Graduation (Bacalaureat) (2016)

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.

Two Days, One Night (Deux Jours, Une Nuit) (2014)

The idea is simple and relevant in our time of economic recession. A blue-collar worker suffers a nervous breakdown and takes time off work, after which her management discovers that it doesn't need her.  She is to be laid off unless she can convince her coworkers to forgo their bonuses.  Marion Cotillard plays Sandra, the conflicted woman, desperate to keep her job but ashamed to beg and at times defeatist, balancing hopefulness and hopelessness beautifully. She masterfully gives the audience raw emotion.  These emotions range from tearful elation when she convinces one of her coworkers to vote for her to depressing sleepwalking.  Cotillard is outstanding in any language and was well deserving of her Oscar nomination. The film is engaging throughout.  There is a brilliant twist at the end that both highlights cruelty and humanity, both themes that permeate the whole film.  Finally in the end, one wins out.