Movie Review - Tuesday, After Christmas

Tuesday, After Christmas (Marti, dupa craciun) (2011)

Starring Mimi Branescu, Maria Popistasu, and Mirela Oprisor

Directed by Radu Muntean

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

Nothing like a film about adultery to provide copious amounts of Christmas cheer.  This Romanian drama centering around a man (Mimi Branescu) who, unbeknown to his wife (Mirela Oprisor), is having an affair with a younger woman (Maria Popistasu) is often tedious to sit through, but there are aspects that I still found myself admiring even though I was often anxiously awaiting the film to end.

First, it's quite commendable that director Radu Muntean often utilizes long, uncut, extended shots of dialog (sometimes upwards of ten minutes).  This technique forces the viewer to stay with the actors/characters even within uncomfortable situations.  The lack of a respite in the most difficult scenes is actually quite powerful.

Of course those scenes would never work if the acting wasn't good and the three Romanian leads all held my attention.  None of them blew me away with their acting work, but they all hit the right emotional notes at the appropriate times in the story.

However, in the end, Tuesday, After Christmas is a rather mundane affair.  There's a part of me that believes this may be the one of the "most real" depictions of an affair on film...it's just normal people with no bells and whistles.  But that "true life" aspect doesn't make a very compelling film.

The RyMickey Rating:  C