The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2006)
93 %
Reviews Counted: 73 Fresh: 68 Rotten:5 Average Rating: 8/10
Consensus:
Shot in naturalistic style, this is a powerful indictment of absurdity and indifference in the face of human suffering.
Runtime: 2 hrs 33 mins
Theatrical Release: Apr 26, 2006 Limited
Synopsis: Shot in Romania, THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU follows the title character as he waits for attention in a rundown hospital emergency ward. Fans of Lars Von Trier's THE KINGDOM should find much to love here, as Lazarescu's trip to the medical unit descends into a nightmare-ish journey of... [More]
Genre: Dramas
Starring: Luminita Gheorghiu
Director: Cristi Puiu
Buy It On DVD
Reviews
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu seems effortlessly observed, even improvised, but it's actually a wonder of choreography, rhythm and social commentary.
Comment
06/08/08
blending social commentary with spiritual allegory, it traces one man's nocturnal descent into the Circle of Hell that is Romania's healthcare service
06/15/07
The gradual accumulation of detail, the quotidian elements of the long night, eventually add up to a powerful and engrossing whole.
03/01/07
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01/20/07
The film feels very real and not a little scary since the viewer knows that he is very likely to eventually likely to share Lazarescu's fate.
01/08/07
Absurdamente angustiante em seu realismo sem concessões, este é mais do que um filme-denúncia (apropriado para vários países, aliás); é, acima de tudo, um olhar agridoce sobre o melhor e o pior em todos nós.
12/28/06
Both sad and darkly funny, the film is so sharply conceived and richly populated that it often registers like a Frederick Wiseman documentary, even though everything is scripted and every part played by a professional.
12/26/06
Top Critic
This deathly film is crafted with such ease that it comes appallingly alive. A slowly suffocating, masterly work of social realism that shrouds you in a melancholy look at mortality.
12/21/06
While Lazarescu is descending on his nighttime journey toward zero, the film builds up an entire social world around him--one that is harrowing, funny, infuriating, outrageous and sometimes profoundly moving.
11/11/06
A harsh critique of the modern medical system, and though it takes place specifically in Romania, its events could be easily transferred elsewhere.
11/08/06
Puiu's seemingly artless, documentary-style mise en scène, with the characters followed by a shoulder-mounted camera, conceals countless subtleties, foreshadowings and running themes.
09/28/06
...one of the best, most intriguing movies of the year. This is the kind of film that transcends borders and can talk to people worldwide.
07/29/06
There's something about Fiscuteanu's quietly desperate performance (with much of the emotion conveyed through his eyes), that gets under your skin.
07/28/06
As commentary, it's grim. As filmmaking, it's a powerfully disturbing odyssey through the Bucharest health care system.
07/28/06
Top Critic
Puiu is playful with his symbolism, as evidenced by his titular character's triple-loaded name, but his really astounding achievement is how he transforms commonplace scenes with shimmering alternate meaning.
07/22/06
"Extraordinary" is used here in both meanings of the word: highly unusual and exceptional.
07/15/06
As a story of the callous impersonalization we inflict upon one another, the film is timeless.
07/15/06
Related Forums
NYFF-THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU selected for the 43rd Annual New York Film Festival!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/16/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/16/06
NYFF-THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU selected for the 43rd Annual New York Film Festival!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/16/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/16/06
NYFF-THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU selected for the 43rd Annual New York Film Festival!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/16/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/16/06
NYFF-THE DEATH OF MR. LAZARESCU selected for the 43rd Annual New York Film Festival!
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/16/06
by: REEL_REVIEWER 9/16/06
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