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Movies / On DVD / 12:08 East of Bucharest
12:08 East of Bucharest

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12:08 East of Bucharest (2007)

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Reviews Counted:44

Fresh:42

Rotten:2

Average Rating:7.8/10

Consensus: With a witty script full of satirical overtones and dry humor, 12:08 East of Bucharest is a thoroughly enjoyable Romanian comedy.

Rated: 15

Runtime: 89 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:17-08-2007

Synopsis: Gil-Scott Heron once wrote "the revolution will not be televised," but one Romanian newsman attempts to put his nation's revolution on the air after the fact in this satiric comedy from... Gil-Scott Heron once wrote "the revolution will not be televised," but one Romanian newsman attempts to put his nation's revolution on the air after the fact in this satiric comedy from writer-director Corneliu Porumboiu. It's the 16th anniversary of the revolt that removed Communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu from power in Romania, and Jderescu (Ion Sapdaru) is the host of a televised public-affairs show who wants to do a special program on the revolution. Jderescu's idea is to bring on a handful of ordinary citizens to discuss their role in Ceausescu's overthrow and how their lives have changed since Communist rule ended in Romania. However, Jderescu can only round up two guests for his broadcast: elderly Piscoci (Mircea Andreescu), who's more interested in playing Santa Claus for the neighborhood kids than talking politics, and Manescu (Teo Corban), a schoolteacher nursing a brutal hangover. As Jderescu tries to lead a serious discussion of how Romania has changed since Ceausescu was driven from power, the conversation wanders off on a tangent about where the revolution actually took place; the waters become even more muddied when Jderescu opens up the phone lines for questions from viewers. Most of the callers have their own distinct (and strongly conflicting) memories of the revolution, and, comically, one of them has a bone to pick with Manescu over some drunken insults he hurled the night before. [More]

Starring: Mircea Andreescu, Teo Corban, Ion Sapdaru

Starring: Mircea Andreescu, Teo Corban, Ion Sapdaru

Director: Corneliu Porumboiu

Director: Corneliu Porumboiu
Screenwriter: Corneliu Porumboiu
Producer: Corneliu Porumboiu
Studio: Tartan Films

[See More Credits]

Reviews for 12:08 East of Bucharest

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1 - 20 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
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Extremely clever filmmaking--sharp and very funny, but also challenging and packed with relevance.

Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
08/17/07
Rich Cline
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall

The only problem with the new Romanian cinema seems to be titles few can easily remember - but some eccentricity is permissible when the films are so good.

Full Review Source: This is London | comment Comment
08/17/07
Derek Malcolm
Derek Malcolm
This is London

A melancholy rumination on the failed hopes of Eastern Europe after the Cold War, infused with a sense of farce and the irrecoverable nature of the past.

Full Review Source: Independent | comment Comment
08/17/07
Anthony Quinn
Anthony Quinn
Independent

A terrifically droll and slyly incisive comedy.

Full Review Source: Daily Telegraph | comment Comment
08/17/07
Sukhdev Sandhu
Sukhdev Sandhu
Daily Telegraph
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The central European tradition of failed aspirations, lost ideals and forlorn eccentrics goes back to early Forman, or indeed Chekhov, but the Latin Romanians bring their own awareness of the distant big city alternately beckoning and frightening.

Full Review Source: Financial Times | comment Comment
08/17/07
Martin Hoyle
Martin Hoyle
Financial Times

It won the best first film award at Cannes; somehow, it doesn't seem quite substantial enough to justify that accolade.

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
08/17/07
Andrew Pulver
Andrew Pulver
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Beautifully observed and very funny, this film is a real treat.

Full Review Source: Times [UK] | comment Comment
08/17/07
Wendy Ide
Wendy Ide
Times [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A funny, gentle film that understands the wearying nature of political upheaval.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
08/17/07
David Mattin
David Mattin
BBC
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A deadpan delight that offers further proof of Romania’s cinematic ascendance.

Full Review Source: Total Film | comment Comment
08/17/07
David Jenkins
David Jenkins
Total Film

Black comedy with a subtle political edge.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
08/17/07
Dave Calhoun
Dave Calhoun
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Small-town values are rocked by the tide of history in Porumboiu's grimly funny and determinedly slight retrospective on the 1989 Romanian revolution.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
08/16/07
Anton Bitel
Anton Bitel
Channel 4 Film
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Dry comedies from eastern Europe tend to cast a skeptical eye on anything and everything, which is certainly the case with Corneliu Porumboiu's debut feature.

Full Review Source: Chicago Reader | comment Comment
12/04/07
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader

12:08 East of Bucharest is easier to admire than enjoy, funnier to describe than actually watch.

Full Review Source: Detroit Free Press | comment Comment
11/30/07
John Monaghan
John Monaghan
Detroit Free Press

The movie provokes low-key laughs (yes, it's a comedy), but with a sad overtone.

Full Review Source: Charlotte Observer | comment Comment
10/12/07
Lawrence Toppman
Lawrence Toppman
Charlotte Observer

Porumboiu’s satire about history and short memories is a modest, deadpan masterpiece.

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
10/06/07
David Fear
David Fear
Time Out New York

Dryly funny throughout its first half, the film truly comes to life in its final 45 minutes.

Full Review Source: Cinematical | comment Comment
10/06/07
Martha Fischer
Martha Fischer
Cinematical
N/R

Porumboiu starts off making a mordant slice of life, but he gradually entwines the personal and the historical, then ends on a poignant note. The story and situation are slight, but in the best possible way.

Full Review Source: AV Club | comment Comment
10/06/07
Noel Murray
Noel Murray
AV Club

You will laugh till the streetlights blink on again in the damp Romanian twilight.

Full Review Source: Nation | comment Comment
10/06/07
Stuart Klawans
Stuart Klawans
Nation

While 12:08 East of Bucharest could take more than one viewing to truly appreciate, it’s worth the commitment.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
10/06/07
Toddy Burton
Toddy Burton
Austin Chronicle

Porumboiu's minimalist approach concentrates the movie's focus on its mournful characters, so disillusioned with their post-Communist life they question the history that led to it.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
09/28/07
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune
 
 
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