Top 5: Best in Romanian Cinema in 2010

[Editor’s note: I’ve asked our team of world film correspondents to dish out their top 5 films of the year from their respective countries. Here’s Marin Apostol’s take on the Best in Romanian Cinema in 2010.]

It was one more vintage year for Romanian films on the world cinema scene. The long-awaited film from Cristi Puiu in the Cannes’ Un Certain Regard selected Aurora won over some critics (including two on our site) but those who didn;t give the film a glowing review accused the film which runs at 180 minutes of being too long. Despite this, the film has been sold to more than a dozen countries (including The Cinema Guild in the U.S.) and it will be released internationally next year, as well as domestically.

Another Romanian film that received a lot of good reviews through the year has been Radu Muntean’s Tuesday, After Christmas. This was the movie that pushed LA Times’ Steven Zeitchik to say that, “Romanians can’t make a bad film. It’s, like, illegal in their country. Or at least not in their DNA.” Romanians were especially proud by the comment as it was republished by the majority of Romanian media.

But perhaps the most successful Romanian film of 2010 has been Florin Șerban’s first feature, the winner of Silver Bear, at Berlinale 2010, the number one Romanian film at box office in Romania, and the film that was sent to rep the country in the Best Foreign Film category – If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle. There are some rumors that are talking even about an American remake in the next couple years – you’ll be able to see the film via Film Movement at the top of 2011 calender year.

And that’s not all. There are more Romanian films that have won important prizes at some big film festivals around the world. I’m talking about Marian Crişan’s feature debut – Morgen (Locarno), Bogdan George Apetri’s also feature debut – Periferic (TIFF), and two documentaries that somehow relaunched this form of filmmaking in Romania: The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceaușescu, by Andrei Ujică (that, surprisingly, had a good run at box office too) and Alexander Nanau’s The World According to Ion B.

It seems that despite the problems that exist in Romania, despite the fact that we don’t have as many cinemas as we’d wish or the fact that very few people dare to go and see a Romanian film, Romanian filmmakers are more and more appreciated abroad. Here are my top five films that made a mark on me throughout the 2010 campaign.

#5. Medal of Honor (Medalia de onoare) – Călin Netzer
After a long hibernation period, actor Victor Rebengiuc finally makes a comeback. Filled with plenty of soul, one feels full of bliss, as if you end up smiling with comprehension, feeling that, somehow, you know these characters.

#4. Capitalism – our improved formula (Kapitalism – rețeta noastră secretă) – Alexandru Solomon
This is about Dan Voiculescu, Dinu Patriciu, George Becali, George Copos, Dan Diaconescu, Ioan Niculae and George Pădure – seven people who got rich, someway or another. As the director confessed, this exotic cocktail, a mix of money, power and the communist past, this is a film about Romanians and about Romania. Maybe, for other people from other countries, it’s hard to understand it. Maybe, for some Romanians it’s hard to tolerate it. Put simply, these are our stories of success – take it or leave it.

#3. Wedding in Basarabia (Nuntă în Basarabia) – Napoleon Helmis
It’s not a 100% Romanian film, but it’s the first romantic comedy made by a Romanian director in years — it tickles the funny bone it’s romantic and it’s about love. So un-Cannes like. The film brings up cultural differences in a relaxed way, while the dialogues are tricky and playful: “Who’s most beautiful: me or your mother?” asks Vica. Vlad answers: “3rd place”. “Well… You won’t get any 3rd place for three days” says Vica.

#2. The Autobiography of Nicolae Ceaușescu – Andrei Ujică
For the first time we’re able to see the bad, the good and the ugly of Nicolae Ceaușescu without anyone telling us anything about the Romanian dictator. We’re just left alone, with ourselves, staring at some old footage. Cristi Puiu said at this film’s premiere that we call it a documentary just because we don’t have another word to describe it. Others called it a masterpiece;
For about three hours we watch Ceaușescu, we laugh with/at him, we remember things some of us would wish to forget, we get to see a ridiculous man that had the chance to run a country.

#1. First of all, Felicia (Felicia, înainte de toate) – Răzvan Rădulescu and Melissa de Raaf.
My number one pick is loaded with strong characters. It’s a 100% Romanian story. Its humor is naturalistic. The story is funny, but also intense. It’s about a mother, a father, a daughter, a sister. It’s about an usual family which doesn’t communicate, about people who isolate themselves into a family and refuse to say things that might hurt… until one day, when Felicia frees herself from all the things she kept inside, providing one of the best, powerful and moving moments in the history of Romanian cinema.