Furia

I watched this movie with the Romanian Students Club at the University of Toronto. I was a bit late, so I missed the first few minutes, and at the end we talked about it. The opinions were divided: some felt that the movie is unfair to the Romanian reality as it focuses too much on the criminal element, others didn't like it because they felt it's too Russian, yet some saw similarities with "Snatch" or "28 Days Later" but most were either silent or seemed to have liked it. A singular voice claimed that the movie may be a reflection of the society (was he trying to incite comments?), while others felt that it was a parable. As for me, I found it hard to form an opinion, especially because of the complete lack of any frame of reference. Still, if a comparison is warranted, I've seen some ideas from Tarantino delivered with French candour (an Amores Perros made in Ro?!?). I haven't seen all the Romanian movies made after the fall of the stalinist regime. But of those few that I did see, most were very good, met or exceeded my expectations, and this is no exception.

The movie starts out on a light note, and seems to develop along the beaten path of Hollywood style teen comedies - fortunately, I missed most of this part. Luckily, the director abandons this avenue, the action takes off, drama unfolds, and we watch our heroes living - and dying - on the edge.

The main characters do represent indeed a generation, even though I did not identify with them. I wouldn't call them a "generation of sacrifice" as some did, because all generations in Romania have a claim to that qualifier, with the exception perhaps of those who lived in the interbellic decades (and even for them, those who had it best spent their retirement in prisons, in exile, or in a fetid basement overtaken by anxiety). There is a dark reality of Romanian life, strikingly apparent in the movie, a reality which cannot be denied through PR exercises: there's an appalling lack of horizons and opportunities for the young generation. It's no surprise then that most young Romanians, including our heroes, see immigration as the only way out, as the only hope, but few have the means to take this route.

Yet, despite the gloomy circumstances, the director/writer is able to present an involving, fast paced storyline. The premise is very credible and the actors lively and candid in their interpretation. Some scenes emerge from the uniform desperation as uniquely funny, but we don't even have time to catch our breath and realise it, as we are too involved (the movie was rated as Action/Comedy, but it's more of an Action/Drama in my view).

Certain characters are insufficiently developed, like the hardened thug who had to "take care" of the main (anti)hero. Certain scenes in the movie have their own rhythm and appear interconnected (maybe the scenes where emotions flow without words; words disappear in the background or simply sublimate), such as the spectacle with the two dwarf parents, the scene with Luca's parents or the very end, which is a nefarious conclusion to the search for a way out. The end shouldn't surprise. The hero engaged on a one-way street, and only a miracle could've saved him. But miracles don't happen in this part of the universe, so his struggle to keep his head out of the slimy, green water is destined to fail...

Perhaps the frequent comparisons to other cinema schools are rooted in the lack of awareness about movies from this part of the world. Is it not possible, then, that this movie, like several others before it (The Oak, Filantropica, Occident), is indicative of an increasingly assertive, independent, mature yet still largely unknown Romanian school of cinema?

Looking backwards to that year 2002 when "Furia" was made, one can easily recognize the heralding sings of today's New Generation in Romania.

The main qualities of "Furia" stand in a very solid script, with a substantial dramatic core and a really professional developing, plus a cast of excellent actors. All four leading roles are admirably performed, both with depth and casualness: Dragos Bucur and Andy Vasluianu confirmed, since then, being two of our best performers today, Dorina Chiriac follows them closely, and Adrian Tuli, a non-professional (in real life, a graveyard manager!) cast as Gabonu, was a genuine revelation!

Further, Radu Muntean's directing is skilled and expressive, creating in a very compelling style that feeling of "a fateful night" and inescapable destiny. One can easily pass over the few awkward and even failed moments, since time proved them to be only the uncertainties inherent to a debut, never repeated in his subsequent movies: "Hârtia va fi albasträ" and "Boogie".

The Romanian cinema is little known out of Romania. No directors from Romania came out to the attention of the international public, as some from other countries from Eastern Europe like Hungary, Czekoslowakia, or Yugoslavia succeeded to do. One of the few great directors in Romanian cinema is Lucian Pintilie, who 35 ago directed a great movie 'Reconstituirea' - quickly taken out of the circuit by the communist censorship. After that film, still a reference for the Romanian cinema, Pintilie was not allowed to create freely in Romania until the Communist rule fell in 1989.

'Furia' reminds me Pintilie's film 35 years ago. The title means 'The Rage' and I cannot imagine why the distributors chose to translate it differently. It is about a lost generation. While in the classic of Pintilie the root of evil is in the oppression and lies of the communist regime, here the young folks need to deal with the emergence of the sub-culture, and the moral filth that filled in the void left by the totalitarian rule. The end is tragic and painfully expected.

The movie is well directed, and the acting is good. Without too much complexity, it succeeds to create an emotional link between the characters and the viewer. One would say that some situations seem similar to '8 Miles' or 'The Fast and the Furious' - but look at the date of the production! This film was made at the same time, if not before the Western peers. If this is indeed the first film of director Radu Muntean, as IMDb says, it is an outstanding debut. In any case, a good movie, can compete and may sell well on the Western market.

There is hope for a new generation of Romanian films that with some luck and good distribution will make its place in the international cinema scene.

8/10 on my personal scale.

This is probably the best movie of 2002 regarding Romanian cinema. I do recommend it being an intense drama with no lack of action and thrills. The movie concentrates upon teen life in the Bucharest suburbs trough the main character, not focusing so much on the character's shape or definition but more on the anger that he and other characters feel. The title "Furia" means rage rather than anger, but could be regarded in the movie in both senses from the behavior of actors. The rather odd love story (not a typical romantic one, but rather a modern suburban conception) is well shaped towards the end. It is a captivating picture, and cinematography is pretty good in catching the suburban night life thus making it a nice movie to watch and.

You won't get bored for a minute, i promise!

I have to say that I haven't expected that this movie to be this good. Usually, the eastern cinema presents the communist past in 90% of the films. However, this film surpasses the Romanian Cinema, being worthy of some more advertisement.

The acting is truthfully and not exaggerated, the plot is simple yet complex as it presents the life in the Romanian suburbia, the sound amazed me, the directing was good and what more can I say...

This "Crash" of Eastern Europe was drawn me into the film living each moment of it. I have even felt a desire coming out of me, a desire for adventure after seeing it.

Watch it! You will definitely enjoy it!

7/10