Il était une fois Palilula

Oh look, another romanian epic nobody saw...why? Because there is no marketing done for these films...especially unfortunate in this case because this one is actually interesting and beautiful.

It has the ever-present story set in communism but viewed progressivly. From a theatrical director, its setting is very Dogville-like...the subject I find is very fluid and not set in stone, anti-communist to the bone, anti-"romanian people" - but a good characterisation. Absurdist, filled with symbolism and theatre metaphors, it has some good points along the way...points that can be discussed to no end.

It is a bit too long and you feel it going somewhere with no direction at times, but it is something that I would recommend.

a film who preserves each line of director theatrical experience. grotesque, supra-realism, crumbs of kitsch, fragility of characters, strange balls of joy. result - an experience. because the images, the music and acting gives form to a large show of broken shadows and explosions of imagination. and it is not really a surprise. Romania is a door to Balkans. it can be , in fact, a brick of this zone. Romania is, in same measure, the motherland of Anton Pann, Tristan Tzara, Urmuz,Ion Barbu, Eugene Ionesco, Cioran and Caragiale ( Ion Luca and Mateiu ). this film reflects this fact. and the manner is seductive, naive and convincing. Palilula and doctor Seraphim as last its sign, the veil of myth and never ending leisure, the air of theater and the characters - shadows of spirits, the fall, each is piece of an universe who reflects the present of a country at middle of all temptations.

The film reveals the limits of a director used to do theater. Mentioning that I known doctor Serafim which was a very complex upper society person, the perspective is grotesque and horrible. The quality of the scenes, the lights,the colors, the sound and so on are no good than for a low budget theater representation caught on tape. The film is horrible and is no surprise that was immediately rejected by the public, despite the prices received from the "critics". These East European extremely low budget movies promoted by improvised directors should have at least some attraction points but in "Somewhere in Palilula" there is not the case... The film really sucks. Two hours of my life, I'll never be able to take back.

Somewhere in Palilula is apparently a film! Or is it theatre, an allegory, or just one enormous piece of installation artwork? I consider it a brilliant mixture of all of these, and the director's theatrical background is used to great effect. Whether you like it will depend on your sense of humour. I liked Little Britain and Delicatessen - a black sense of humour is definitely required, and a very basic awareness of what the Ceaucescu period meant in Romania would add to your appreciation, but isn't a prerequisite. I have to agree with the person who wrote "It reminded me a bit of Emil Kusturitza, by its strong Balkan flavor." It has the same drive and energy which sweeps one along. See also Nicola Woodham's review which is more comprehensive than mine.

I saw it at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival 2012 and hats off to them for showing it, but it didn't win any prizes, sadly in my view. I think cinema goers in the UK with a black or off-the-wall sense of humour would love it, while mainstream US audiences probably wouldn't. The ending will have you thinking. Overall rating: wonderful.

It's a brilliant movie, a mixture of dark comedy and absurd theater, full of symbols and depicting a fallen universe. Somehow a Paradise in the communist inferno. Strange, with passages from dream to reality and back to dream, with antiheroes busy only to enjoy whatever can be enjoyed from life in a forgotten place of the world (forgotten by people and by history as well). It's a movie similar to a play, with good actors, fantastic images and a very strongly underlined humor. But, as for the pediatrist who comes here for few weeks and stay for life, it manages to keep the public there, during 140 minutes. It reminded me a bit of Emil Kusturitza, by its strong Balkan flavor.