If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle: Porumboiu Goes Mainstream with Neo-noir
Romanian New Wave alum Corneliu Porumboiu makes a marked departure with his latest feature, The Whistlers, a jaunty neo-noir exercise about a corrupt policeman ensnared in a tricky scheme, albeit one presented as more complicated than it really is. Known for his significant word play from past titles such as Police, Adjective (2009), When Evening Falls on Bucharest or Metabolism (2013) and 2015’s The Treasure (review), his latest replaces his loquacious ruminations with a non-linear, constantly back-tracking chapter narrative which forces the audience to piece together a puzzle which sometimes seems to be missing some pertinent information.…...
Romanian New Wave alum Corneliu Porumboiu makes a marked departure with his latest feature, The Whistlers, a jaunty neo-noir exercise about a corrupt policeman ensnared in a tricky scheme, albeit one presented as more complicated than it really is. Known for his significant word play from past titles such as Police, Adjective (2009), When Evening Falls on Bucharest or Metabolism (2013) and 2015’s The Treasure (review), his latest replaces his loquacious ruminations with a non-linear, constantly back-tracking chapter narrative which forces the audience to piece together a puzzle which sometimes seems to be missing some pertinent information.…...
- 2/29/2020
- by Nicholas Bell
- IONCINEMA.com
There’s plenty of wit to be found in the films that constitute the Romanian New Wave, but any laughs they elicit wind up sounding more like dry coughs. These movies tend to find their humor in subjects like an overburdened health-care system (“The Death of Mr. Lazarescu”), corruption in the education system (“Graduation”), family strife (“Sieranevada”) and other topics relevant to the nation dealing with the lingering aftereffects of the Ceausescu era.
So even if writer-director Corneliu Porumboiu seems more amenable to absurdist comedy — and genre conventions — than his peers in this talented community, his latest film “The Whistlers” still traffics in bleak chuckles.
It’s a wonderfully labyrinthine story of cops and robbers that might not be an official sequel to Porumboiu’s 2009 “Police, Adjective” (that year’s Romanian Oscar entry), but it does explore many of that film’s concerns, from the subtle distinctions between law and...
So even if writer-director Corneliu Porumboiu seems more amenable to absurdist comedy — and genre conventions — than his peers in this talented community, his latest film “The Whistlers” still traffics in bleak chuckles.
It’s a wonderfully labyrinthine story of cops and robbers that might not be an official sequel to Porumboiu’s 2009 “Police, Adjective” (that year’s Romanian Oscar entry), but it does explore many of that film’s concerns, from the subtle distinctions between law and...
- 2/28/2020
- by Alonso Duralde
- The Wrap
Western Europe traditionally gets the lion’s share of attention in the international film category, with France and Italy still leading the record books in terms of nominations and wins. But a number of the most exciting contenders among this year’s submissions hail from a little further east: in a bumper year for cinema from Central and Eastern Europe, a few titles stand out.
Language has been a subject of significant controversy in this year’s Oscar race. Yet, the Academy has moved the needle on this front in recent years: not so long ago, films that weren’t in an official language of the submitting country were ineligible. That would have ruled out this year’s submission from the Czech Republic, “The Painted Bird.” Aiming to be the first Czech film to score a nomination since 2003’s “Zelary,” Václav Marhoul’s film is a linguistic anomaly in all...
Language has been a subject of significant controversy in this year’s Oscar race. Yet, the Academy has moved the needle on this front in recent years: not so long ago, films that weren’t in an official language of the submitting country were ineligible. That would have ruled out this year’s submission from the Czech Republic, “The Painted Bird.” Aiming to be the first Czech film to score a nomination since 2003’s “Zelary,” Václav Marhoul’s film is a linguistic anomaly in all...
- 12/5/2019
- by Guy Lodge
- Variety Film + TV
The adjective "whip-smart" was coined to describe clever, outlandish, and thoroughly entertaining creative productions, such as Corneliu Porumboiu's The Whistlers. Hailing from Romania, Porumboiu is probably best known outside Europe for his thrilling dramas 12:08 East of Bucharest (2006) and Police, Adjective (2008). In his latest film, he mixes what might sound like stock ingredients into a heady and invigorating brew. (I was lucky enough to see it at Fantastic Fest on the last day of the fest back in late September and it remains one of my top experiences.) And it flies! Running 97 minutes, here's the synopsis: "In The Whistlers, not everything is as it seems for Cristi, a police inspector in Bucharest who plays both sides of the law. Embarking with the...
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[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 12/4/2019
- Screen Anarchy
A version of this story about “The Whistlers” first appeared in the International Film issue of TheWrap’s Oscar magazine.
Director Corneliu Porumboiu was a central member of the influential New Romanian Cinema, which has shockingly been completely ignored by Oscar voters. His new film, “The Whistlers,” is his second to represent that country in the Oscar race after his deadpan, talky 2009 film “Police, Adjective.” Porumboiu discussed his new movie, a wry film noir about a detective on one of the Canary Islands, where the residents have perfected a language that consists entirely of whistling.
I know this film was inspired when you saw something on TV about the whistling language on the island of La Gomera, but how did you get from that to this particular story?
It took 10 years. It was TV reportage about the island, and at one point they showed something about the whistling language. I got interested right away.
Director Corneliu Porumboiu was a central member of the influential New Romanian Cinema, which has shockingly been completely ignored by Oscar voters. His new film, “The Whistlers,” is his second to represent that country in the Oscar race after his deadpan, talky 2009 film “Police, Adjective.” Porumboiu discussed his new movie, a wry film noir about a detective on one of the Canary Islands, where the residents have perfected a language that consists entirely of whistling.
I know this film was inspired when you saw something on TV about the whistling language on the island of La Gomera, but how did you get from that to this particular story?
It took 10 years. It was TV reportage about the island, and at one point they showed something about the whistling language. I got interested right away.
- 11/19/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Corneliu Porumboiu’s “The Whistlers,” which premiered in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, has been selected as Romania’s official Oscar entry in the international feature film category.
Magnolia Pictures has U.S. distribution rights to the film. The distributor has had much success in the category, having distributed nominees in five of the last seven years, including back-to-back Palme d’Or-winners “The Square” (2017) and “Shoplifters” (2018).
In “The Whistlers,” not everything is as it seems for Cristi, a police inspector in Bucharest who plays both sides of the law. Embarking with the beautiful Gilda (Catrinel Marlon) on a high-stakes heist, both will have to navigate the twists and turns of corruption, treachery and deception. A trip to the Canary Islands to learn a secret whistling language might just be what they need to pull it off.
“The Whistlers” is the second of Porumboiu’s features to be Romania’s Oscar entry,...
Magnolia Pictures has U.S. distribution rights to the film. The distributor has had much success in the category, having distributed nominees in five of the last seven years, including back-to-back Palme d’Or-winners “The Square” (2017) and “Shoplifters” (2018).
In “The Whistlers,” not everything is as it seems for Cristi, a police inspector in Bucharest who plays both sides of the law. Embarking with the beautiful Gilda (Catrinel Marlon) on a high-stakes heist, both will have to navigate the twists and turns of corruption, treachery and deception. A trip to the Canary Islands to learn a secret whistling language might just be what they need to pull it off.
“The Whistlers” is the second of Porumboiu’s features to be Romania’s Oscar entry,...
- 8/26/2019
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
When Corneliu Porumboiu began making films in Romania just after the turn of the century, we knew what Romanian cinema was like — or, at least, we knew what the branch that came to be known as the Romanian New Wave was like. The movement, one of the most vital cinematic eruptions of the 2000s, was full of dark, minimalist, realist films that depicted, either overtly or implicitly, a society that was rotten to the core.
There’s some of that in Porumboiu’s “The Whistlers,” which had its world premiere on Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival. The film is dark and it’s set in a world where you can’t trust anyone — but it’s also got John Wayne and Alfred Hitchcock homages and enough twists and turns to require a detailed scorecard.
“The Whistlers” is no minimalist slice of realism, but an oversized, deliciously twisted ride that...
There’s some of that in Porumboiu’s “The Whistlers,” which had its world premiere on Saturday at the Cannes Film Festival. The film is dark and it’s set in a world where you can’t trust anyone — but it’s also got John Wayne and Alfred Hitchcock homages and enough twists and turns to require a detailed scorecard.
“The Whistlers” is no minimalist slice of realism, but an oversized, deliciously twisted ride that...
- 5/18/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
IFC Films has acquired U.S. rights to writer/director Corneliu Porumboiu's "Police, Adjective," the tale of a police officer who has a crisis of faith. The film will be Romania's entry for the 2009 foreign-language Oscar.
"Police" stars Dragos Bucur, Vlad Ivanov, Ion Stoica and Irina Saulescu and will have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, followed by its U.S. bow at the New York Film Festival.
IFC has established an affinity with Romanian cinema, having distributed Cristian Mungiu's "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" and recently picked up that director's "Tales From The Golden Age."
The deal for "Police" was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, IFC Films vp of acquisitions with Pape Boye of Coach 14. The movie will be released via the company's IFC in Theaters platform, which offers video-on-demand titles on the same day as their theatrical release.
"Police" stars Dragos Bucur, Vlad Ivanov, Ion Stoica and Irina Saulescu and will have its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, followed by its U.S. bow at the New York Film Festival.
IFC has established an affinity with Romanian cinema, having distributed Cristian Mungiu's "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" and recently picked up that director's "Tales From The Golden Age."
The deal for "Police" was negotiated by Arianna Bocco, IFC Films vp of acquisitions with Pape Boye of Coach 14. The movie will be released via the company's IFC in Theaters platform, which offers video-on-demand titles on the same day as their theatrical release.
- 8/20/2009
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Toronto -- The Toronto International Film Festival on Tuesday unveiled a slew of premieres, mostly out of Cannes and Berlin, including the latest films from veterans Manoel de Oliveira, Alain Resnais and Hirokazu Kore-eda.
De Oliveira's "Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl" will unspool as part of the Masters sidebar, as will Resnais' "Les Herbes Folles" and "Air Doll," Japanese director Kore-eda's drama about a blow-up doll that becomes a real person that stars Korean actress Bae Doo-na.
And the high-profile Contemporary World Cinema program booked Israeli director Haim Tabakman's "Eyes Wide Open," a gay love story set in a religious Jewish community, "Huacho," from Chilean director Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, Korea's "Like You Know It All," by Hong Sang-soo, and Jessica Hausner's "Lourdes."
Other Cwc titles include Asli Ozge's "Men on the Bridge," set in Istanbul, Australian director Sarah Watt's "My Year Without Sex" and from Romania "Police, Adjective," by Corneliu Porumboiu.
Toronto each year unveils titles chosen from earlier international film festivals before it rolls out its own world premieres.
De Oliveira's "Eccentricities of a Blonde-Haired Girl" will unspool as part of the Masters sidebar, as will Resnais' "Les Herbes Folles" and "Air Doll," Japanese director Kore-eda's drama about a blow-up doll that becomes a real person that stars Korean actress Bae Doo-na.
And the high-profile Contemporary World Cinema program booked Israeli director Haim Tabakman's "Eyes Wide Open," a gay love story set in a religious Jewish community, "Huacho," from Chilean director Alejandro Fernandez Almendras, Korea's "Like You Know It All," by Hong Sang-soo, and Jessica Hausner's "Lourdes."
Other Cwc titles include Asli Ozge's "Men on the Bridge," set in Istanbul, Australian director Sarah Watt's "My Year Without Sex" and from Romania "Police, Adjective," by Corneliu Porumboiu.
Toronto each year unveils titles chosen from earlier international film festivals before it rolls out its own world premieres.
- 6/24/2009
- by By Etan Vlessing
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
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