The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005)

People are voting emotionally.

Far from Perfect, Far from Terrible

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Romanian writer-director Cristi Puiu's second-feature, which debuted in Cannes and won Un Certain Regard Award, and has received numerous awards and instantly established Puiu as a pioneering force of the Romanian New Wave movement starting from the noughties, like his compatriots Cristian Mungiu (4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS, 2007, 9/10 and BEYOND THE HILLS 2012), Corneliu Porumboiu (12:08 EAST OF BUCHAREST 2006, and POLICE, ADJECTIVE 2009) and Calin Peter Netzer (CHILD'S POSE 2013).The story is inspired by a true event, and the title is a big spoiler of Mr. Lazarescu's (Fiscuteanu) fate, he is a 62-year-old widower, lived alone with his three cats in a squalid apartment in Bucharest, one normal Saturday, he calls for an ambulance since he has headache and stomach pain, but it never arrives, so he has to seek aid from his next-door neighbours Sandu (Ana) and his wife Mihaela (Dogaru), Sandu calls again for an ambulance when they find out there is blood in Lazarescu's vomit, this time, it finally arrives with a middle-aged paramedic Mioara (Gheorghiu), who decides to bring him to a hospital immediately for fear that he has colon cancer. Unfortunately, a severe bus accident just happened not too long ago nearby, the hospitals are in full steam, thus they, with the ambulance driver Leo (Spahiu), embark on an exhausting odyssey from different hospitals, due to various reasons, the hospitals are crammed with injured passengers from the accident, working overtime with stress and fatigue or personal judgement towards Lazarescu, a stinky old drunkard, who doesn't value his own health by habitually drinking even though he had an ulcer surgery over a decade before, doctors refuse to admit him although clearly he is gravely ill. Lazarescu's condition deteriorates rapidly during the course, only in a fourth hospital, doctors reluctantly agree an emergent operation to remove a blood clot in his brain, by that time, he has already fallen into unconsciousness, and the film aptly ends.Shot archly in hand-held camera, unescorted with score (save the two songs in the opening and ending credits), the most prominent feature of this daring picture is the TV documentary style of shooting, the camera-work faithfully records even the minutest movement of its objects with intimate urgency, from the dilapidated apartment, to the run-down ambulance, to real hospitals, it non-judgmentally observes the happening with aplomb and relentlessly non-protruding, immaculately meshes with a sterling cast, whose performances are so spontaneous and realistic, no trace of acting can be detected, although they are all pros. The MVP, apart from our protagonist Fiscuteanu, who uncannily has passed away in 2007 because of the same colon cancer, is Gheorghiu's Mioara, she is the one who determinedly stays with Mr. Lazarescu, a cranky stranger she has just met, and witnesses his unfair treatment, but cannot help, whereas she has to tolerate all the snide and reproach from the superior and opinionated doctors silently. It is a chilling story, one might argue, timing is not on his side, poor Mr. Lazarescu, if only there was no bus accident maybe he could have been treated in time, yet, this is merely a plot device to aggravate the situation, to put those angels-in-white in a crucible to reveal their disguised shortcomings which might hide quite well under usual circumstances. Down to the nitty-gritty, what disheartening is the responsibility-shifting strategy, the rampant distrust from different hospitals, the bureaucratic procedures, the knee-jerking response from all the doctors is the same, blaming Lazarescu for his drinking problem, clearly, it is not the right time to scold, for doctors, their mission is to save life, not preaching a patient when he is in dire need of operation, frankly speaking, Lazarescu is not an amicable person, but this doesn't give them an excuse to stand in a moral high point and mistreat such an old soul in his critical moment.The medical system has its flaws, for sure, but what I find more admirable is that it grittily lays bare the ugly truth - how easy to ruin a man life because of one's own bias, it is not personal any more, it fatally damages the foundation of our society. Also, imagine, if Mr. Lazarescu has a next-of-kin with him, who can fight for his right when being shuffled, the denouement might not be the same. In a nutshell, the film is a fierce dissection of the maladies concealed amongst human relationships in our society, highly thought-provoking and a must-see for cineastes.

The Death Of Mr. Lazarescu a film by Cristi Puiu is filled with black humor.Though it's a Romanian movie , it's theme satirically opens the mindset of current societies all over the world.It's a very disturbing movie.This film gave me experience some what similar to have a thorn inside my flesh which is difficult to remove.This movie gives a unique experience for those who like this genre.The lead role and paramedic are played out well by the actors.Lazarescu who is in his dying moments being shifted to various hospitals.But none of them addressed paramedic's concerns about the condition of Lazarescu. They constantly refused to admit him .This movie shows us the degraded scenario of medical systems.Some of the scenes and conversations seem unbearable as they irritates our conscience , but that's the specialty of this movie.It depicts reality as such.Some humorous moments in this movie are so dark that it will make you think and realize how cruel we are.In one scene doctor makes a remark about Lazarescu , "We can fix his hemorrhage so that the cancer could kill him" with a tinge of smile.These are moments where humor changes it's color and takes stand in the darker side.This movie shows the materialistic and pragmatic mindsets of current society which is reality to be afraid off .Lack of humanity and lack of concern for others are common behaviors now.Parameters of goodness and badness , social values are now things for archeology.This movie constantly reminds us that " reality is not stranger than we suppose, it is stranger than we can suppose". Technology has made us machines and globalization moulded us as clones .We need to fill this world with the colors of humanity. that's what this movie whispers.my rating is 8 out of 10

It was the most impressing movie i've seen in a really long time. I almost have no words to describe it. Inspired from hypochondria that has hunted him for years, and the medical system in Romania, Cristi Puiu directs a very realistic masterpiece. You, the viewer are practically the third person in the movie. After a while you feel like you are there, in the action, and it's nothing you can do to help Mr. Lazarescu. The actors are doing as well,a very good job. Excellent actors like Florin Zamfirescu, Ion Fiscuteanu, are simply amazing. They portrait perfectly the east-European way of being.The movie it's genius, and deeply moving. I recommend it with my entire heart.

I just saw this one yesterday evening on TV and I am still under its influence. I also read some of the comments and it is obvious that you guys in the West do not have the slightest clue as to what it is like in the post-communist countries despite 18-19 years of "freedom". The film has personally struck me because hospitals are pretty much the same in Hungary and so are the members of staff. Cynical doctors, exhausted nurses, underpaid assistants all around waiting for your money to be slipped in their pockets in the prerequisite envelope. I escorted both my father (Mr. Lazarescu even resembled him) and my mother in many hospitals here in Budapest, Hungary and had exactly the same impressions here. Of course, this is not a piece of entertainment in the strictest sense but I have never seen such a hyperrealistic film before. I could totally identify myself with the characters and the environment seemed so sadly familiar. I cannot but give it a straight 10 out of 10.