Il était une fois Palilula

Did you liked A clockwork Orange? Do you love Michael Haneke movies? Do you like supra-realism and a theatrical form of movies? Oh well, this movie delivers this in a great form, good acting, excellent art directing and a little spoon of grotesque with a pinch of dark humor, oh, and the music is great as well.

The movie as a whole does not make much sense, but who cares? every piece of it surprises you, everything is different.

I really don't want to spoil anything from the movie, go out and see it, its worth it.

9/10

I lived times, like this movie is illustrating in a grotesque manner. I had to emigrate because of the conditions offered by the Ceausescu regime. They provided depravity, corruption and brutal force of an ever-going Socialist government. It was a horrible farce organized by idiotic individuals who had power. Without some humor this story will be just a mentally sick description of those decades in the Romanian history. You can watch it for free on You Tube but you have to be patient.

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.

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.

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.