This two-and-half-hour Romanian drama may sound like a trial, but it's oddly, warmly captivating.
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07/08/06
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The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2006)
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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.
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... [More]
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Reviews for The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
Cristi Puiu doesn't pull his punches in his barbed black comedy on the state of socialized medicine in Hungary.
06/04/06
As a story of the callous impersonalization we inflict upon one another, the film is timeless.
07/15/06
The gradual accumulation of detail, the quotidian elements of the long night, eventually add up to a powerful and engrossing whole.
03/01/07
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
It seems extraordinary to claim that this film is funny but it is.
07/15/06
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
A sad and scary film about the ignominy of dying alone in a hospital room surrounded by strangers and without dignity.
09/22/05
Distilled to a more endurable length, this insightful odyssey might best serve as a required text for graduating medical students and hospital administrators.
09/26/05
Top Critica gentle parable of the delicacy of mortality
04/25/06
The film’s real success is that Puiu impresses both with his compassion for human behaviour and his tight grip on realist, documentary-style filmmaking.
06/24/06
[The] uniquely Eastern European brand of absurdity recalls the work of Vaclav Havel, playwright and former President of Czechoslovakia. At least, it would be absurd if it weren't so credible.
06/30/06
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 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
...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
Puiu maintains a strong current of suspense about the outcome -- despite the title, will this Lazarus be revived? --- and a bracingly cynical sense of humor that rescues the material from being a total downer.
06/15/06
Top CriticThe Death of Mr. Lazarescu seems effortlessly observed, even improvised, but it's actually a wonder of choreography, rhythm and social commentary.
06/08/08
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, for all its terrible matter-of-factness, produces tumultuous feelings of amazement and revolt.
04/24/06
Top CriticIf you love adventurous cinema, [Cristi] Puiu's transcendent, unique foray into the culture of health care is a must-see.
06/03/06
I suspect medical professionals would see much they recognize in this movie. The credits include a long list of technical advisers, but it doesn't take an adviser to convince you the movie is authentic.
05/12/06
Top CriticLatest News for The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
October 05, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Departed" Is Best Reviewed Wide Release of 2006
This week at the movies, we've got cops and robbers in Boston ("The Departed," starring Jack Nicholson, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Matt Damon), chainsaw massacres in Texas... More...
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