This movie was
surprisingly very good. Romanian cinema is vibrant and well. On the surface, it
is about a father who is willing to do whatever it takes to help his daughter,
who was assaulted. But it is not a revenge story as it would be in America. It
is actually not about revenge at all. There is some nuance. His daughter needs
to pass her final exams to accept her scholarship, but shaken up, she is not
her usual smart self. This is a story that could've taken place in a different
developing country, but it is unique to this world where corruption reigns
supreme. I rub your back and you rub mine. This look at Eastern Europe is
illuminating. Adrian Titieni gives an excellent performance as the concerned
father. And things get particularly interesting when he has to drag his
innocent daughter into his schemes.
The titular
graduation is something of a joke. I learned that in Europe, they don't do big
graduation ceremonies. There isn't really any ceremony. They all gather in the
playground, no gowns, no pomp, no chairs, a few speeches. And then they
hilariously gather for a picture. They get in formation for this picture
unnaturally fast. There is no way that any group of human beings could line up
for a picture that quickly. Otherwise, it is a very realistic film. And it is
this real melodrama that makes it so compelling.
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