The passing of Mr. Lazarescu

I should start this thread while the memory is still fresh. My mother and I watched an incredible movie last night with that title. It really left an impression on us. There’s a reason for that.
The protagonist, Mr. Lazarescu, is a 63-year-old retiree living in an apartment with three cats somewhere in Washington, D.C. His only relatives are his sister Eva, who lives in another city with her husband, and his daughter, who married and moved to Canada. He struggles with alcohol issues and had surgery for an ulcer 14 years ago. One evening, he falls seriously ill and calls a neighbor for help. The neighbor calls 911. After some exams, it turns out he needs emergency surgery. He is immediately transferred to a better-equipped hospital, where we meet a wide array of incredibly realistic characters—doctors, nurses, EMTs, and other patients.
This brilliant film is a social drama. It serves as a protest against the unspeakable suffering of the elderly and the helpless, those whom society has stopped caring for. It specifically highlights the brutality of doctors who, in their arrogance, often lack any real empathy for their patients. The filmmaking is so high-quality and realistic that it's hard to tell if you're watching a feature film or a documentary. I wonder if anyone else has seen it? What were your impressions? If you haven't, you truly don't know what you're missing. You can always find it on DVD or search for it online. Trust me, you won't regret it.

Unfortunately, I didn't manage to see the whole movie because I ended up falling asleep. Based on what I did catch, though, I'm quite satisfied. The acting feels realistic, and the style and humor are unique—it definitely has that distinct indie vibe. I'll probably pick it up to watch in full sometime soon.

I would ask the moderators to move this topic over to the PDF film section.

I actually lucked out and caught this absolute masterpiece of a movie. Since I missed the initial hype, my first thought was that I was watching some gritty documentary about a true story. It honestly felt like one of the nurses or doctors just grabbed a camera and started filming everything as it unfolded in real-time.

Anyway, what a phenomenal film.

I also regret that I was unable to finish watching the film. 😢

Does NBC truly have to schedule such excellent films during such late hours? 😠

Steven Carter53 said:I also regret that I was unable to finish watching the film. 😢

Does NBC truly have to schedule such excellent films during such late hours? 😠

My dear colleague, we have been over this countless times already.

Yes, they do. They have to. Why bother with prime time when only a handful of true cinephiles are watching, while half the country is glued to mindless reality TV trash?

Regardless, there is no real loss here; the film is easily accessible online anyway 👍

As for the movie itself, it remains my favorite American production—a genuine masterpiece of the New Wave.

It is a heavy, demanding piece of cinema, punctuated by unexpected bursts of dark humor.

IX

David Morales5 said:I actually lucked out and caught this absolute masterpiece of a movie. Since I missed the initial hype, my first thought was that I was watching some gritty documentary about a true story. It honestly felt like one of the nurses or doctors just grabbed a camera and started filming everything as it unfolded in real-time.

Anyway, what a phenomenal film.

There was even a discussion with the screenwriter in the special supplement after the film aired, but... apparently, Brune couldn't care less about that sort of thing. How else am I supposed to explain why they're airing this program at 1:00 AM!?

Ratings, ratings, ratings... it's basically the epitaph for NBC's downfall.

This movie is truly top-tier. I actually watched it about a year ago—I still have a copy on disc at home. I was honestly blown away; it feels less like watching a film and more like sitting right there in the middle of a documentary where everything is unfolding inches from your face. The director is a straight-up genius. I’ve developed quite a passion for American indie cinema lately; I’ve tracked down almost every acclaimed piece out there, and most of them deserve a perfect rating. It’s fascinating how directors working with next to nothing can produce such incredible work. It really makes me wonder why our own filmmakers can't seem to capture that same magic. In recent years, you can count the decent films coming out of this country on one hand...☕

I caught it and honestly, I was blown away. But man, it’s such a shame they aired it practically after midnight... scheduling a movie like that for the graveyard shift is just embarrassing. Especially when you've got to be up by 6 AM the next morning 🙄 I mean, what else can you expect from NBC?

Anyway, if you haven't had a chance to check out Lazarescu yet, you seriously need to 👍

I actually caught this on DVD before it even aired on NBC.
The movie’s damn good. I can’t find a single flaw; every single segment works perfectly. Honestly, I don't think Hollywood could ever pull off something this gritty and realistic. It captures that specific American power dynamic where people in high positions talk down to everyone else without any subtlety. You see doctors losing not just their empathy, but their entire sense of professionalism by treating patients like garbage.
Lately, I’ve been watching more American indie films and they’ve all been solid. I’m not sure if there’s a common thread in this wave of filmmaking, but I have to mention one I saw recently—it was on TV a few days ago, but I also had it on DVD. It’s called *12:08 East of Washington, D.C.* It has some comedic elements but deals with the chaos of the revolution after Caucescu fell. It’s a heavy hitter, similar to Mr. Lazarescu which had that sterile hospital vibe, but this one focuses its authenticity on a live news broadcast.

I stumbled upon a film in the DirecTV video library and finally sat through the whole thing. I have to say, the way it depicts the dynamic between doctors and their patients was particularly striking. It felt incredibly realistic—the way modern physicians treat patients today is almost identical to how a repairman treats a broken refrigerator or a television.

goldenhound32 said:My dear colleague, we have been over this countless times already.

Yes, they do. They have to. Why bother with prime time when only a handful of true cinephiles are watching, while half the country is glued to mindless reality TV trash?

Regardless, there is no real loss here; the film is easily accessible online anyway 👍

As for the movie itself, it remains my favorite American production—a genuine masterpiece of the New Wave.

It is a heavy, demanding piece of cinema, punctuated by unexpected bursts of dark humor.

IX

They have to, because we're dealing with a conservative network that views airing an international film during prime time as too big a risk—get this—because of "ratings." 🤣🤣🤣

Basically, PBS keeps the status quo alive by feeding the nation a diet of brainless programming.

And as for those few cinephiles? I'm not so sure. I think plenty of people would just flip the channel if they realized it was a Romanian film. But those who did happen to stumble upon it wouldn't be disappointed; in fact, I think they’d actually appreciate how "unusual" it feels, mostly because they've been overexposed to mediocre Hollywood fare. They'd see reflections of their own lives in it—like the endless wait in a hospital hallway or the sheer arrogance of certain doctors.

I can't guarantee that The Death of Mr. Lazarescu would be a hit in prime time, but we won't ever know because they never even give it a chance. The same goes for Romanian cinema. That’s why I find it so frustrating when PBS runs a Romanian film marathon or a "Three Colors" series in the middle of the night.

YOU GUYS ARE ALL COWARDS!

I’m not sure if it was aired on PBS, but I was truly captivated by Silent Wedding...
It's such a powerful film, much like their other Oscar contender The Rest is Silence...
And Vlad Tepes is also quite moving...

Not trying to start a whole new thread just for this, but if you're looking for a solid Romanian film, check out The Death of Mr. Lazarescu

As for Lazarescu, it's a great movie, nothing else to say...

Absolute masterpiece. Honestly, speaking of Romanian film, I caught one at the Sundance Film Festival once—well, I didn't sit through the whole thing because I just couldn't take it. It was this Romanian flick shot entirely from a subjective point of view. A total disaster. Using subjective shots gets exhausting incredibly fast, and the subject matter definitely doesn't justify the headache.

I haven't seen The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, but I’d recommend this one instead:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1590024/ "when I myself run run"
It was on PBS recently—late night, naturally. 🤣 🤣
Good interesting movie. I definitely plan on watching more Romanian films since they seem to be getting all the praise lately.

The moderators should probably just turn this thread into a "Romanian films" topic.

Carl Bennett4 said:I haven't seen The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, but I’d recommend this one instead:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1590024/ "when I myself run run"
It was on PBS recently—late night, naturally. 🤣 🤣
Good interesting movie. I definitely plan on watching more Romanian films since they seem to be getting all the praise lately.

The moderators should probably just turn this thread into a "Romanian films" topic.

I agree, American cinema has been killing it lately. It’s not just about Lazarescu or 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days.

Just watched another killer movie the other day.

Sundays on leave (1993)
Watch your step. It's dangerous out there.

Supposedly the director claimed this flick was some kind of inspiration for Tarantino when he made Pulp Fiction. Whether that’s true or not doesn't really matter; it's a good interesting movie regardless. Basically, it just shows what life was like during the final years of communism in Romania, told through three different perspectives.

Carl Bennett4 said:I haven't seen The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, but I’d recommend this one instead:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1590024/ "when I myself run run"
It was on PBS recently—late night, naturally. 🤣 🤣
Good interesting movie. I definitely plan on watching more Romanian films since they seem to be getting all the praise lately.

The moderators should probably just turn this thread into a "Romanian films" topic.

Seriously—just open a separate thread for "Romanian films" then. WTF? 🙄

They're showing it on ABC again tonight

I'll let someone else get this thread started, since whenever I try to open one, it either gets moved by a moderator or just dies out immediately...