Surreal little film with lot of charm and emotions
In Romania, during the 1985 communist regime, Irene falls in love with Franz and is determined follow him. This leads her to Berlin, and she is disappointed that he is no longer the same and is not interested in the relationship. This might sound as a boring story but kudos to the director for creating an emotionally driven romance that also uses the political climate to heighten the tension of the film. So, to look first at some aspects of the film which I liked. The aesthetic is absolutely unparalleled, as director Alexandru Petru Badelita allows the visual design to both originate from and convey thematic points, a truly extraordinary example of form and content blending into one another. As an example, the film is shot in postcard 4:3 ratio, which has the effect of confining the characters within the frame and give a unique feel. I’m very impressed with the director’s ability to create a coherent and moving narrative in such a short runtime with lot of surprises including the surreal animation. He juxtaposes scenes with very quick chronological transitions to jarring animation effect and it is supported with an amazing score. The film never loses its tone, and it might feel like a slow burn with the Photo Studio scene which is one of my favourite in the film. There’s so much packed into the scene that it will keep you hooked from the start itself. The script gave Sonia Casandra Andreica (Irene) tons of room to shine and really showcased her character, but Franz character wasn’t as distinct. The ending is beautiful but invokes a melancholic feeling. Maybe there’s missing a little detail in the story which is based on the novel by Herta Müller but it doesn’t matter considering the runtime.
