Again and again, as film critics announced their top ten lists of movies from 2006, a curious title appeared—The Death of Mr. Lazarescu.

It's a film that most American moviegoers haven't even heard about. That's because it comes from Romania, and does not include any movie stars you've seen before. It only made occasional appearances in U.S. arthouse theaters while it was winning awards at international film festivals. But there is good news for adventurous moviegoers—the film is now available on DVD.

It is indeed an award-worthy film, and it marks the emergence of a director that some are already calling a master—Cristi Puiu. Reportedly the first in a six-film series called "Stories From the Suburbs of Bucharest," Lazarescu is a masterpiece of subtlety, a powerful expression of compassion, and a work of art worthy of comparison to masterpieces by Eric Rohmer and Jean-Pierre and Luc Dardennes. It may remind others of Krzysztof Kieslowski's Decalogue.

Lazarescu follows the final journey of a hard-drinking, lonely old man named Dante Remus Lazarescu (Ion Fiscuteanu). As the film opens, Lazarescu's health is taking a turn for the worse. He makes urgent phone calls to family members and the hospital, asking for help and an ambulance. Then he visits his neighbors, who respond with a mix of concern and compassion.

When the ambulance finally arrives, it's a few quick tests and then off to the hospital. And then to another hospital. And another. Poor Lazarescu is subjected to a succession of memorably maddening encounters with doctors. As he is wheeled from condescending lectures to spectacular displays of insensitivity and hard-heartedness, he is accompanied by a longsuffering ambulance nurse named Mioara (Luminita Gheorghiu), who stands beside her patient valiantly until he arrives in the care of people who know what he needs and have the heart to help him.

Sound compelling? Probably not. But the film will slowly take hold of you in the way that some of your worst nightmares take hold. Puiu focuses our attention on a cramped, crowded journey through a maze of professional and personal dysfunction, causing us to ask which is worse—being sick or being treated. But along the way, we catch glimpses of grace and compassion. And we're forced to ask ourselves how many times we've flinched or turned away from someone as needy and unpleasant as Lazarescu.

Along the way, Lazarescu's story is rich with literary allusions. Some viewers may find themselves thinking about The Death of Ivan Ilyich, King Lear, The Divine Comedy, and even certain Bible stories. (Pay attention to the names of the doctors.) Puiu's sophisticated script offers revealing conversations that happen so casually it's easy to miss their dimension and relevance. The extraordinarily talented cast almost convinces us that we're watching a documentary.

Article continues below

It's ironic, really, that The Death of Mr. Lazarescu—a story about a lonely and mistreated individual—is being neglected itself. Hopefully its excellence will eventually win it the large audience it deserves, even if that has to happen one viewer at a time on DVD.

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) writes, "Deliberately paced, filmed with an unvarnished look and featuring understated performances, Puiu's perceptive commentary on health care, in charting Lazarescu's plight, poignantly brings attention to how uncaring bureaucracy and societal apathy can depreciate the dignity of a human being."

You'll find the many enthusiastic raves of mainstream critics here.

Lost boys tell their amazing stories in God Grew Tired of Us

Nicole Kidman narrates God Grew Tired of Us, a new, inspiring documentary about three young men—John Bul Dau, Daniel Abol Pach, and Panther Blor—who have escaped the Sudanese civil war to find new homes in Syracuse and Pittsburgh. The film won prestigious awards at the Sundance Film Festival last year, and now audiences around the U.S. are getting their chance to check it out.

Camerin Courtney (Christianity Today Movies) writes, "God Grew Tired of Us doesn't shy away from the complexities these three lives represent, including the countless ripple effects of world conflict and the messy realities of resettlement—how it's a way forward but not always an easy 'solution.' One of the strengths of this documentary—besides the obvious and important awareness-raising—is its ability to help us see our culture from a fresh perspective.

Mainstream critics are praising the film as "an affecting and engaging film."

Don't pick up this Hitcher

In 1981, Rutger Hauer demonstrated what a compelling, powerful actor he could be in Ridley Scott's extraordinary sci-fi film Blade Runner. Five years later, he was playing a serial killer in The Hitcher.

In 2001, Sean Bean demonstrated what a compelling, powerful actor he could be in Peter Jackson's extraordinary fantasy film The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. And now, six years later, he's playing a serial killer in Dave Meyers' remake of The Hitcher.

Article continues below

Why? Why is this great actor following in Hauer's footsteps, stooping to participate in lousy, excessive horror flicks? Why hasn't anyone given Bean an opportunity to dazzle us as a dramatic lead?

That may be about to change. Bean is starring in several upcoming films, including adaptations of Macbeth (Comes Likes Shadows, with Tilda Swinton) and Oscar Wilde's A Woman of No Importance (for director Bruce Beresford, with Annette Bening and Lindsay Lohan).

But back to the subject at hand: Is this remake of The Hitcher any good?

David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says it "starts off promising psychological suspense, but ultimately follows the original's predictable road map of bloody excess and plot implausibility, capped by a flippant act of violent retribution."

Greg Wright (Past the Popcorn) says, "To be honest, Dave Meyers' update of The Hitcher hews pretty close to many of the original's characters, plot devices, and even dialogue. What Meyers mostly seems, though, is impatient with the original's pacing and frustrated at Harmon's reluctance to show all the gore. So right off the bat, Meyers' version becomes rushed and bloody."

Bob Hoose (Plugged In) says, "Most of the 'good' guys die and the one left has been pummeled by relentless evil to the point of numbness, saying, 'I don't feel anything' before blowing another person's brains out. The curtain falls and evil wins. In truth, evil itself is the nonchalant hero here."

Mainstream critics are kicking this remake to the side of the road.

More reviews of recent releases

Pan's Labyrinth: Christian Hamaker (Crosswalk) raves, "It's a reminder that not all fairy tales are for children, and that the power of the imagination is something that can be kindled and reawakened in adults, given the right material. Pan's Labyrinth is, in a word, breathtaking. … Its images are strange and, at times, frightening, but I found its message of strength through sacrifice deeply spiritual and profoundly Christian."

Harry Forbes (Catholic News Service) calls it "a cinematically stunning adult tale. … Though the main story outline is familiar in its classic structure, it is given new life by Del Toro's deft balancing of the harsh real world with the girl's mysterious parallel universe which sheds light on the former, and there are poignant elements of sacrifice and redemption."

J. Robert Parks (Framing Device) is slightly disappointed, but only because it falls short of Del Toro's previous masterpiece, The Devil's Backbone. "The movie isn't quite as strong as Devil's Backbone … in part because the fantastic and historical modes never quite mesh. The fairy tale aspect doesn't have the payoff that you'd expect (not like the ghost story of Devil's Backbone). The finale … is somewhat anti-climactic, and, unlike many fairy tales, the story isn't an allegory for the real world. Furthermore, we don't spend enough time with the historical characters to understand their situation."

Article continues below

But Marcus Yoars (Plugged In) writes that the movie is excessively, gratuitously violent, and definitely not for children. He adds, "Even most adults won't want to (and shouldn't) indulge its grim excesses."

Miss Potter: Lisa Rice (Crosswalk) says the film "is a charming look at the challenges of a gentle, but bold woman trying to buck many spoken and unspoken turn-of-the-century rules and establish a commendable career for herself—without neglecting matters of the heart.Though it's a 'chick flick' any way you slice it, the filmmakers are careful to avoid an over-the-top feministic slant, and the outcome is both sweet and inspiring."

Bob Hoose (Plugged In) says, "In today's movie universe, the charming biopic Miss Potter is an anomaly, if not downright quaint. Foul language does not batter you, no one is shot or beaten, nothing explodes, implodes or regurgitates. And the screen is devoid of toilet-tinged cartoons, near-naked co-eds or insipidly mouthy fratboys. You're left, then, with a sweet, simple story about a young woman's creative imagination and determined spirit."

Letters From Iwo Jima: Christian Hamaker (Crosswalk) says, "As moving and universal as the story and its themes are, Letters From Iwo Jima never gives us the full picture of the Japanese warrior mentality. Yes, the men fought bravely and against all odds in a losing cause, and did so to their deaths. Nothing less was acceptable, as the film clearly shows. But the Japanese war mentality was even more extreme and terrifying."

Adam R. Holz (Plugged In) writes, "That sheer horror comes vividly to life onscreen, forcefully removing the film from any 'entertainment' category, and as such, it shouldn't be encountered without some thoughtfulness. … Perhaps, then, Iwo Jima feels so different from other war movies, especially those of yesteryear, because its ultimate reason for being is not to wave the flag of a particular country or cause. Instead, its twin morals are that the individual acts required of warriors in war are often utterly unspeakable, and that there are good and bad men on both sides of any conflict."

Article continues below

The Good German: Jeff Walls (Past the Popcorn) considers Steven Soderbergh's attempt to craft his own Casablanca. And he concludes, "[W]hereas Casablanca succeeded in creating characters that have become etched in our cultural consciousness, The Good German fails to even create characters that stick with us until we're out of the theater. … I appreciated The Good German for what it is, but unlike some of the more successful throwback pictures—Far from Heaven, Down with Love, Raiders of the Lost Ark—it fails to stand on its own."

Thr3e: David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) calls it "a conventional thriller, and not a very good one at that. … Despite a twist ending that deciphers the title, the movie's flat writing, competent but colorless performances and overall made-for-TV vibe generate only low-grade suspense."

Primeval: David DiCerto (Catholic News Service) says the "mostly suspense-free Jaws rip-off is undone by schlocky effects and a script that tries to wedge social-conscience commentary into a B-movie plot."

Tags: