***SPOILER***

"Marfa si banii" is a two-leveled movie. The first level may be considered the plot, that in the first 40 minutes makes "Marfa si banii" a movie full of suspense that keeps the public interested. After this moment, the film "moves" slowly to a good, simple, but solid drama.

The second level is one full of symbols: although the two friends escaped some severall dangers and saved their lives, at the end of the picture, we realise that the only important thing to save are their counsteinceness, because, after all, that is what matters in live( this is only one of the things that the writers are trying to say). In the same time, "Marfa si banii" tries to show what happens when the willing to make money fast and easy is beyond reason, and also tries to show what, why and how it happens to young men who choose this way, especially in Romania, but not only.

This is a well-acted movie, very ingenuous,using some simple technics, because "the simplity is the mother of the elegance"; considering it's a low-budget picture, it came out great. The movie can be criticised for some technical effects(for example, the sound department is just terrible). As for the content of the bag,(what bag? watch the movie and You'll find out) it remains as mysterious as the faith of the two friends, that seem not to have a choise, but the possibility of doing something good lays in us all, right?(another ideea from the movie).

I must specify that, after reading this review, you might think this is a great work of art and then see the movie and realise it's just a good movie.

I think it desirves a 6.

This film is a very good example that the idea, even though is not the only important thing for a movie, is the key point. With a very limited budget, a single basic camera with sound recorded live and a few characters played by very natural acting, young performers. It was like they never knew that they are filmed. Anyway this is a must see movie especially for Romanian speaking viewers. So, take some sun-flowers seeds - not popcorn - and enjoy.

Stuff and Dough (2001) is a low-budged road movie by one of the talented directors of so-called Romanian New Wave, and it is arguably the initiator of this wave. The freshness of the film comes both from the subject and from the style!

We are in contemporary Romania. A post-communist country where every citizen struggle to break trough with a business enterprise. Our main protagonist, mummy's boy Ovidiu accepts to deliver a package of medicines, which obviously is something different considering the money he received for delivery from his mafia-like 'boss'. On his way to Bucharest he is accompanied with a close friend Vali and his girlfriend Bety, and they are shocked when they are attacked by a group of men.

Besides the story, film successfully delivers living conditions of ordinary people in contemporary Romania, that is why, in some way, it resembles neo-realist approach. We are especially informed about the struggle of youth, their interests, targets and moral behaviors, how they accommodate to new liberal system, however post-communist type of liberalism.

On the other hand, style is more new wave; a fresh, unorthodox type of filmmaking. Hand-held camera, natural acting, coarse editing, full of jump cuts and elliptical cuts.