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La Gomera
The Whistlers
Les Siffleurs / Fluierãtorii La Gomera
Romania / France / Germany 2019
produced by Patricia Poienaru, Marcela Ursu for 42 Km Film, Les Films du Worsos, Komplizen Film
directed by Corneliu Porumboiu
starring Vlad Ivanov, Catrinel Marlon, Rodica Lazar, Agustí Villaronga, Sabin Tambrea, István Teglas, Cristóbal Pinto, Antonio Buíl, George Pistereanu, Julieta Szönyi, Andrei Ciopec, Sergiu Costache, Andrei Barbu
written by Corneliu Porumboiu
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Cristi (Vlad Ivanov) isn't a cop who plays it stricly by the rules,
which means that when his unit investigates mattress salesman Zsolt (Sabin
Tambrea), he's happy to accept bribes from Zsolt and in return makes sure
the investigations go nowhere fast - until his boss Magda (Rodica Lazar)
is tipped off on something and has some drugs hidden among Zsolt's
possessions to have him arrested on trumped up charges. There's a little
problem though: Zsolt has stolen €30 million from his boss Paco (Agustí
Villaronga), and Paco naturally wants back the money - so he has beautiful
Gilda (Catrinel Marlon) persuade Cristi to follow her to La Gomera in the
Canaries where the natives have an ancient language that's made up
entirely of whistling, and Cristi is to learn that language in an effort
to help them break free Zsolt - basically they need an unbreakable code
because in Romania, there are security cameras and recording devices
everywhere, even in Cristi's apartment and Magda's office.
Once back in Romania, Cristi is to be part of a waterproof plan to
break free Zsolt then, but he finds out his mother has donated all his
money he earned from bribes to the church, a payment that has the police
investigate his mother, and the trail of course leads back to him - which
is why Cristi sells Paco and gang to the police, on the condition that
they keep him and Gilda out of it. But the plan the police have to catch
Paco and company red-handed ends in utter chaos - and pretty much everyone
gets what they deserve - and more ...
Now one thing's for sure, the basic premise of La Gomera is
incredibly far-fetched, even for a film of this ilk - and this actually
helps the movie more than hurt it, as it's self confidently bizarre, odd
at times, but makes perfect sense in the world it creates for itself. And
even if the film quotes countless crime and heist movies, it works as a
totally original genre entry, especially since it doesn't take itself
seriously, doesn't shy away from clichés when they're fitting, and packs
everything in a very stringent story, carried by a genre savvy yet subtle
directorial effort and a top notch cast.
Well worth a look for sure!
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