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Released By: Film Movement
Released On: 06/07/2011
Director: Florin Serban
Cast: George Pistereanu, Ada Condeescu
The Film:
When it comes to Romanian film, I'll be the first to admit that I pretty much have no idea what I'm talking about. Some countries produce films that comment on political, religious, or social situations that are unique to the location, and largely unknown to the rest of the world. As a result, a film from a particular region may have plenty of importance locally, but leave no impression elsewhere in the world. Maybe that's the case with If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle. Who knows? I certainly don't.
The film is set in a bleak looking youth prison/work camp, where an inmate named Silviu (George Pistereanu) is doing time. Not much is divulged about Silviu's sentence, except that it's coming to an end, and he'll soon be able to return home to look after his younger brother. However, his brother shows up at the jail for a visit and tells Silviu that their mother has returned home after a long absence of gallivanting around the countryside with various men, and intends to take him off to Italy before Silviu's release. Silviu's contempt for his mother gets the better of him in an altercation with a guard, and he narrowly avoids having his sentence lengthened as a result of the scuffle, thanks to the kindness of the warden.
Silviu's next task is to get his mother out to the jail, which he does by borrowing a hidden cell phone from another inmate. His mother arrives, and he verbally berates her, calling her a whore and lambasting her for not being around to look after him and his brother. His mother eventually leaves but the threat of her taking his brother is still there, so Silviu decides to take action by holding a social worker hostage to get his point across.
If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle is...boring. That's simply the best way that I can put it. Some interesting things happen, but it's akin to reading a newspaper article that piques your curiosity while keeping you miles away from any empathy for the characters. The performances are decent enough, I suppose; but there's nothing special about Florin Serban's direction aside from an excess of in-your-face shakeycam, and the singular location keeps the setting about as interesting as the rest of the film. There's nothing particularly bad about it, other than the fact that you'll more than likely walk away without registering what you've watched; and even if you do register it, it doesn't matter.
Video/Audio/Extras:
Film Movement brings If I Want To Whistle, I Whistle to DVD with an anamorphic transfer in a 1.78:1 ratio. It looks decent, although you shouldn't expect the flat gray locale to give your TV a workout. It appears that the intent was to make the film look gritty and grainy, and that goal has been reached on this disc. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Romanian language soundtrack is more than adequate, with the dialogue-driven film coming across crisp and clear. Subtitles are clear and legible throughout.
There are a few special features also included. Four Biographies are included for Director/Writer Florin Serban, the Producer and Co-Writer, and the two main actors.
Next up is a Theatrical Trailer for the film, as well as six trailers for other Film Movement titles.
On the main menu screen, you'll find a brief blurb on Film Movement as well as a trailer for Film Movement, and Kiss, a 10-minute short film from the Netherlands.
The Final Word:
Florin Serban is listed here and there as being part of an exciting new wave of filmmakers coming out of Romania; I hope this is not as exciting as it gets.
