Der Rest ist schweigen

È pericoloso sporgersi, Asphalt Tango, Filantropica... The ingredient are the same: lots of humor on a tragic background. 'Restul e tacere' has the same Caranfil style, and more... Without a doubt, his best work. It's a story about the making of the first Romanian movie in 1911, the age when Bucharest was still 'little Paris', and the national identity feelings were probably at the highest level of all times. Although as a Romanian i felt really close to this movie, i must say there is no over - nationalist propaganda, just a simple decent story with a little bit of history as background, telling us how talent met with business to do the "War of independence" film. The humor is great, the story is a must know, the acting is extraordinary, especially the two main characters (Leon Negrea played by Ovidiu Niculescu and Grigore Ursache played by Marius Florea Vizante), the music is right on cue, the 'little Paris' atmosphere is greatly recreated and the rest is silence...

Story of a movie. Story of a Romanian society and the image of movie-adventure. A film about small things, warm, nostalgic, like a spring day.A comedy but, in same time, description of a fight. Old fashion atmosphere and subjective view. And large circles of collective memory. A film about present with words of past.Simple, naive and natural, classic and childish, cruel analysis of a victory and scene of soft discover of national modernity's roots. Ioana Bulca in a impressive come-back. Marius Florea Vizante as brilliant pioneer. And the ash of a lost time. A film about the deep images of soul. Piece of self-definition. A sort of game out of gray reality. A movie. About sense of art, fight, success, fame and truth. Small fragment of a huge mirror.

just saw the movie. In a cinema theater. Sunday morning, only four people in the audience, myself included.

I'm blown away.

here, normally, I would have added only another sentence to this post - but the IMDb rules state a post must have a minimum 10 lines.

so I might write that this is not just a movie. It's a tribute to all movie makers, of all times. It's a tribute to all the people passionate enough with an idea to be able to follow it until the very end. A tribute to those few people that do not sell their soul, or their ideals. In a way, one might read it as Caranfil's manifesto.

but ignore all the above. Ignore all the comments. Just go see the movie. It speaks for itself better than anybody ever could.

the rest is silence.

An absolute masterpiece of Romanian cinematography and a solid quality picture. Its romantic and humorous atmosphere, its gorgeous reconstruction of Romanian belle epoque is fantastic (since that time, beginning of XX century, Bucharest was named 'Little Paris', due to many resemblances to the original city), the acting is impeccable and scenario is well-paced, humorous and inventive. The story is the making off of the making off of the Independence War that Romania, along with Russia took part against Otoman Empire in period 1877 - 1878. A must see picture, remarkable for the new spirit in Romanian cinematography.

it could be another successful film of a special Romanian director. or the return of Romanian cinema to the historical genre. or occasion to see great actors in impeccable performances. or, just, a different film. but its virtue is the status of beautiful homage. to film. to sacrifice of few idealist people. to a slice of Romania modernity. to figures who looking for change everything. it is a basket with stories. love, humor, dramas. and the beginning of Romanian cinema. the same flavor of films and making of and clashes between different visions. for me, "Restul e tăcere" has two fundamental virtues : the original portrait of the king Carol I, the splendid presence of Ioana Bulcă. and , sure, the impeccable atmosphere.