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The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005)

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu (2005)
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Mr. Lazarescu (Ion Fiscuteanu) is not feeling well. He has a bad headache and has been vomiting. He feels that it is something more serious than the pain caused by his ulcer and the hangovers caused by his regular excessive drinking. He calls for an ambulance, and after convincing the skeptical dispatcher that he is not simply drunk, he begins the long wait for help to arrive. Eventually, he visits his neighbors, Sandu (Doru Ana) and Miki (Dana Dogaru), in search of stronger pain relievers. They are busy and reluctant to help him, but eventually realize that something may be seriously wrong with the smelly old drunkard. Sandu takes him back to his apartment, and, later, the paramedic, Mioara (Luminita Gheorghiu), finally arrives. After ascertaining that Lazarescu has been drinking to excess, she considers giving him an aspirin and going on her way, but a quick examination shows that the old man is in severe pain, and Mioara begins to suspect that he is gravely ill. Thus begins a long, unpleasant journey from one hospital to another, as Lazarescu faces a backlog of patients caused by a massive traffic accident, and the cold indifference of arrogant doctors who appear hesitant to cure a man who has seemingly destroyed his own health. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu was co-written and directed by Rumanian filmmaker Cristi Puiu. It was shown at the 2005 New York Film Festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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Starring:
Ion Fiscuteanu, Luminita Gheorghiu, (more)
Director(s):
Cristi Puiu
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R
Format(s):
DVD
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Synopsis of The Death of Mr. Lazarescu

Mr. Lazarescu (Ion Fiscuteanu) is not feeling well. He has a bad headache and has been vomiting. He feels that it is something more serious than the pain caused by his ulcer and the hangovers caused by his regular excessive drinking. He calls for an ambulance, and after convincing the skeptical dispatcher that he is not simply drunk, he begins the long wait for help to arrive. Eventually, he visits his neighbors, Sandu (Doru Ana) and Miki (Dana Dogaru), in search of stronger pain relievers. They are busy and reluctant to help him, but eventually realize that something may be seriously wrong with the smelly old drunkard. Sandu takes him back to his apartment, and, later, the paramedic, Mioara (Luminita Gheorghiu), finally arrives. After ascertaining that Lazarescu has been drinking to excess, she considers giving him an aspirin and going on her way, but a quick examination shows that the old man is in severe pain, and Mioara begins to suspect that he is gravely ill. Thus begins a long, unpleasant journey from one hospital to another, as Lazarescu faces a backlog of patients caused by a massive traffic accident, and the cold indifference of arrogant doctors who appear hesitant to cure a man who has seemingly destroyed his own health. The Death of Mr. Lazarescu was co-written and directed by Rumanian filmmaker Cristi Puiu. It was shown at the 2005 New York Film Festival, presented by the Film Society of Lincoln Center. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

Complete Cast of The Death of Mr. Lazarescu


Director(s):
Cristi Puiu
Writer(s):
Cristi Puiu, Razvan Radulescu
Producer(s):
Alexandru Munteanu
Theatrical MPAA Rating:
R(Brief Nudity, Adult Situations, Profanity)
The Death of Mr. Lazarescu Awards:
  • 2006 - Los Angeles Film Critics Association - Best Supporting Actress
  • 2006 - New York Film Critics Society - Best Foreign Language Film
Warning:  This product is intended for mature audiences only. It may contain violence, sexual content, drug abuse and/or strong language. You must be 17 or older to purchase it. By ordering this item you are certifying that you are at least 17 years of age.

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    Member Reviews
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    Jeffrey N.

    What an odd film this is. Anyone with the paitence to sit through this will get rewarded with something that is rare in cinema and even rarer in American cinema. In fact, something like this would never get made in the U.S. Not enough action, not enough stars. You get it. This is like watching a real life drama unfold before you without anything else getting in the way. The acting is flawless and the story is so compelling and real as anyone can relate to the bureaucratic procedures of institutions, especially hospitals and the way they handle emergency situations.

    Yes   |   No

     
    James V.

    THE DEATH OF MR LAZARESCU is, I suspect, one of the great humanist masterpieces of cinema: so much better & different from what I expected that I may be over-rating it. Time will tell. For now, I can't think of another film that brought me so close to people without a shred of sentimentality, undue nastiness & anything obvious or clichéd. Given its subject matter--an old man (well, 62, which may be old in Romania) whose family is gone or dispersed, becomes very ill and must be taken to hospital with no one acting as his advocate save one of the two emergency ambulance staff--I had to force myself to stick the DVD into the machine. Once I began watching, however, I was hooked for the full 2-1/2 hours, and I felt my first genuine affection for Romanians after watching this film--a feeling I suspect will remain with me. Director/co-writer Cristi Puiu says he wanted to provide "testimony" with this film. He has, and of a very high order: moving, humorous, rich, compassionate & real.

    Yes   |   No

     
    Mona T.

    Do not waste your precious time renting this unless you do not mind getting really depressed watching a movie.

    Yes   |   No

     
    Read All 18 Reviews
       

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