Marfa si banii (2001) Online

This film is a very good example that the idea, even though is not the only important thing for a movie, is the key point. With a very limited budget, a single basic camera with sound recorded live and a few characters played by very natural acting, young performers. It was like they never knew that they are filmed. Anyway this is a must see movie especially for Romanian speaking viewers. So, take some sun-flowers seeds - not popcorn - and enjoy.

In post-communist Romania young dropout-student Ovidiu's family is struggling to make ends meet by operating a small grocery store right out of their derelict tower block apartment. All he can hope for in this rather dismal small town is to buy someday a small kiosk for himself. The opportunity to considerably further his plan seems to arise when Ivanov, the local shady businessman, offers to pay a fabulous sum to get a parcel delivered to Bucharest, the Romanian Capital.

This attempt at a Romanian road movie goes to great lengths to depict the narrow world of its characters. Every detail of their departure, conversations etc. is painstakingly rendered, causing the film to lose momentum at times. However, the details of how they talk and interact with each other quite realistically reflect their attitude in life, their hopes or lack thereof, and their feelings towards each other. This has been a rare quality in Romanian films so far, where usually you have an improbable story and/or unnaturally behaving characters (few exceptions notwithstanding). I won't bother with the poor production (bad sync, faded colours, overpowering ambient noise) because that's simply not the point with this film. Among the undeniable qualities of Cristi Puiu's debut are the naturalistic depiction of everyday life and the hopelessness of it, the natural acting and language of the characters (which also makes any attempt at a faithful translation quite futile). Despite the lagging story the film accurately captures the everyday struggle and trouble of life in post-communist Eastern Europe. Definitely worth watching if you can adjust to the slow pace.

I seen on top 250 a lot of movies which are considered masterpieces, but they are just very good, if not stupid. This movie is very simple, but an incredible suspense-film, with perfect acting. The sound is bad because of very low budget, and also because the sound is produced at the same time with the image. In fact, the movie follow the set of rules confirmed by DOGMA 95. Often, people like to consider that great movies are complex, complicated, hard to understand, etc. I think this is a mistake. Marfa si banii is a great movie, and let's not exagerate with the subevaluation! 10/10

This is one of the earlier movies of director and script-writer Cristi Puiu who has already earned an important place in the new Romanian cinema. His last movie 'Moartea Domnului Lazarescu' has won him international recognition, but we can already identify here some of the themes in his work and also interesting elements of directing.

The story is quire simple, two young man and a woman make what seems to be a illegal transport (probably drugs) from the sea city of Constanta to Bucharest on behalf of some mafia types. They are vaguely aware that this is an illegal and possibly dangerous mission, but the money they get (2000 dollars) is a small fortune in Romania. The film simply tells the story of their trip, and only the final scenes put what happens in a broader context and tells something about the implication of what seems to be some banal traffic for what will be later their lives. This is simple, it is told in not too many details, but makes a strong impression.

Much of the film is a road story, reminding at some point 'U-Turn' or 'Duel', one of the very early movies of Spielberg. The director uses an interesting trick, he seems to let his young actors to improvise most of the time, and uses live sound caption, which makes the scenes in the car interesting although hard to understand (and I am a native Romanian speaker) and despite the fact that not too much happens. The rest of the movie presents the sordid life of simple people in Romania trying to cope with the transition of the system from communism to a free economy and political system, wit the tone of sincerity and critical yet sympathetic approach which will become a mark of the later films of Cristi Puiu. The film is certainly an interesting start for what will become I believe the road of a great director.

Rarely did I feel such a deep and vivid satisfaction, while watching a movie... I could simply not take my eyes off the computer display, permanently letting go spontaneous remarks like: "Wow!", "O.M.F.G., how GOOD it can be!", "Dammit, but it's GREAT!", "Now, this is what I call a movie!", "Cristi, you sonovagun, you really DID IT!"

The script is simple but not simplistic, classic and revolutionary at the same time. Following the seemingly linear main plot, the authors subtly insert elements from a parallel story, never disclosed (the mysterious thugs who chase the protagonists - in a very "Duel"-like formula) and explosively blown in the corpses-on-the-field scene. All the elements of this structure charge the movie with so much tension, that the ending becomes barely bearable. In truth, it's one of the best built movie endings I saw in Romanian cinema. Just the thought of what might happen tomorrow gives you the creeps!

The direction is masterful and deconstructivist. Cristi's long and mobile shots, apparently messy, in truth perfectly figured, contribute to the inexorable build-up. The actors are snappy, precise - and so natural, that the stream of profanities they utter becomes literally charming. All in all, it's a certain recipe for quality: what one can do with a simple script and a few bucks, if one really has TALENT.

One should also add that this movie opened the so-called "minimalist trend" in Romanian cinema - the trademark of the New Generation. As some opinions were stating, one should mark it in our culture's history by the formula B.C.P. / A.C.P.: "Before Cristi Puiu" / "After..." - or "Annum..."! ;)

Stuff and Dough (2001) is a low-budged road movie by one of the talented directors of so-called Romanian New Wave, and it is arguably the initiator of this wave. The freshness of the film comes both from the subject and from the style!

We are in contemporary Romania. A post-communist country where every citizen struggle to break trough with a business enterprise. Our main protagonist, mummy's boy Ovidiu accepts to deliver a package of medicines, which obviously is something different considering the money he received for delivery from his mafia-like 'boss'. On his way to Bucharest he is accompanied with a close friend Vali and his girlfriend Bety, and they are shocked when they are attacked by a group of men.

Besides the story, film successfully delivers living conditions of ordinary people in contemporary Romania, that is why, in some way, it resembles neo-realist approach. We are especially informed about the struggle of youth, their interests, targets and moral behaviors, how they accommodate to new liberal system, however post-communist type of liberalism.

On the other hand, style is more new wave; a fresh, unorthodox type of filmmaking. Hand-held camera, natural acting, coarse editing, full of jump cuts and elliptical cuts.

I do not agree with the people who say that this movie has a lot of useless scenes in it.

We say this because we are used to movies in which a lot happens, quick scenes following each other accompanied with "meaningfull" music. Every word the actors say may seem improvised, but it's very well chosen. And it's so realistic at times it hurts to be Romanian. Coz it's simply true. When the movie seems to fall in a kind of trance, you suddenly wake up. The suspense is held up to the very last moment. If any other can make such a movie with no budget, he may eat the director alive ( his name literally means chicken). Puiu put the first step to the rehabilitation of the Romanian culture and cinema.

Bravo

"Marfa si banii" remains one of the most remarkable films. For freshness and for simplicity. For performances. And for the mark of a remarkable Romanian director. A film in which the bitter humor and the profound honesty about Romania after 1989 are good tools for a well crafted story and a precise diagnosis about a world in wake-up level, who has as basic purpose to survive. A smart film. And the personal mark of Cristi Puiu.

I din't know why you people are praising this movie! You call this an enjoyable? For me it seems to be an ordinary day among the ghetto people. An young man who gave up on college after the 2nd year, live with his parents. A (drug-dealer?) "businesman" asked him to take a "medicine" package to Bucharest for two thousand dollars and he accepted without knowing too much about what he is caring. In his way to destination he, his friend and friend's girlfriend have to face some troubles including an attack from some strange guys which later mysteriously disappeared. The package is successfully delivered and the attackers were found killed.

Maybe there was indeed a very natural acting, but it is a total mess to spend a lot of time watching them talking nothings or observe meaningless goings-on (beside the main plot). In the end, what I can say is that most of us can produce such "masterpieces" - just film a ordinary day from your life and here it is!

***SPOILER***

"Marfa si banii" is a two-leveled movie. The first level may be considered the plot, that in the first 40 minutes makes "Marfa si banii" a movie full of suspense that keeps the public interested. After this moment, the film "moves" slowly to a good, simple, but solid drama.

The second level is one full of symbols: although the two friends escaped some severall dangers and saved their lives, at the end of the picture, we realise that the only important thing to save are their counsteinceness, because, after all, that is what matters in live( this is only one of the things that the writers are trying to say). In the same time, "Marfa si banii" tries to show what happens when the willing to make money fast and easy is beyond reason, and also tries to show what, why and how it happens to young men who choose this way, especially in Romania, but not only.

This is a well-acted movie, very ingenuous,using some simple technics, because "the simplity is the mother of the elegance"; considering it's a low-budget picture, it came out great. The movie can be criticised for some technical effects(for example, the sound department is just terrible). As for the content of the bag,(what bag? watch the movie and You'll find out) it remains as mysterious as the faith of the two friends, that seem not to have a choise, but the possibility of doing something good lays in us all, right?(another ideea from the movie).

I must specify that, after reading this review, you might think this is a great work of art and then see the movie and realise it's just a good movie.

I think it desirves a 6.

Ovidiu lives at home with his parents and dreams of opening his own shop. Then he is offered a rather large sum of cash to deliver some parcels of 'medicine' to some address in Bucharest. This offer comes from local crime boss and all round unsavoury type – Ivanov Marcel.

Ovidiu decides to take along his best mate, Vali, as he can drive and he has the van and what is more Ovidiu's mum wants him to do the shopping on the way home. On the trip they will discover a lot about each other and why taking large amounts of money for a seemingly easy gig is not always the brightest idea.

Now this is a comedy and there are some very well realised moments in this, but some do not seem to translate very well. It is a small cast and budget but does not really lack for it. The lad's views on the desirability of the Dacia motor car are in themselves are enough to keep any petrol head amused. I also learnt that the Romanians have a word for 'knackered' which was nice to know. The acting is all good too and it has a down to earth feel that is in keeping with the disposition of the people involved; all in all an enjoyable watch.