User Reviews

First of all, i must say i'm romanian and live very close to the border with Basarabia (Republic of Moldova), in the north east of Romania. I feel the need to mention that, to be sure that people won't omit that i'm romanian and accuse me of being harsh with the movie just because i don't understand the culture. I do, i've lived in it for most of my life.

Now the movie: there's more confusion in this film than i've seen in any film before. We have all kinds of confused, undefined characters, mixed characters, characters with doubtful allegiance and confused views on basically anything discussed in the movie. They're all a bit on this side, a bit on the other, no one has a firm and decided view on anything.

The movie is basically about a young couple (he's romanian, she's moldavian) that were officially married in Romania and go to Moldova's capital city, Chisinau, to celebrate the wedding with her family's relatives. They are accompanied by the grooms mom and his uncle (probably the only family he's got, cause normally if he had more relatives, they would be at the party too). They are traveling by train and the first scenes are shot during the journey. The initial mood is very relaxed, suggesting the viewer they're watching a comedy. But they are and they are not at the same time. They arrive in Chisinau and as they knock at her parents' apartment door, you would expect to see happy faces behind it. Instead they are received by sad, unenthusiastic figures. You think "OK, maybe her parents are mad at her for not asking permission to get married or not presenting the groom to them before doing it or something". No. They are all sad because the family dog just died. Very sad. Ridiculously sad, given the circumstances. In fact so sad, that the father of the bride, an obscure poet, reads a poem dedicated to the dog at dinner. No toasts for the newly wed, no "let's get to know each other, after all we're relatives now". A freaking speech in the memory of the dog. In the next scenes we are confirmed that the family of the girl is also a bit suspicious about the boy. And they are both suspicious regarding his love to her, but also about his political views. Although the father seems a romanian partizan, he seems to dislike the boy's family for ... being romanians. By now we realize that this is not only supposed to be about a wedding, the makers want to maker other points too (remember the words "they want"). Almost all the characters we meet later have a similar attitude. And the romanian side seems to dislike the moldavians too and see themselves as superior... Well at least except when they don't dislike them. They like them now, dislike them later, then like them again and so on.

In this whole soup of mixed opinions and conflicts, a character stands out: the husband of the brides sister, a mob like figure, well dressed, well groomed, apparently wealthy etc. He pays for what the couple needs, he makes arrangements for the party etc. He looks like the caring big brother. Except that he's not. He also loves the bride. Not like a brother. He constantly chicanes the groom on all kinds of matters: his love for his bride, his political views, his origins. By now you start to believe: OK, this is what the movie's about. It is. And it's not. Only if it were about this, but every time the movie focuses on this aspect, something happens and shifts the focus towards the political again. Then comes back to sentimental and family relationships, and back again to the political, it's like a ping pong match. And it's annoying, confusing and damaging. By the end the film seems to be heading nowhere. You see there are 30 minutes left and you have the impression that the real plot, the real conflict is yet to be revealed. And it never is revealed. They go to the wedding party, all kinds of shenanigans happen without pointing the action to any direction and suddenly the film ends. And that's it.

If you read the review first and then see the movie, you'll probably don't understand much of what i've written here. If you watch the movie you'll probably see what i meant.