Tue, 22 May 2012
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Picturenose’s James Drew has trouble keeping his attention fixed on a ponderous (though occasionally powerful) Romanian study of ‘everyday life’.Aurora (2010)
Writer-director Cristi Puiu (Moartea domnului Lazarescu (The Death of Mr. Lazarescu) (2005), Aurora (2010), takes us into a world that is reminiscent of the works of Harold Pinter, in terms of its pacing, pauses and, for the most part, seeming lack of meaningful dialogue.
The taciturn Viorel (Puiu) goes to work and gets into a rather awkward conversation concerning paying back money he has borrowed from a colleague. Then, we see him on wasteland, seemingly spying on people. Later, he shoots a man down. Then, again sometime later, he trudges back through the muddy, abandoned caravan site.
And that's about it, but, given that the film lasts some three hours, it's fair to say that I really haven't given too much away in the above description, as Puiu's film is all about waiting and, well, more waiting. It is frequently very unclear as to Viorel's motivations for his actions. Something is certainly gnawing at him, and his constant vagueness does generate a certain fascination as to his predicament, but whether such interest can be maintained for the film's length is another matter entirely.
Following the seemingly cold-blooded murder committed by Viorel, it is fair to say that both dialogue and consequently the on-screen action acquire a more tangible feel, building to a conclusion that can only be described as absurd which is, again, very much like Pinter's combination of moods.
But, however well-intentioned Puiu's film may be, and whatever justifications the director may give for its extended running length, the lack of pace, dialogue and narrative clarifications will leave many dismissing Aurora as by and large pointless. That's a pity, because there is clearly intelligence at work here - it just becomes swamped by the director's apparent ambition to make a point by revealing little, or nothing.
Please check local listings before travelling. For more reviews, check out www.picturenose.com. Expatica's weekly cinema-review section is brought to you incollaboration with Picturenose.com. About our reviewers: Putting you in the picture.
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