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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Everyone that knows me a little knows I’m a sucker for dogs. I started this movie thinking it’s going to be a heartfelt movie about a dog. This is not it. This is not a tearjerker, it’s the Ultimate Optimized Tear Extractor 3000. You’re going to watch this movie, you’re going to love it, you’re going to laugh a few times, and you’re going to cry. A lot. And when the movie is done, you’re going to spend 5 hours in bed crying with your dog on your lap.

Brilliant drama, really moving, featuring excellent music and great voices (I watched the Romanian voice version and it was brilliant). 6 popcorns, an infinity of 🦴 and goes into the movie vault.

Manole: Uite, bă, băiatule, că tu ești deșteaptă!

Trailer in English, French, Romanian

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The third movie of the “Amici Miei” trilogy takes place a few years after the second one. The four friends are older, but still up to some shenanigans.

While some jokes are pretty funny, and the Supercazzola is not to be missed, over all the movie is only a shadow of the first two. But this is not a comedy, this is a drama about old people with some jokes spread here and there. It barely gets four popcorns, but falls short of the movie vault. Maybe I’ll archive it just to have the trilogy in one place.

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The sequel of Amici Miei is just as bonkers, funny and straight up insane. It’s almost as good as the first one, the Supercazzola returns, and it gets 5 popcorns and goes to the vault.

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