Customer Reviews

The Way I Spent the End of the World

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The Way I Spent the End of the World (not a title to roll off the tongue) is a lovely little film with its heart in the right place. It's about the lives of high-school kids just before the overthrow of Communism in 1989 Romania. These kids want to get on with life only they are surrounded by a crazy sense of censorship and they lack a connection to the outside world so they decide to look for a way out. The idea is that they want to swim across the Danube (like many did in real life). Doroteea Petre convincingly plays the role of the central character, a girl who's looking for more.

The recent interest in Romanian cinema has meant that films like The Way I Spent the End of the World are now available to an English-speaking audience. It shows a general quality in Romanian film-making. I would say it's an honest type of film-making, willing to show the day to day lives of real people and their situations. Although not a visionary piece (such as 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days or The Death of Mr Lazarescu) The Way I Spent the End of the World comes recommended if you're in the mood for original, heartfelt cinema.

Bogdan Tiganov - author of The Wooden Tongue Speaks: Romanians: Contradictions and Realities

This film is beautifully made. With just a small understanding of Communist Romania, a viewer can really enjoy the creativity in telling this story. The main character is a strong heroine, but the characters around her add a lot of entertainment and give ground for reflection. I like that the film focuses on a neighborhood with its share of normal problems, while in the background communist control is falling apart.

Set in 1989 Bucharest the film transfers us to the last year of Ceausescu's dictatorship.
17-year-old Eva and her boyfriend accidentally break a bust of Ceausescu at school and after confessing their 'crime', Eva is expelled. She's continuing her studies in a special 'reformatory' institution where she meets Andrei. Together they decide to escape the hostile Romania. Finding out about this plan, Eva's younger brother Lalalilu blaims Ceausescu for taking away his sister and makes his own plan of revenge.

This is a very heartwarming and passionate first feature from Romanian writer/director Catalin Mitulescu. It's a personal story, that doesn't focus on the life under communist regime, but rather gives an insightful and intelligent portrait of the turbulences of one family' life.

Interesting look at Romanian life, but I found it a bit slow and sluggish. Just wasn't in the mood for this film, although I have enjoyed other Romanian movies lately. But not this one so much.

An interesting movie for those seeking some understanding in the difficulties of modern Romanian life...couldn't get away to go this summer...so I slipped this disc...and went, I was there!!!

I purchased this product over a month ago and it never made it to my home but I am now requested to make a review ????