The script is full of good ideas and intentions, all in all about half-fulfilled: the story-line is somewhat linear, and lacking many of the important joints of a well articulated scenario - but, on the positive side, it's entertaining and rich in content, able to combine into a well balanced recipe the tragedy and comedy.
To my extremely agreeable surprise, Horatiu proved himself a true director. All his hesitations and uncertainties are of the "inherent to a debut" type - and remarkably few in number. Definitely, he shows a good critical sense, trimming away many of the script's faults, or even speculatively converting them into positive qualities. Further, he has a powerful visual sense, and a solid capacity of synthesis.
One has commented about the movie's "theatralism" - it deliberately departs realism, by recourse to many stylish exaggerations, significant and expressive as such, but of an unlikelihood bordering impossibility. So it is, but this seeming failure remained only one step away of being converted into what it actually purported to be: a daring mean of expression, in the best vein of elaborated style. It would have been enough to insist a bit more on the present-day mayor's narrative about the depicted happenings, stressing the fact that everything is seen through the distorting lens of one's own affective memory.
Still, it's undeniable that Horatiu creates a world of its own, bringing it to focus with extreme expressiveness... It's hard to forget the tasteful beauty of the erotic scenes - topped by the splendid image of Meda Victor being literally "drowned in wheat" by Alex Potocean's thrusts. And the top-scene, the "Mute Wedding" itself, arrives to be a successful tour de force. Definitely, it's a movie to be seen - and savored with relish.
To my extremely agreeable surprise, Horatiu proved himself a true director. All his hesitations and uncertainties are of the "inherent to a debut" type - and remarkably few in number. Definitely, he shows a good critical sense, trimming away many of the script's faults, or even speculatively converting them into positive qualities. Further, he has a powerful visual sense, and a solid capacity of synthesis.
One has commented about the movie's "theatralism" - it deliberately departs realism, by recourse to many stylish exaggerations, significant and expressive as such, but of an unlikelihood bordering impossibility. So it is, but this seeming failure remained only one step away of being converted into what it actually purported to be: a daring mean of expression, in the best vein of elaborated style. It would have been enough to insist a bit more on the present-day mayor's narrative about the depicted happenings, stressing the fact that everything is seen through the distorting lens of one's own affective memory.
Still, it's undeniable that Horatiu creates a world of its own, bringing it to focus with extreme expressiveness... It's hard to forget the tasteful beauty of the erotic scenes - topped by the splendid image of Meda Victor being literally "drowned in wheat" by Alex Potocean's thrusts. And the top-scene, the "Mute Wedding" itself, arrives to be a successful tour de force. Definitely, it's a movie to be seen - and savored with relish.