be solved? but how is the remaining portion explained.
''A Japanese haiku says: Without a beloved child, there is no truth in cherry blossom''
A satisfying story with the interesting characters. A fictional story, but very much true in nature that resemble the real incidents of the divorced families around the world. Most of the couple separates because of the different ideology after the marriage. When it comes to matters of their children it won't vary much, they have to fight for the rights to provide what's best for the kids. That is what this story describes the family's difficulties which drags their children as well into such an awful affairs.
Might not have a valuable message in it, but the most essential thematic content movie for the present society. A story that provides to study about the characters. Families should watch this. This movie is also can be watched for entertainment purpose. Overall, a better movie than I expected something like the movie 'Death at a Funeral'.
Everyone
M0n0_bogdan28 April 2023
Murphy's Law movie: Everything that could go wrong, did. I get that everything revolves around short-fuse yelling and being violent but everyone was just great...especially the little girl, who by the end got even younger because of the events that happened around her.
Pavlu was just made for this role. He balances that loser-psychopath line very well, a frustrated man whose patience has reached an end. A man who wants dignity but on his own terms, not others. He was like that all his life...just as shown by the scene with his parents.
It might have gotten a bit repetitive but it was, in the end, a good overly-dramatic romanian film.
Pavlu was just made for this role. He balances that loser-psychopath line very well, a frustrated man whose patience has reached an end. A man who wants dignity but on his own terms, not others. He was like that all his life...just as shown by the scene with his parents.
It might have gotten a bit repetitive but it was, in the end, a good overly-dramatic romanian film.
Foe fetish voyeurs
alexp4017 March 2021
This "movie" adds nothing to the art of cinema, it overreacts just for the sake of overreacting and it's like a show for a voyeur.
It was made just to serve the PC movement like all the movies of this.. Jude "director"
Not something you want to see
raulonisor20 December 2021
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
