When you watch American movies, you already know what to expect. The same cannot be said for European Cinema. Each movie is like a box of surprises.
This time I watched Sieranevada, a Romanian movie which caught me completely off guard. The movie is 3h long... and after a whole hour into the movie, I wasn't yet sure of what the heck I was watching. All that was happening was a series of unrelated dialogues between the members of a family. 🤔
After watching the whole thing, I can assure you that most of you will probably describe this as "the most boring movie ever." 🙄
What is the story? Well, there is no story. Really. It's all about the dialogues and personal relationships between a Romanian family and it all happens while they are waiting for dinner to be served, as everyone gathered in an apartment, following the death of the family's patriarch.
Yes, that's right... it's a whole 3 hours of dialogues between mothers, sisters, aunts, wives and husbands...
You have the family's black sheep: the guy who cheated on his wife so many times that no one wants him around.
You have the conspiracy theory adept, who tries to talk to the others about everything from Charlie Hebdo to 9/11... while the others pretty much ignore and make fun of him.
You have a young girl who lets a junkie friend in, so that she can lie down and recover, while the others yell at her, asking to throw the junkie out.
You have the discussions between Capitalists and Communists... You get the drill.
I don't recommend this movie to the majority of people. This is a very realistic insight into the lives of a Romanian family. It doesn't get any more real than this. However, if you like to see Arthouse Cinema, films that most of your friends cannot comprehend... then there is a good chance you will enjoy this movie.
Sieranevada (2016), by Cristi Puiu: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4466490
I preferred to use the above image for my post, as I believe it reflects the film's character a lot better than the official movie cover, which you can see below:
This second cover makes it look like a hilarious comedy... and frankly, it is not.
It has its fun moments, for sure... but after you watch this movie you will probably be left wondering: What has just happened? Well, that's it. Nothing really happened. 😏
Does something out of the ordinary need to happen, to be considered a movie?
The movie is in Romanian language, with English subs, and nearly everything is filmed inside the apartment, with a few bits on the outside.
The actors play their part very well. You don't get the impression of watching a movie, but a real gathering of a family, with all of its clashes and confusions.
There is no middle ground, you will either enjoy it or not. The movie is excellent if you like this sort of film... and truly boring, if you don't... My advice? If you enjoy Arthouse Cinema, watch Sieranevada... Otherwise, ignore it! I mean it. 🤓
I give this movie an 7.5 out of 10 rating.
