Filantropica

Beautiful black humor film, which shows the system in Romania, even still today. The part of teacher Oividiu shows, how even now teachers have to fiddle to enrich their income.The young woman Diana is the personification of Romanian women who love their country and also find ways to add income, but still keep their pride, dignity and identity. They have style and grace. Diana and his wife know how to show this to the viewer.Wonderful acting. The youngsters could be from any place on this earth, they are all the same, react the same,have no identity, therefor it is great to see how Caranfil finds a great way to show the world of nothing to something. He proofs that there is character on both sides. Even the beggars get respect and in a humorous way there is a cooperation. During the film there is a symbiose between the poor and "nouveau rich" who respect and even complement each other.

...and an excellent commentary on the state of society not only in Romania but in the rest of the world. There are some references, small, almost hidden, to the World Bank and the EU, that help you to see the parallels between what's happening to the protagonist on a personal level and what's happening to Romania on a national level.

I've spent a lot of time in Romania over the last few years, and have wanted to tell people I know here in the UK about what it's really like over there - Filantropica gives me a chance to make what I say come to life. The portrayal of the rich, useless 'students', in particular, was so close to reality I just couldn't stop laughing.

....and the dogs at the beginning and the end are just, well, perfect!

I had the exquisite privilege to see the film's premiere and since then I've been to see it five more times. It is the best Romanian film ever made. From the script writing (plot) to acting, costumes, camera movements, editing, everything has so high a quality it acquires international value. The disadvantage of it being so Romanian may diminish a lot of its humor for foreign viewers, but there is something universal about humor that makes the bittersweet truth reach the humanity of each member of the audience rather than their nationality. It is a sour sweet satire of the contemporary Romanian society and underworld of which fiction one begins to doubt as credits start rolling.

This is for those who don't know how the director looks like: Nae Caranfil has a cameo as a Karaoke singer. Does the foreign audience applaud when there is a good scene or when the director appears in a cameo, like they did here?

What else? The Romanian film critics had designated "Filantropica" as representative for our country in Best Foreign Picture pre-nominations for the Academy Awards. Unfortunately, they didn't know much about publicity and didn't even come up with all the necessary data for the sites & all, but this does not diminish the film's value and the excuse may be that the event was a first time ever.

Is Filantropica the best Romanian movie? Some may say yes, other may have been less impressed by Caranfil's satire. But no matter how you look at it, you have to agree that Filantropica has something that many Romanian movies lack. It's got a story, a pulse, a damn heart beat. What that means? I suppose it means it's got some likable protagonists as well as debatable villains and its satire goes beyond the social layer and reaches the human one. That's what makes Filantropica so cool: its not just a film that's got something to say, it's a film that's got something to show off with. Finally, a Romanian movie with an earth-bound story, less chat and a bit more of "this and that"!

Filantropica is a film about the fate of a professor who falls in love with a rather "sophisticated" lady, who just costs too much. But because love knows no limits, our professor is prepared to do anything in order to fulfill his yearning. And, as all know, the easiest way to conquer a shallow heart is by being a financially affluent person. Most unfortunately, the professor isn't in such a position and he searches desperately for a solution. The solution, as unexpected as it may be, is, of course, business related. A bit unconventional, maybe. That is, if you consider "organized" begging an unconventional business.

OK, so it's fun and it criticizes some very disturbing facts of the lower social classes and, in the meantime, it details the rather dark career of a beggar. Yeah, I know, I never thought someone could make money out of beginning through such an organized and well planed scheme, but it seems it pays off. Now the sad thing is, it's mostly true and it's impossible to control in the current conditions (moral ambiguity). But in Filantropica, it is - and this is of great relevance - another matter of life. It's part of something bigger and more important, it follows an ideal, morally shabby, but conceptually good. The context (aka the story, the characters) make it real. And that's what good films are (sometimes) about.

Are you laughing or are you crying? I dunno and this realistic view on today's life in some east European country (Romania) makes you aware that the power is in hands of those who are related to the mob. "Filantropica" tells the story of an ordinary man, a schoolteacher who writes some books in his free time (without success). He earns enough to keep himself alive but from the moment he wants something out of line (sympathy for a gorgeous looking girl) he has just one route : following the route of crime. "Filantropica" shows perfect how the mob is involved in everything, from televisionshows till the beggar on the street and it might be a very hard movie, it's a brilliant masterpiece of today's society. Absolute must!