Malmkrog

With impeccable framing of each scene, both in terms of the material environment and the framing -classically precise- by the camera, Puiu dares to film a dense but rewarding theological conversation informed by philosophy, history and the subtleties of upper class politesse. The discussion itself is drawn from the work of Vladimir Solovyev -who in Russia and Eastern Europe is as central a thinker as Kierkegaard in the Wést-, often remembered as the friend of Dostoyevsky and the noble campaigner against antisemitism in Russia. Laced with irony (Puiu's), it offers a meditation on the nature of good and evil. But this is not merely a conversation filmed. The filmic construction of each scene through camera perspective, the bodily language of the actors, the choreography of servants and aristocrats, all combine to produce a deeply moving fresco of an instant in time, a lull before the impending storm which would sweep the characters and their world away. Sublime.

And it ain't Transformers 2 :D.

For me the best thing is how a novel written by a Russian philosopher that died in the year 1900 remains relevant today. Two world wars and millions of dead later it's like listening to 21. Century liberals and conservatives argue.

Hey, but we have Facebook and Arby's!

Probably the best way to discover or re-discover phylosophical rivalities in european history. Yes, it is slow, there is no action. But a great way to discover european history .

I start by saying that it is indeed a long and pretentious film with the audience, which requires patience and attention.

I can say that in the first half hour of the movie is the big test of patience for what follows, but patience that deserves every minute. Malmkrog is a cinematic success with a special experimental air vibe underneath a classic presentation of great visual value. The only negative point, if I may call it negative, is that it is not for everyone, not for any level of thinking, therefore not for any age, there is a good chance that you will not understand some of the discussions in the dialogue if you are too young. The essence of Cristi Puiu's films lies in the dialogue and interaction between the characters in relation to the environment. The atmosphere in the film is unique and captivating. if you are not interested in topics such as religion, Christianity and history, chances are you will find it boring. But if you are passionate, prepare to enter into a dizzying dialogue about God, truth, subjectivity, objectivity. The film touches on themes relevant to the world we live in and to which we are heading. It's that kind of movie that's good to see several times. For lovers of the art of cinema, it deserves all the patience and all the attention.

Excellent cinematography, superb editing and the actors play great. A cinematic creation that begins in a special way and ends in equal measure. Malmkrog will surprise you in a way like human nature.

I think this is his best movie creation so far! 9/10

Believe it or not, despite the rumors of this being a tedious and boring film, I found it engaging and interesting. During the last decade, Puiu's films explored in depth the source text of this film, "Three Dialogues" by the russian Belle Epoque theologist and philosopher Solov'ëv. This film feels like the coronation of this study, the ultimate version (following the modernisations that Puiu directed previously). The concept was to figure out if a philosophical dialogue can become a film. I believe that Puiu succeeded, mainly thanks to his personal directorial choices. While the philosophical themes (which range in a too wide spectrum to be listed, though mostly concerned with ethics and moral philosophy) are depicted interestingly by themselves, it's interesting to see what Puiu adds in his mise-en-scène: not only the location is changed, but interestingly the language: curiously, romanian is almost never heard, as the five aristocrats that debate speak in french, whereas the servants speak hungarian or german, the minoritary languages of transilvania, where the titular manor house is placed. Moreover, sound design and noises, the background movements of characters constitute a completely new parallel story, and contribute to create a sense of reality. Despite apparences this Puiu film is perfectly in league with his hyperralism estabilished in The Death of Mr Lazarescu or Aurora, as it is an aim to represent a real aristocratic setting from the late XIXth century. Let us not forget, for example, that french was the language that eastern european aristocracy chise to speak in situations such as the one depicted in the film. As for the way the action (or better, the inaction) is shown, there's frequent long takes, but despite expectations they are not tedious or "sleep-inducing": either the camera or the characters keep moving around, preserving dynamicity to the screen. While the original text is made of of three dialogues, Puiu chose to divide the film in six chapters, each dedicated to one of the five aristocrats involved in the conversations, plus one involving the butler, a silent servant that keeps appearing in the background of the film. This film easily became instantly one of my favourite romanian films and one of my favourite films from last year.