Cantor Rabinowitz is concerned and upset because his son Jakie shows so little interest in carrying on the family’s traditions and heritage. For five generations, men in the family have been cantors in the synagogue, but Jakie is more interested in jazz and ragtime music. One day, they have such a bitter argument that Jakie leaves home for good. After a few years on his own, now calling himself Jack Robin, he gets an important opportunity through the help of well-known stage performer Mary Dale. But Jakie finds that in order to balance his career, his relationship with Mary, and his memories of his family, he will be forced to make some difficult choices.

This was the first feature-length movie with audible dialogue. Though the film is widely considered to be the first talking film, there was originally planned to be no spoken dialogue, only singing. Al Jolson improvised all of the dialogue in the talking scenes on spot, and Harry Warner made the call to leave these scenes in the film.

Jack Robin: Wait a minute, wait a minute, you ain’t heard nothin’ yet! Wait a minute, I tell ya! You ain’t heard nothin’! You wanna hear “Toot, Toot, Tootsie”? All right, hold on, hold on…

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On its 374th reboot, the new Batman keeps its gritty tone, its dark mood, Robert Pattinson doing a beter job as the Batman than most of his predecessors, and a very good Bruce Wayne (not as flashy as Christian Bale though, but still very good).

While the cast is filled with great presences, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Andy Serkis (as Alfred, wow!), John Turturro, Paul Dano and others, their performances are not as strong as Robert Pattinson’s. Colin Farrell, though, is fucking amazing as The Penguin.

I liked a lot the music, the tempo, the setting, at some times it feels a lot like a film noir, with Pattinson in the role of the worn-out detective. The fight scenes are well done and generally speaking, it feels like a Batman should feel. And it stands tall on its own, being a strong Batman movie and a very entertaining watch, even if you don’t like superhero movies. Five popcorns and a bat 🦇

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“Restul e tacere” / “The Rest is Silence” is a movie about movie director Grig Ursache and the financial tycoon Leon Negrescu made together the 2 hours long movie “Romania’s Independence” - an as faithful as possible screen adaptation of the real Independence War that had been fought in 1877. The movie blends really well truth and legend (Grig Ursache is based on the real director/writer/actor Grigore Brezeanu, while Leon Negrescu is based on Leon Popescu, land owner, member of the Senate and Parliament)

The movie itself is well written, well acted, filled to the brim with very good and famous Romanian movie and theater actors (Vizante is playing his best role so far). All in all, a great watch, one of the best Romanian movies out there. Five popcorns.

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A collaboration between Mircea Veroiu and Dan Pita, “Nunta de piatra” is composed of two medium-length movies, each of the aforementioned directing one of the parts, each based on stories by Romanian writer Ion Agarbiceanu, both set around the same period of time, in the same mining village of Rosia Montana.

Fefeleaga

The first part is focusing on the story of Maria, known in her village as Fefeleaga, a widow that is living in poverty with her daughter Paunita, working at the gold mine close to the village, carrying rocks with her horse. But life is how it is and nothing good ever comes from sadness and poverty.

Ca la nunta (Like weddings are)

The second part shows a traditional celebration in a story that brings together a lonely musician, a runaway man, and an entire village for an arranged wedding. Sometimes love finds a way, just the same way as life doesn’t, and makes

The stories themselves are simple, linear, and they focus not on action, but more on how the characters are feeling. The pacing is a bit slow, but not dragging.

The music is very well done by Dorin Liviu Zaharia (which also has a cameo appearance as the gramophone guy in the second part) and Dan Andrei Aldea (one of the biggest name in Romanian folk and rock scenes, and leader of the group Sfinx), and the songs play an important part in explaining the feelings and the action.

The cinematography though, is excellent. It’s mindblowing that a movie like that was made in Romania during the 70s, it amazes me with beautiful framing, excellent lightwork and camera work, I think it’s one of the best Romanian movies ever made. Five popcorns and it goes into the Movie Vault.

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Everyone loves Cristin Milioti since she was revealed to be the you know what in How I Met Your You Know What. Love to see her again in a main role, loved to see Ray Romano back on the screen and I really like this half-drama, half-dark comedy, half-Black Mirror TV show so far. Season Two already started to air, with another eight episodes to the first eight being released weekly. Really good and catchy watch. Five popcorns and one implanted chip.

PS: The soundtrack is amazing, as well.

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Saw this a while ago and was really happy with the story. Seven friends, one dinner table, one silly game to shake all the secrets. It’s candid, well-acted, and most of all, feels very relatable, in places. Normal people, with normal problems, in an extraordinary situation that spins our of control.

This movie is so good, on 15 July 2019, it was included in the Guinness World Records as it became the most remade film in cinema history, with a total of 18 versions of the film. These include a Romanian version, which I don’t think I’ll write about, because it’s pretty much a line-for-line remake, but with worse acting.

Five popcorns and it stays into the Vault.

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Another good re-watch. Coherence is a movie about a group of friends that have dinner on an evening when a comet is passing overhead, turning the improbable and impossible into reality.

Six popcorns and it goes into the ever-expanding Vault.

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Every couple of years I re-watch this great movie. I love movies in a tight setting, with a handful of characters, where the story is focused on discussion and feelings, rather than action. Good music, well performed and tells a story that really makes you think a bit.

Six popcorns and it remains into the Vault.

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Re-watched this gem after a few years, and it’s still the same brilliant movie I’ve seen back in 2007. The words are not enough to express the actors’ performances, the beauty of the landscapes, the great direction by Sean Penn, or the epic journey and story of Alexander Supertramp Chris McCandless.

Six popcorns and it goes into the Vault.

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Another Buster Keaton classic. I think it features one of the first hallway/elevator chases ever. Incredibly fun, five popcorns and one elevator ride.

PS: You can find this one for free on Youtube

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Just a Buster Keaton classic. Watch it, enjoy it. Five popcorns and one endless motorcycle ride.

PS: You can find this one for free on Youtube

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One of the best Romanian dramedies, about a girl that wins a car and the issues this event brings with it. A story about family hardships, about conflicting dreams and generational gap, but mostly about how a lucky situation can bring conflict and sadness in a family.

Five popcorns for the debut performance of young Andreea Boșneag, and some sunflower seeds for Serban Pavlu.

“Bine ca n-a castigat un elicopter Puma”

The full movie can be legally watched for free on Youtube on the Cinepub Channel.

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