Boss

The movie was looong. And felt looong. Characters either speak in elaborate metaphors or stare in the void to convey their inscrutable complexity and depth. Drama ensues again and again from people not checking their phones. Really? My days of trying to swallow this... stuff... are over.

In recent decades, Romanian cinematography has made great strides and has produced amazing films. Spoiler alert: this not one of them.

One thing going for the movie is that it manages to create a good atmosphere of suspense and omen. If only the atmosphere had a compelling story to wrap around - but alas, it doesn't. The story is pretty random and unremarkable.

It's a good movie that is based on a real heist, as the makers of the movie say. The film follows the story of Bogdan, an ambulance driver, and indirectly the problems in the Romanian health system .The protagonist, Bogdan, manages to convey some emotions to you. The film along the way will try to have 2-3 moments with a little humor and some in the cinema hall smiled or remained indifferent . The characters (secondary or episodic) and the protagonist played well and each changed the "direction" of the action/film . In the end, the movie is a good one, with good parts but also with bad parts, but it was worth a chance .

Judging by the title and the fact that I was unfamiliar with the actor on the movie cover, I initially thought this was either a Hollywood or a British movie. However, the first scene instantly made me realize it's a Romanian film. Despite being quite disappointed about what I had missed in the past years, this movie truly stood out. The acting was very good, with flawless performances from every actor. I'm glad I watched it; I was immersed until the end without taking a break. The movie also reminded me somewhat of Guy Ritchie's style... there's always that 'lock, stock and two smoking barrels' element behind the curtain.

Although the plot could have been more impressive, the actors deliver a really good performance. The "thriller" feeling is effectively conveyed to the audience through the music, color grading, and the plot itself. On the other hand, the movie lacks depth in some places. The action is quite slow and boring, and the dialogue is delivered in a manner reminiscent of a snail's pace, which feels entirely unrealistic. The camera movement is uninspired and generally static. It seems they just set up a camera on a tripod and adhere strictly to framing rules. I hope that Romanian movies will attain the fluidity and pacing of modern-day films, as it appears we are still trapped in the 1990s era of Romanian cinema.

How to review a movie so bad that you start wondering if the director has any friends? Didn't they watch it? Didn't they tell him it is not a neo-noir, it is just a very bad and boring artsy movie. I gave it a 6 stars for the sake of "first try" - Romania's pitiful first neo-noir movie. However, we may still compare it with a psychological thriller that gives the anxiety and anguish that a neo-noir movie should make you feel, Sergiu Nicolaescu's Ciuleandra. That was a well played, well directed and well written movie.

Boss gives a painful and incredibly unrealistical story, without a narrative, without a competent plot twist and with a nonsense ending.