The In-Laws
Tesciowie
“When the wedding is canceled at the last minute, the parents of the groom-to-be decide that the reception, being all paid for, might as well go ahead anyway”.
When I read this description of the Polish film The In-Laws, I thought that it sounded like a fun film that I might enjoy. In fact, I think that this film is probably as much fun as there is to be had in this years VIFF; that is if you have a taste for a dark comedy like I do. This is humour as black as a moonless night in a coal mine. The acting is superb, the writing is witty, acerbic and sharply barbed, and the cinematography is outstanding. The film opens with a wonderful sixteen minute single take. The band cranks up a great mix of tunes as the guests fill the ballroom and the party swings into full revelry. And then ….. the parents of the ‘left at the altar bride-to-be’ show up and then …..
Where does the movie go from there? Well, I can tell you that it certainly delivers an unexpected knock out punch. And how does it all end up? Well, perhaps you can imagine what the effect is on the partygoers, of shot after shot of vodka from the endless open bar? There are certainly many serious films in the festival, but this will be a welcome break from those dramas, for those of us who enjoy the lampooning of the hypocrisies and greed of both the rich and the poor.
Miracle
Miracol
This film from Romania is a crime drama. It opens with Cristina, a novice nun, tearfully sneaking out of the convent to travel by taxi to an appointment at the hospital in the nearby town. We see her in an other taxi heading back to the convent later that day, but she never reaches her destination. She becomes the victim of a savage brutal attack in the woods, which is filmed at a distance, it’s impact delivered to us in a powerful soundscape of cries, screams and howling wind. The second half of the film follows the over zealous obsession of the police detective Marius in trying to solve the case.
The strength of the film is in the outstanding performances of Iona Bugarin as Cristina and Emanuel Parvu as Marius. The writing is strong and the film is beautifully shot with the Romanian countryside serving as a great background for this slowly uncoiling mystery. The films minor characters offer social commentary and insight into the humour of the Romanian people, the current state of the nation and the dissatisfaction of many with the privileged position enjoyed by the church. It’s an unpredictable and captivating 2 hour cinematic journey, with the surprise delivery of a strange modern miracle.
