"The film begins on a disquieting, ambiguous moment: Mihai has clearly just delivered a punishment of some sort to their teenage daughter who is now required to give him a penitent hug. The school's staff notice that the children have marks and bruises. They are gently but pointedly questioned and (perhaps) incriminate their parents because they are not sufficiently proficient"
A Romanian software engineer, Mihai, and his Norwegian wife, Lisbet, move to Lisbet’s remote birth village for an IT job and a strong church community. Both are strict conservative Christians and receive a warm welcome from non-Christian neighbors, including the school headteacher and his wife. The film opens with an unsettling moment after Mihai punishes their teenage daughter, who must give him a penitent hug. School staff notice marks and bruises on children and question them, suggesting parental involvement. The story’s implied pain and trauma are presented with Mungiu’s stylistic choices, including enigmatic long shots and limited closeups, but without the rewarding complexity, revelation, or mystery associated with his earlier work.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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