Cristi Puiu

Movie Reviews of films that will be playing at TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival) in 2016. Go to TIFF 2016 Movie Reviews and read reviews of films showing at the festival.

SIERANEVADA (Romania 2016) ****
Directed by Cristi Puiu

Starring: Mimi Branescu, Mirela Apostu, Eugenia Bosânceanu

Review by Gilbert Seah

Romanian director Cristi Puiu is not known for his short films. His last success “The Death of Mr. Lăzărescu” clocked in at 150 minutes while his latest SIERANEVADA runs longer at 176 minutes and takes place mainly in three rooms in a cramped apartment where members of a family argue and argue and argue. Skeletons come out of the closet with no end. When a few guests leave the apartment, they still argue outside.

Is Puiu’s film unbearable? It will be to some, but his film is quite a masterwork of black humour well orchestrated and his film is actually very funny. The main character is Lary (Mimi Brănescu) who is first seen in an extended sequence lasting close to 15 minutes arguing with his wife Laura (Cătălina Moga) in their car.

They are attending a memorial dinner with relatives. The big joke is that nobody ever get a chance to eat until the very end. One wonders too, how Puiu places his camera in such a tiny apartment with all the characters running around.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=906FeQTD3iQ