Title: Child’s Pose
Director: Calin Peter Netzer
Starring: Vlad Ivanov, Florin Zamfirescu, Luminita Gheorghiu, Bogdan Dumitrache.
The Romanian drama directed by Calin Peter Netzer premiered in competition at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival where it well-deservedly won the Golden Bear.
‘Child’s pose’ isn’t just a powerful tale of corruption and guilt in modern Romania. It’s an in-depth analysis of a pathological relationship between a 32 year-old son, Barbu, and his domineering mother, Cornelia Kerenes.
The Yiddish-like-mater sees a chance to regain control over her adult son, by using her connections to try and stop Barbu from going to jail, when he faces manslaughter charges for reckless driving.
The movie is full of emotional shades. It starts with very quiet tones and has a crescendo that explodes into a spectacular outburst of gut reaction. The Romanian actress Luminita Gheorghiu, gives an astounding performance as the intrusive mother, enhancing the acting of the other cast members who play with her. The dialogues are beautiful, frank, passionate, lucid and sharp, acted very rawly and emphatically.
Calin Peter Netzer, as member of Romania’s new wave in cinema, opts for a human drama laid out against the backdrop of a cold and uncaring society, captured by a suave move of the camera. His movie surely underlines the country’s emergence as a factory of hard-hitting cinema in the post-Communist era.
Technical: B+
Acting: A+
Story: A-
Overall: A-
Written by: Chiara Spagnoli Gabardi
