A cop finds himself growing uncomfortable with his latest assignment in this study in the nature of power and authority from Romanian director Corneliu Porumboiu. Cristi (Dragos Bucur) is a seasoned police detective who has just gotten married to Anca (Irina Saulescu) and wants to keep his superiors happy. Cristi's boss, Nelu (Ion Stoica), has ordered the detective to keep a close watch on Victor (Radu Costin), a teenager who is suspected of dealing drugs for a local cartel. Cristi has spent
several weeks following Victor's actions and is certain that the kid smokes marijuana with his friends, but isn't any kind of drug pusher and should be left alone. Cristi is also aware that Romanian authorities are expected to relax their laws regarding drugs in the near future, making it all but pointless to possibly ruin Victor's life by bringing him in, but while Nelu understands Cristi's thinking, he's not so willing to let the youngster off so easily. Politist, Adj. (aka Police, Adjective) was an official selection at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
I suspect that those versed in the arcana of Romanian politics will get the most out of this movie, but its moral issues, revolving as they do around matters of rightness and repression, are certainly universal.
Simultaneously a police procedural, an analysis of language and imagery, a philosophical debate about law and justice, and a very, very dry Romanian Martini -- so dry that, at first, one doesn't quite taste much of anything.
Un viaje a través de los laberintos del poder y de la burocracia, con una economía narrativa que, por más que ponga a prueba la paciencia del espectador, luce plenamente al servicio de su anécdota.
Sadly, the film does little more than illuminate the audacity of a film-maker intent on testing the benevolence of his audience by presenting them with nothing of interest to watch.
Porumboiu's minimalist style can be a chore to sit through at times, but part of the film's brilliant innovation is how it manages to be so rich while expending as little effort as possible.
There's something comic about cops writing dictionary definitions on a blackboard. But there's a tragic undertone as well, because those in power get to define what those words mean.
Definition of 'slow' (don't watch this if your sleepy), earnest, European arthouse indulgence. Certainly puts across the tedium of police work with langorous passages where we watch, wait and walk with the characters.
April 17, 2011
Gordon A
Super Reviewer
An "inaction" cop film that's quiet, slow paced, and moody, Politist, adj. requires patience to allow the story to settle in and the characters to develop. There are many long takes during the almost real-time narrative of the film. The stake-outs come to mind. Heavy with dialogue, it slowly turns into a
complex story that kept my attention until the very end. The lead character Cristi is our protagonist serving as a police officer questioning what is right or wrong during a new regime which hangs on to old habits.The Romanian landscape is cold and industrial, so this is definitely not a film to promote tourism. The only other Romanian film I have seen recently is 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days. I look forward to seeing more.
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