The Forest for the Trees
Comedies
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1h 21m
Directed by Maren Ade | 81 mins | 2003
Like her 2016 magnum opus "Toni Erdmann", Maren Ade’s devilish debut subjects its anti-heroine to a borderline sadistic ritual of ignominy. Melanie Pröschle (a fantastically game Eva Löbau), a 27-year-old schoolteacher moves to a new town, only to be assailed by mouthy, prankish pupils, contemptuous colleagues, and an increasingly distant neighbor. With little to distract from the claustrophobia of Melanie’s woes as she blunders her way through social minefields, Ade’s study of utter awkwardness is a feel-bad feat and a deadpan delight.
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The Death of Mr. Lazarescu
Directed by Cristi Puiu | 147 mins | 2005
Responsible more than any other film for establishing Romanian film as an international force, Puiu’s second feature is a scabrous satire of broken institutions that begins with the ailing elderly Mr. Lazarescu calling an ambulance, then follows him on an...