FAMILY is the greatest and richest source of conflict in the story world. Conflicting people, set against each other all while being emotionally tied by the subterranean links between them - here’s the place to see the “heart in conflict with itself” at its fullest.

Two great examples come to mind of the “family genre” - T. Vinterberg’s “Festen” and Arnaud Desplechin’s “Un conte de Noël”. Powerful shit. 

With these two examples in mind, Cristi Puiu’s film feels as if it could have pushed for conflict and antagonise its characters two times fold while still being under the cover of realism, as Romanian families fight great fights between closed doors.

In its simplicity, the camera work and the limited space it creates and manages is very, very strong. 

The Romanian film to offer as a gift to non-RO friends. There you go, buddy, 3 hours of East European frenzy. Why is it called like that? Literally, just because.