Reviews

Definitely a gem! Too bad it is so little known! It deserves a better promotion, since it is one of the best "mafia" movies I've seen lately. Seriously! It is close to Sopranos when it comes to the vivid imagery (e.g. the scene when the main character was about to get his head chopped in a bathtub was absolutely breathtaking), but without the glamour and wealth of the American mob. A great plot! It feels authentic and it is immersive! You will see a slice of real life with cheap cars, decayed buildings, ruthless thugs ready to kill for few thousands. The language is brutal but full of authentic and often very funny expressions (it helps if you speak Romanian)

You will not be able to resist the binge-watching temptation. Highly recommended!

PS: I hear HBO Europe is planning a second season. Looking forward to have it also on Amazon, as soon as possible.

Smart and funny comedy and an absurd story keeping you surprisingly engaged!

After the first scenes, some might initially wonder about what's going on in front of their eyes and stop watching rating this movie as "garbage". I advise them to go back and reconsider: this movie is a brilliant parody!

The initial rolling credits are the first hint that we are dealing with a joke: the cast appears to have Romanian names, but after a few seconds, one can realize that all of them are funny animal names, very unlikely to be real.

But the beauty comes from the absurdity of the plot and the purposely exaggerated situations, full of stereotypes like: - Romanians listening only to classical music - cheering and commenting on live TV chess matches - being obsessed with gymnastics and Nadia Comaneci. - having no idea what "Jeans" are - having no idea what the Monopoly game is, only to consider it a symbol of the "putrid capitalism", once they find out - teaching kids to snitch on their subversive parents - the Communist Party Manifesto is a precious gift one would always carry in the pocket, next to the heart, like a Bible for some Americans. - group of workers strolling in the park and singing the national anthem - belief that western music is in fact propaganda designed to break down your defenses - CIA importing drugs to undermine the black community - the US Ambassador is busy spreading "freedom and democracy" while her schedule contains 2 hours massages at 10AM and 4 hours lunches - some very fat Americans guys are stuffing their mouths with piles of hamburgers inside the American embassy. - Americans are so lazy they can be bothered to wash their cars (when the Romanian detective is questioning what is a car wash good for) - everyone in America seems to have AIDS - the West wants to turn all women in prostitutes. - New York City looks like a nightmarish hell on earth - Americans elect actors and celebrities (like Ronald Reagan) as presidents, a proof of their indoctrination. - When in doubt, Romanian ask themselves "what would Lenin do?", as opposite to Americans asking themselves "what would Jesus do?" - The "traitor" cop, with that large tattoo (something unheard of in 80s Romania) who is "praying" to the American flag, is nothing else than a parody for the American White Supremacists. Just replace the American Flag with the one with a Nazi Swastika and... there you go. ....

And more Easter Eggs quoting from memory: - "There is an as...hole building skyscrapers in NY, putting his name in golden letters on them" - "Freedom of religion is not an right, universal health care is" - "For once, I appreciate your American obsession with the second amendment" ....

Or funny references like - reference to Adam Smith's "The Wealth of Nations" and his "invisible hand", the corner stone of the capitalist economy. - reference to Tuco Salamanca from Breaking Bad: instead being offered a meth deal, the Romanian smuggler is offered a Pepsi deal. ....

Really enjoyed it!

Nicole Kidman is really destroying her reputation (won with excellent movies like Moulin Rouge, Dogville, Cold Mountain) with these low level movies she recently accepted to play in (Birth, Stepford Wives). She is a top notch actress, why is she spoiling her image like this? "Birth" is a total waste of time. It is a sick movie with several scenes of pedophilia. She is naked in a bath tub together with a 10 year boy. She is asking him how he (the 10 year boy) will fulfill "her needs". There is also a "too long" sex scene with her grown-up partner which has nothing to do movie itself. The only idea behind it is to probably attract people ready to pay to see Nicole Kidman naked. This is almost prostitution. She had love scenes in Cold Mountain as well, but there everything is full of passion and it makes sense. A very disappointing movie. To be avoided.