Jan 16, 2018
Today’s movie is “Graduation” (2016), Cristian Mungui’s subtle drama about a family falling apart prior to their daughter’s graduation. The film follows Romeo Aldea (Adrian Titieni), a doctor in a small mountain town, whose daughter Eliza (Maria Dragus) is assaulted prior to her final exams, which are crucial to maintain a scholarship to Cambridge. Eliza, already uncertain about wanting to leave for Cambridge, tries to cope with her assault and the pressure of her father to leave.
Meanwhile, Romeo’s wife Magda (Lia Bugnar), is not only struggling with her daughter’s potential departure, but also her ending relationship with Romeo. Romeo and Magda have been maintaining their relationship only to see Eliza through graduation, then plan on separating officially, all while Romeo is seeing Sandra (Malina Manovici), his former patient and current lover.
Mungui’s script has the right balance of conflict and experience, centered around Romeo and his relationships, particularly with Eliza. Adrian Titieni’s performance is subtle, yet dynamic, unfolding his character deftly in response to each conflict, major or minor. Romeo as a character has a noble, if clumsy kind of grace, and his relationship with his daughter grows stronger and feels more real as the film progresses, despite his obvious failings.
Mungui’s direction and editing also brings the social aspects of Romania to life as their own character, highlighting the importance of social networks, the lingering, subtle influences of the communist years, and a strong desire for their children to have the best opportunities. The social fabric of the film doesn’t pass judgment even as these relationships have potential consequences for everyone involved.
My favorite part of the film is the lack of resolution, which may frustrate some viewers. Many conflicts aren’t resolved so much as postponed, forcing the viewer to direct their attention back to the characters and their relationships, the key strength for this film because of the well written script and the realistic performances.
Rotten Tomatoes: 95% (CERTIFIED)
Metacritic: 84
One Movie Punch: 8.8/10
“Graduation” (2016) is rated R and is currently streaming on Netflix.