Comoara

this movie is full of surprises, existing as it does in the shadow of conventional Hollywood story telling. it's premised on the deal made between two neighbours to investigate a rumoured buried treasure, and as the film progresses there are many opportunities for others to get involved and claim a slice, if not all, of the loot for themselves. if in fact there is any treasure. we've seen enough heist movies and buried treasure movies to know what money does to people, how they treat one another; double crossings, murder, corrupt cops etc. all of the tropes you can expect from this kind of narrative exist here as possibilities, and as such determine the expectations of a viewer. but the film operates in a kind of flat negative space produced by these expectations, and delivers a series of perverse thrills by its avoidance of conventional narrative arcs and possibilities. it's a refreshing, low-key undermining of Hollywood screen writing hegemony. . .

"A man makes his own problems; they don't descend from heaven." Cornel (Corneliu Cozmei)

The two heroes of the strange but lovable Romanian comedy, The Treasure, do create their problems, mainly digging for treasure in a backyard with the help of Cornel and his metal detector. Although the two hapless diggers are in serious need of cash flow, there is something mock heroic in their haphazard plans that are bound to go wrong from the get go. Not even to say the possibility of Cornel blackmailing them for breaking Romanian found-treasure laws.

Chaucer's Pardoner's Tale tells of the dire consequences when men try to find easy gold, and Treasure of Sierra Madre has a similarly fateful trajectory. Beckett's Waiting for Godot also comes to mind as the search has a simplicity, frustration, and sure-to fail feel to it. However, The Treasure has a lighter tone, not hilarious by any means, but aiming to take this goofy quest and make it a modern morality tale with Keystone-Cops flavor.

The "takes" are long and slow with an emphasis on establishing, diminishing, and revealing character through conversation in an everyday mode that veritably shouts out the inevitable upending. The pace is leisurely if not downright slow—you know you're almost in real time as you watch them slowly dig for the treasure. The occasional long shots seem to emphasize the long-shot stupidity of the enterprise.

It's the ending that will wake you from your torpor to wide-eyed wonder. Enough said.

'The Treasure' is a bit of an odd duck. The film is about a man that is approached by his neighbor to help him dig up some theoretical treasure in his town yard. But things aren't so simple. Both of these men are rather poor and can barely afford to pay for a metal detector. This is one of those films that is a very unique experience. While it's certainly something that I haven't seen before, it's unfortunately one that I don't think I will ever revisit. The main reason for this is because the films plot is extraordinarily thin. The brief plot summary I mentioned at the beginning is really the only thing that this is about. They want to find treasure than they go digging.

Oddly enough this lack of substance seemed almost intentional. The whole point of the movie was to be as natural as possible. I will say that the characters and performances do dish out some very dry humor this way though. In fact the humor is so dry it can be easily missed. Especially when there isn't all that much of it.

Although my main gripe with this film is in it's story, it can still be oddly enchanting. I think this has a direct correlation with humans love of money. Or, I mean, treasure. I think anyone can relate to the desire to find loot. So when we see a guy rooming around with a metal detector for over fifteen minutes of screen time it's not as bland as it could have been. ​ But, it's still pretty bland. I mean there's only so much of this nothing that one can reasonably take. I enjoy watching movies that replicate life itself but this one isn't that kind of movie. It's so paper thin, in fact, that watching it felt more like reading an essay. Character 1 goes into house while character 2 sits with character 3. Character 2 and 3 get into argument. Character 1 intervenes. And so on.

While I obviously understand the dryness that the movie is going for, it's just oh so dry. Again, there is literally fifteen minutes of this film that involves these three characters pacing around a yard. Doing nothing but metal detecting. After that we get about twenty more minutes of nothing but digging.

A few of the people argue between this but other than that, there is nothing to this. The characters are half decent and can provide some stimulation yet, they aren't good enough to make you really think about anything. The only really great part of this movie is in the visuals. It may not have many dynamic shots but they are all well composed and utilize long takes to highlight the simple feel of the film.

I certainly appreciate the purpose behind many of the decisions made, I just can't get past this movies lack of substance. It's so bland and dry that even when it's trying to simulate life itself, it's hard to relate too. I found myself more interested in the palms of hands than what I was seeing on screen. Great visuals and decent direction can only go so far, so by the thirty minute mark I was totally checked out.

Greetings again from the darkness. Cinematic comedies always face a challenge of the wide variances found in the senses of humor of movie goers. Taking a wry comedy approach narrows the market a bit more, and finally, tying in cultural and historical aspects specific to Romania risks leaving an audience of only the staunchest film festival attendees. Writer/director Corneliu Porumboui (12:08 East of Bucharest) sticks to his creative vision, never once catering to the masses.

Costi (Toma Cuzin) is reading "Robin Hood" to his young son when a knock on the door leads to a conversation with his neighbor Adrian (Adrian Purcanescu). In most movies, theirs would be described as an awkward conversation, but in this world, awkward is normal, so the description doesn't really fit. However, the Robin Hood story acts a structure to the film, and especially to the actions and thought process of Costi, who fancies himself as a real life Robin Hood, even if it's possibly only to impress his bullied-at-school son.

Adrian's pitch to Costi is meant to raise the 800 Euros necessary to hire a professional metal detector in hopes of finding the treasure buried by Adrian's great-grandfather during WWII. The stage is set for what looks to be the proverbial wild goose chase of an urban legend, but this partnership results in the introduction of Corneliu Cozmei, a real life metal detector professional. The conversation between these three during the dig is at times harsh and lacking any pleasantries … sometimes laden with accusations … and often tying in Romanian history from revolutions to wars and Communist control. It's here you're your particular sense of humor will either be rewarded or not. Viewers are treated to the somehow entertaining extended sequence of 3 men digging a hole whilst lighted by car headlights and accompanied by the beeping of the (flawed?) metal detector.

The wry, deadpan comedy is often as uncomfortable as it is funny, and much of the negativity is directed at the bureaucracy of modern day Romania (and human nature in general), including the ridiculous "cultural heritage" fees of any found treasure. This leads to an offbeat scene at the local police station – again, either wry or boring, depending on you. If the viewers have trouble connecting with the characters or the dialogue, perhaps the closing song "Life is Life" (in a guttural performance from Lailbach) will prove to be the best explanation of what was just seen. Most of us can't name another Romanian comedy … and depending on taste, some will question whether this one qualifies, while others will be googling for more.

Excellent film and a great script, relevant and fresh. The simplicity of it someone had called-out is its very strength, and if it carries some scenes in real time a la Béla Tarr, it is part suspense mechanism for the audience fantasies to play out, as well as to open up space for the viewer to contemplate their own values being addressed.

In it's sparing dialogue (suited to the social air density being portrayed), and not unlike a Roy Anderson film, each point of conversation is another clue or symbol threaded into the moral tableau performed over the course of the film. It deals with profound issues with understated situational comedy, leaving all conclusions up to the viewer. The acting deserves another notable mention, naturalistic and effortlessly comedic.

We've seen it as a group German, Swiss, American and were all delighted with the ending neither one of us guessed! Keen for the next film from this director.