What genre of movie are we watching? This is one of the questions that the viewers of the film 'Oameni de treaba' (the title in the English distribution is 'Men of Deeds'), made in 2022 by the director Paul Negoescu, which I saw during the Romanian Film Festival in Israel, initially scheduled for October 2023, are asked to answer. At some moments we have the feeling that we are watching a comedy, then a thriller, later a a drama of personal failure and permanently a political satire of the eternal Romanian unreality. It's yet another demonstration of how relative the divisions in cinematic categories and genres are. A good movie is a good movie. The shelf on which film critics or historians place it is less important.

The story takes place in one of the most beautiful areas of Romania, in Bucovina, in a village at the border of Europe. 'Oameni de treaba' has two main characters: a rooster who escapes to an uncertain freedom from a truck transporting poultry and a policeman named Ilie, a man in his 40s who has not really succeeded in life and who lives alone, dreaming of buying land for an orchard and remarrying, after his first marriage ended in divorce. He is the village policeman and the trusted man of the mayor Constantin, kind of as 'godfather' (as in the mafia), who controls almost everything that happens in the village, legal or especially illegal. A young police officer is assigned as his subordinate just when a crime happens in the village. The curiosity and probity of the young man, who begins to investigate the crime, risks disturbing the order that had kept the village relatively prosperous (compared to other surrounding villages) due to the fact that things were going 'as always'. When the violence escalates, Ilie will be faced with the dilemma of continuing to accept submission and collaboration with the corrupt environment. But what is the limit of accepting compromises?

Iulian Postelnicu achieves an exceptional acting creation in 'Oameni de treaba'. Policeman Ilie belongs to that category of heroes that we don't know exactly how to categorize - positive or negative? He is the policeman devoted to the mayor, obediently carrying out his orders, convinced to a point that this is the way things were always and will be forever. Always astounded by what happens to him, he tries to overcome the impasse in which his life was and knows that he can only do it by accepting compromises and deluding himself that everything is for the good and the tranquility of the community. And yet, when the injustices around him exceed the limit of violence, when people he knows and who depend on him and his position as a lawman are hurt, something happens. But the price of rebellion is huge, even for a man of the system. Another formidable performance is that of Vasile Muraru as the corrupt mayor, who reminded me of the late Ernest Maftei in several memorable roles. The combination of drama and comedy, thriller and satire works quite well, but what stays in the memory, and thanks to the actor for this, are the long close-ups of the hero's moments of solitude and balance. Romanian viewers will recognize themes already covered by the Romanian films, related to the endemic corruption and the disintegration of rural society, but for me the personal dramas are the ones that impressed me the most. The ending is memorable and changes a lot in the perspective of what happened up until that point. I would have cut it a minute earlier. It would have been brilliant. ('Let's go fishing somewhere else.')

While the story is fairly simple, Paul Negoescu (who did the 2016 hit film Two Lottery Tickets) certainly gives it a typical Romanian twist which will keep us expats chuckling and foreign audiences well entertained.

There are quite a few similarities with the deadpan narrative style of the Coen Brothers in "Fargo": a rural police officer, who covers up the mayor's smuggling activities, has just gotten a new partner when a murder happens. It's pretty clear from the start who's responsible, but since this community is ripe with corruption, the cop knows better than to investigate for real. Yet another event pushes him into a crisis of confidence, resulting in a quite unforgettable showdown.

The film starts very slow and observant like the Romanian New Wave ones but gradually changes into a very dark comedy. It deserved its many Gopo awards (domestic Oscar) for this, especially for Iulian Postelnicu's zero to hero performance. Rare for a Romanian film, it got released in the US, so I suppose it may land an Academy Award nomination. Like Caranfil, Negoescu is a bit too funny for the European idea of a Romanian film, so you'll have to search for this if you live abroad, but it's definitely worth it.

This movie depicts the everyday struggle that people still live in Romania even after 34 years of democracy. Of course the struggle is dramatically increased but it sums up the point perfectly. I consider it to be well directed, the acting is great and it keeps you wondering until the end. It is sad but hopeful and I really believe it can be considered a modern masterpiece. The ending is a metaphor as is the entire film.

I felt like I was there and had to make the same choices as the characters. It gives you clues of what might happen but keeps you wondering until the end if your assumptions are true or false.

Really worth watching!