I walked into this movie expecting almost nothing, not sure that I'd even make it to the end.

However, the plot managed to hold me and the protagonist did a really good job in portraying a loser-miserable-not that clever police officer in a village where the mayor and the priest do their dirty business.

I can't say that I was hooked, but I didn't get bored either.

But once again a Tarantinesque ending ruined it for me, like it did in Parasites. There was no need for such a ridiculous massacre in the end. The movie had taken a dramatic turn, Ilie took the most important decision of his life and decided to put his consciousness first and his dream of an orchard and a peaceful life second. Then the movie turned into pure comedy or should I say spoof. The shoutout was hilarious but in a stupid way and it just felt out of place for me.

The movie starts off in a similar manner to other post-communist Romanian pictures: slow-paced mood, pictoresque, loads of time to immerse oneself in the universe of the characters. We meet the protagonist, who's in no way fitting the portrait of the all-time hero. A middle-aged policeman in a small town with failed experiences trying to make something of himself in both his personal and professional lives. Everything seems dull and slow until he gets a new partner, which coincides with a strange crime rocking the serene life of the village.

The acting of Iulian Postelnicu is superb and well deserves the prize for best male performance for the GoPo 2023 award. The supporting characters are also great, and everyone portrays a very believable remote Romanian small-town society with all the works of "men of deeds" leaning on each other. I personally really appreciated the ending, which was something different from what I am used to from Romanian cinematography, which all too often plays the moderate, introspective closure. The change in pacing is surprising but well delivered in a dramatic manner with a comical hint. So give yourself some time and enjoy the movie; it will not disappoint.