Ruxx

Romanian productions typically look like an x-ray of a specific, often exagerated trait of old-world Romanian society, one where young urbanites are either misrepresented or completely absent.

Ruxx finally feels relevant & relatable to us. It's inch-close to our reality and the first show I'd recommend for anyone looking to move or visit, wondering how it's like.

That's how we dress. Those are the places we hang out at. Those are our problems and that's how we handle them.

And low and behold, it's not that different from other places in the world. Turn on Spanish subtitles and you will relate as well.

Finally, a Romanian TV show that's not about a Romanian cliche, but about globally relevant people who just happen to live in Romania.

Full disclosure: I cam to to this series because of Alec Secareanu, the actor that plays Andrei in the series. I have followed him since God's Own Country and was excited to see his work in this format.

As a longtime avid consumer of films, a former theatre student, and a member of the LGBTQIA community, I am so in love with this series.

Firstly, a suggestion to viewers: opt for subtitles. I do NOT know what is up with the dubbing industry or who decided what voiceover actor goes with what character but, lord, just read the dialogue. The pitch of the voiceover actors are NOTHING like that of the actual cast and it is really jarring to me.

That said, I am very impressed with the way this series has chosen to tackle controversial and commonplace subjects alike. The script and the skillful work by the actors craft these issues without a sign of preachiness or excess. Whether it is the caregiving of a parent, relationship dynamics, or the very real problems of misogyny, bigotry and prejudice, or self discovery, each is handled with the honesty and worth it deserves. The plot unfolds like origami, intricate and surprising, each fold a new revelation.

The work is also succinct, in many ways. Things are not overexplained; histories are not exhaustively hashed out. The writer trusts the viewer to make those connections focusing on the larger storylines that move the plot forward.

To write this series, to include the subject matter in what is still a very conservative country, is, if not great work, BRAVE work.

Judge for yourselves.

The cast is stellar, but...

Foley stifles speech.

Semi-illiterate verbiage; not colloquial style, but grammatical uneducated unwitting errors.

Mixed Romanian-English stilted language; the gen. Z lot don't talk like that.

Some dialogues look as if they are re-translated from American-English life experience patterns.

Unintelligible diction sometimes, subtitles frequently needed.

Woke themes raised here and there, sometimes everywhere, unwarranted.

A lot of action happens through smart phones screens' (sic!) social media.

The plot is passable mediocre, no humdinger (though they touted it as terrific), or far-fetched incomprehensible story, or gross mistakes. The story simply starts out of nowhere, then expands erratically elsewhere. It should taste bad for either the cultured or the spoon fed.

As for swearing, now that is one genuine characteristic! Points gained.

HBO raised a high bar with series "Umbre", then dropped it low down now.

We did not exceed the level of the films of the 90's immediately after the 'revolution' in Romania when after so many years of censorship we felt the need to use in excess: swearing, nudity and sex, all this without any cinematic relevance. We note that in 2022 WOKE also reached Romanian cinema, unfortunately ....

I can't see the mechanism through which HBO decides to waste their money on such weak, amateurish scripts. Is this the best România could come up with? A confusing plot with volatile characters missing every mark of professional script writing.

How HBO takes such poor decisions for Romania? Why HBO doesn't organize script writing competitions?