Tributary Stu
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Hai Romania (2024): An Unstoppable Journey into National Pride | Review
The documentary “Hai Romania!” delves into Romania’s impactful 1994 World Cup performance, offering intimate insights and emotional reflections from key figures like Hagi and Iordănescu. Directed by Claudiu Mitcu, the film’s loose structure and overabundance of voices may detract from its impact. It misses an opportunity to explore the broader societal context, playing more as… Read more
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Movies of the Week #9 (2024)
Land des Schweigens und der Dunkelheit (1971): An early Werner Herzog documentary, I was immediately taken aback and promptly shattered by the casual soul-crushing factualness of Fini Straubinger’s solitude. It’s a particularly striking experience, because Fini appears to all extents (and, I assume, also purposefully through framing) to be a perfectly common person, a determined… Read more
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Movies of the Week #8 (2024)
This week we’re having a Birbigliathon! Buckle up for some nerdy stand-up. Mike Birbiglia, whom you might know from many a minor role in movies, or maybe even from the movies he wrote and directed, Don’t Think Twice (2016) or Sleepwalk With Me (2012), is also an everyman’s comedian. So here goes: Mike Birbiglia: What… Read more
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Movies of the Week #7 (2023)
Diamantino (2018): If you’re looking for an(other) unusual movie, look no further. This is a trip, both visually and narratively, and the only thing I can say against it, is that Diamantino reveals its cards too soon, lacking a gut-punching finale. That said, if you want to find out how a global football icon, fluffy… Read more
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Movies of the Week #6 (2024)
Love and Death (1975): A whimsical Woody Allen partakes in philosophy, Russian lit and Bergman references in this much appreciated satire. Starring alongside the ever-excellent Diane Keaton, both playing their characters with childlike foolishness and enthusiasm, Love and Death scores highly on the quotability scale, even if one needs to be decent at remembering gushes… Read more
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Movie of the Week #5 (2024)
Pentru mine tu ești Ceaușescu (2021): Sebastian Mihăilescu stood out with the controversial Mammalia (2023) last year, but his debut feature should ruffle considerably fewer feathers, while staking its own claim for your attention. In an unconventional (and artsy) documentary, Mihăilescu challenges a group of teenagers to audition for the role of young Nicolae Ceaușescu,… Read more
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Review: Klaus & Barroso (2024)
The team behind the surprising, if uneven, Taximetrişti (2023) reunited for a follow-up that feels similar in style, but is considerably less inspired. Directed by Bogdan Th. Olteanu, who co-wrote the movie alongside the two leads, Adrian Nicolae and Cosmin Nedelcu, K&B is just a succession of scenes that sway between the unfunny and the… Read more
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Movies of the Week #4 (2024)
Navalny (2022): There are many reasons to feel down when thinking of the current (geo)political climate, with the state of affairs in Russia near the top of the list. I only knew of Navalny by reputation before this and I’m not sure I really know a heck of a lot more after it. Sure, he’s… Read more
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Review: #dogpoopgirl (2021)
This satire by Andrei Hutuleac wants to address dysfunctions of modern (Romanian) society, transfixed in its obsession with scandals and its deformed perception of justice and how these have been galvanized by internet culture. Clearly, these are valid observations, that have been made many a time; often, without being memorably incisive, but on occasion with… Read more
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Movies of the Week #3 (2024)
Silver Servers (2023): As a big tennis fan and actual practitioner, I look forward to any tennis-related movie-materials. This little documentary I came across on HBO Max follows four octogenary+ tennis players, readying themselves for the ITF Senior World Championships. It might be a cliche, but it is emboldening to see people at that age… Read more
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Movies of the Week #2 (2023)
Master and Commander The Far Side of the World (2003): One of the few promising mainstream movies of the 00s that I had not seen, this reteaming of Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany is an exciting seafaring flick. The visuals and sound effects steal the show, but the movie also achieves something that often eludes… Read more
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Movies of the Week #1 (2024)
“Lost in America” (1985) delves into the complexities of relationships and the allure of adventure, while “This is the End” (2013) offers a refreshing take on doomsday movies with its meta-humour and memorable finale. “Time Bomb Y2K” (2023) captures the essence of the Y2K crisis through archival footage, and “Fast Charlie” (2023) delivers an entertaining… Read more
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