Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn
Original title: Babardeala cu bucluc sau porno balamuc
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
11K
YOUR RATING
Emi, a school teacher, finds her career and reputation under threat after a personal sex tape is leaked on the Internet. Forced to meet the parents demanding her dismissal, Emi refuses to su... Read allEmi, a school teacher, finds her career and reputation under threat after a personal sex tape is leaked on the Internet. Forced to meet the parents demanding her dismissal, Emi refuses to surrender to their pressure.Emi, a school teacher, finds her career and reputation under threat after a personal sex tape is leaked on the Internet. Forced to meet the parents demanding her dismissal, Emi refuses to surrender to their pressure.
- Awards
- 8 wins & 21 nominations total
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Featured reviews
There are three categories of people rating this movie. Those who understand satire and symbolism , those who don't and those who are so enraged that their country is being trashed by an unrealistic depiction of the current society.
Guys, it's a movie which is supposed to be fictional and not realistic. Even movies based on real life events fall in the fictional category because no matter the context, a movie will never depict reality as it truly happened but through the lens of the story teller. So people have to chill and look at this movie from an artistic point of view and the message is sending out there (for those who get it of course).
And for those enraged about this director hating his country, maybe you should look at some of Hollywood's greatest directors who made many movies depicting the decadent part of the American society. Does that mean they all hate their country ?
Romania is truly a great country and regardless of the comment by an ignorant reviewer who said and I quote "there are other countries more developed than. Romania which are not part of EU" , I think those guys should actually go and visit Romania where they will quickly realized that the Country has earned its place in the EU.
To be honest I have never heard of this Romanian director until I saw this movie and IMO he has artistic talent. The fact that he was able to produce a movie like this shows that Romania is truly a democratic society where artists can express themselves without being censored.
This movie is not for everyone but it's definitely not a 1,2 or even a 3 star movie. I think it is at least a 7.
Guys, it's a movie which is supposed to be fictional and not realistic. Even movies based on real life events fall in the fictional category because no matter the context, a movie will never depict reality as it truly happened but through the lens of the story teller. So people have to chill and look at this movie from an artistic point of view and the message is sending out there (for those who get it of course).
And for those enraged about this director hating his country, maybe you should look at some of Hollywood's greatest directors who made many movies depicting the decadent part of the American society. Does that mean they all hate their country ?
Romania is truly a great country and regardless of the comment by an ignorant reviewer who said and I quote "there are other countries more developed than. Romania which are not part of EU" , I think those guys should actually go and visit Romania where they will quickly realized that the Country has earned its place in the EU.
To be honest I have never heard of this Romanian director until I saw this movie and IMO he has artistic talent. The fact that he was able to produce a movie like this shows that Romania is truly a democratic society where artists can express themselves without being censored.
This movie is not for everyone but it's definitely not a 1,2 or even a 3 star movie. I think it is at least a 7.
There are two distinct categories of people who reviewed this film: those who awarded it high marks and those who didn't- at all. The director, Radu Jude- impressed me with his "Aferim!" - a film which gives food for thought by dealing with a very little known and uncomfortable subject in Romanian history: the slavery of gypsies from past centuries.
"Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn" is just as uncomfortable, but it is set in contemporary Romania. As contemporary as it gets: the pandemic year of 2020. The title itself is misleading; this film is not about sex, though it is the starting point of the plot. For that, one can search Pornhub. This is a film about how sick and ailing the Romanian society is in its entirety; the first chapter of the film takes us on a ride along with the protagonist through the Bucharest of our days: noisy, dirty, unkempt, unruly, impolite, careless, unappealing, selfish, vulgar. If some don't like it, well, why break the mirror if it shows you what you look like? A lot of the filming in this section reminded me of La Nouvelle Vague.
The second chapter has apparently no connection whatsoever with the first. Or has it? An ad libitum dictionary of contemporary notions translated into the Romanian realities of the moment; what can be more hilarious and heart wrenching at the same time?! Considering the way it is put together, Monty Python comes to mind.
As for the third chapter, well, this is Romanian society at its best. First of all, it is not for the parents to decide whether a teacher can be fired or not; it is a state school, hence free for the pupils, so the parents shouldn't have a say in who stays and who goes. This chapter of the film is so full of harsh satire directed at how the Romanians think they have a say in everything, thus displaying a wide range of all kinds of preconceptions, stereotypes and fake news distribution- racial, political, social, sexual- that one doesn't know whether to laugh or to cry.
Yes, this is us, whether we like it or not.
And the grand finale, well... you have to watch it in order to choose which one suits you best. I go for the third, full throttle.
Great job, Radu Jude and his team! A fully deserved Golden Bear!
"Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn" is just as uncomfortable, but it is set in contemporary Romania. As contemporary as it gets: the pandemic year of 2020. The title itself is misleading; this film is not about sex, though it is the starting point of the plot. For that, one can search Pornhub. This is a film about how sick and ailing the Romanian society is in its entirety; the first chapter of the film takes us on a ride along with the protagonist through the Bucharest of our days: noisy, dirty, unkempt, unruly, impolite, careless, unappealing, selfish, vulgar. If some don't like it, well, why break the mirror if it shows you what you look like? A lot of the filming in this section reminded me of La Nouvelle Vague.
The second chapter has apparently no connection whatsoever with the first. Or has it? An ad libitum dictionary of contemporary notions translated into the Romanian realities of the moment; what can be more hilarious and heart wrenching at the same time?! Considering the way it is put together, Monty Python comes to mind.
As for the third chapter, well, this is Romanian society at its best. First of all, it is not for the parents to decide whether a teacher can be fired or not; it is a state school, hence free for the pupils, so the parents shouldn't have a say in who stays and who goes. This chapter of the film is so full of harsh satire directed at how the Romanians think they have a say in everything, thus displaying a wide range of all kinds of preconceptions, stereotypes and fake news distribution- racial, political, social, sexual- that one doesn't know whether to laugh or to cry.
Yes, this is us, whether we like it or not.
And the grand finale, well... you have to watch it in order to choose which one suits you best. I go for the third, full throttle.
Great job, Radu Jude and his team! A fully deserved Golden Bear!
Awesome movie, but I don't think a person not familiar with Romanian culture and history will understand it properly. I generally don't like artsy films, but this was an example of one done right. It has kept me interested throughout, with minor exceptions. Sometimes you laugh, sometimes you get sad, ashamed, bored, confused. It cycles you through these emotions in a dynamic way.
I also liked the fact that they've advertised some of the sponsors straight on, without trying to hide it in any way.
I also liked the fact that they've advertised some of the sponsors straight on, without trying to hide it in any way.
The point is clear: our society is shallow and stupid. But the way it was delivered was... Well, shallow and stupid as well. Chaotic scenes, vulgarity just for the sake of 'art', no emotion triggered whatsoever (except a little bit of a disgust actually. Maybe that was the point). Even the quasi-intellectual criticism didn't help. And the third part was intensely tiring trying to fill 30 mins with every typical political discussion full of reading articles from the smartphone. And the three different endings should have been the best part?
Sorry, didn't work out for me. But must say my friend gave it a 10 so... Not for anyone, I guess.
Sorry, didn't work out for me. But must say my friend gave it a 10 so... Not for anyone, I guess.
I watched this movie knowing only the title, and I believe the element of surprise elevated the experience. Without spoiling the story, I can say that this movie is perfectly described as a roller coaster ride.
In the beginning of the ride, you have a steady climb ahead of you, which takes its time to get to a high altitude. You keep going upvery slowly, and all you can see is the track going up. The main character is introduced, and we follow her for a good while.
Then, the roller coaster slows down and halts at the top. There's a change of chapter and you're not sure about what's coming next. A dictionary of different words is displayed through text and visuals, words that aren't necessarily interconnected. Then, when you least expected it, the roller coaster gains a lot of speed and goes all over the place super fast. You don't even have time to process everything that you're seeing and you can't see where this is going to take you. You even get a bit confused and scared about how long this part is going to last, yet you can't escape the ride yet.
Then, when you're shaken up for the rollercoaster, the ride suddenly starts going slower as you get to a more steady track, and you realise that the end of the ride may arrive soon. The story returns to the teacher and we find out her fate. Here, the conservative nature of the Romanian culture is displayed, with moments of humour, frustration and seriousness, with many stereotypes of people showing their true colours and values.
But then... the roller coaster reveals a loop out of nowhere, that leaves you upside down and then the ride ends really abruptly. You don't know what just happened, you don't know how to react and as you're unbuckling your seatbelt and leaving the premises, you're still confused as hell.
This review may be relatable to the people who have seen this movie, yet may leave people who haven't seen it yet really confused. And I'm still confused about this movie myself, and this is the best way I can describe this.
I recommend people to watch this movie. As confused about how to feel about this movie, I think this is an excellent thought-provoking experience which could start a debate about real-life cultural problems.
In the beginning of the ride, you have a steady climb ahead of you, which takes its time to get to a high altitude. You keep going upvery slowly, and all you can see is the track going up. The main character is introduced, and we follow her for a good while.
Then, the roller coaster slows down and halts at the top. There's a change of chapter and you're not sure about what's coming next. A dictionary of different words is displayed through text and visuals, words that aren't necessarily interconnected. Then, when you least expected it, the roller coaster gains a lot of speed and goes all over the place super fast. You don't even have time to process everything that you're seeing and you can't see where this is going to take you. You even get a bit confused and scared about how long this part is going to last, yet you can't escape the ride yet.
Then, when you're shaken up for the rollercoaster, the ride suddenly starts going slower as you get to a more steady track, and you realise that the end of the ride may arrive soon. The story returns to the teacher and we find out her fate. Here, the conservative nature of the Romanian culture is displayed, with moments of humour, frustration and seriousness, with many stereotypes of people showing their true colours and values.
But then... the roller coaster reveals a loop out of nowhere, that leaves you upside down and then the ride ends really abruptly. You don't know what just happened, you don't know how to react and as you're unbuckling your seatbelt and leaving the premises, you're still confused as hell.
This review may be relatable to the people who have seen this movie, yet may leave people who haven't seen it yet really confused. And I'm still confused about this movie myself, and this is the best way I can describe this.
I recommend people to watch this movie. As confused about how to feel about this movie, I think this is an excellent thought-provoking experience which could start a debate about real-life cultural problems.
Did you know
- TriviaInternational distribution deals spiked after the film won the Golden Bear for best film at the 2021 Berlin International Film Festival, but producer Ads Solomon expressed concern that a U.S. deal could prove tricky, as the movie contains several scenes of hard-core sex. She said in an interview that the film's depictions of sex should be seen in context, especially given the often lax attitudes towards on-screen violence in U.S. movies. "It's happening more and more that violence is accepted [but] nudity is not," she said. "For me, violence affects me emotionally much more than nudity. I'm not saying we should censor this as well; we should consider [the sexual content], not through an algorithm. Things should be considered in their complexity -there is no complete black and complete white."
- GoofsThe film crew is reflected in the windows and doors of a bus that passes in front of Emilia.
- SoundtracksThe Battle Hymn of the Republic (Glory, Hallelujah)
Music by William Steffe (1856)
Arranged by James E. Greenleaf, C.S. Hall and C. Marsh (1861)
Lyrics by Julia Ward Howe (1861)
Performed by Jura Ferina & Pavao Miholjevic
Details
- Release date
- Countries of origin
- Official sites
- Languages
- Also known as
- Sexo desafortunado o Porno loco
- Filming locations
- Palace of the Paliament, Strada Izvor 2-4, Bucharest, Romania(guided visit of Ceausescu's former palace)
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- €930,000 (estimated)
- Gross US & Canada
- $72,342
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $7,672
- Nov 21, 2021
- Gross worldwide
- $476,347
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What is the streaming release date of Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn (2021) in Australia?
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