Synopsis
The mistress, this (newer or older) member of the family.
“Déjà vu” is a Romanian film that tells, by mean of the “subjective” camera angle tehnique, the story of a man who, facing midlife crisis, can’t make a definitive choice between his wife and his mistress. The feature benefits from the well-articulated acting of Ioana Flora, Mirela Oprișor and the invisible Dan Chișu who also directs the movie.
Director: Dan Chișu
Scriptwriter: Dan Chișu
Cast: Ioana Flora, Mirela Oprișor, Anca Alexandru, Gabriel Răuță, Tudor Smoleanu, Gabriel Sandu, Dan Chișu
Produced by: Dan Chișu / DaKINO Production
Cinematography by: Andrei Gheorghe, Dan Chișu
Film editing by: Eugen Kelemen
Sound: Florin Tăbăcaru
Music: Marius Leftărache
Year: 2013
Category: feature film
Genre: Psychological Drama
Duration: 75 minutes
PLOT SUMMARY
The film tells the story of a man, Mihai, who is going through midlife crisis. After a 15 years marriage, he tries to rediscover himself and starts an affair. Though Mihai is the main character of the movie, he is never seen onscreen. Instead, his personality is shown through the eyes of his mistress, his mother and his wife, as well as through his gestures and attitude.
Read more…
The love triangle theme was approached in Romanian movies from all sides and with all possible solutions. The only new thing that can be brought to it comes from filming technique, which Dan Chisu knows. Thus, he decides to throw in an extreme experiment: the leading actor is to wear the camera on his head, in a headpiece. An interesting perspective play takes shape, turning this movie into a special piece: while the visual perspective belongs exclusively to the male character, his psychological and moral portrait builds up by means of the other characters’ perspective: the mother’s, the wife’s and the mistress’s.
For Mihai and Tania, his lover for the past three years, the most important day has come: it’s time to tell Mihai’s wife, Valeria Radu (a very popular public person), about the two of them.
The road to Izvorani (where the wife temporarily moved) is a good occasion for Tania to analyze their relationship. The dialogue, sometimes smooth, other times tense and abrupt, reveals the life of their love triangle instead.
The triangle will reunite in the end, after the facts take an unexpected turn. A romanian movie in which the technique and the topic are joined in a very special manner.
FESTIVALS
- Transilvania International Film Festival, Romanian Days section – Romania, 2013
AWARDS
- Best Actress Award – UCIN, Romania, 2013
- Best Actress in a Leading Role – Gopo Awards, Romania, 2014
REVIEWS:
„In Romanian cinema the „subjective” camera angle has been until recently Adrian Sitaru’s toy, whose narrative technique consisted of shifting between several charcaters’ points of view (Pescuit sportiv and Best intentions). Chisu takes this toy and runs away with it.” – Andrei Gorzo – www.aarc.ro
„At the crossroads between experimental movie and stilistics exercise practised by young directors at the beginning of their carriers, Déjà Vu is an experiment that partially saves itself from the dangers of commoness especially due to the cast – Ioana Flora, present in almost all shots, and, in a smaller but incise part, Mirela Oprisor, two of the best movie actresses in Romania –, but also due to a certain easiness that gives in to farce here and there, with surprising results.” – Ionuț Mareș, – www.ziarulmetropolis.ro
„Chisu has turned the tricky POV effect to an impressive exploitation of his ideas with Déjà Vu, though for all the success of his experimentation the film remains, to some degree, just that: ideas.” – Ronan Doyle, www.nextgeneration.com
„Often, you get the feeling you’re watching a first-year theater class, with a screenwriter who’s thrilled by the idea of having not one, but two girlfriends, and actors who think they know exactly how mature adults argue—and everything turns out perfectly right from the first rehearsal— there’s no need to change a thing, with a cinematographer whose skills are limited to owning a webcam and knowing how to turn it on.” – Cristian Olaru, www.pragulcritic.ro
TRIVIA
• The main character (Mihai) never appears on screen and is played by Dan Chișu himself
• The story is told entirely from his perspective.
• Dan Chișu served as director, writer, producer, actor and cinematographer.
Lines
• You want to know something? You want to know something? She moved out of the house out of respect for herself and for me
• She probably said, “Miki, let’s take a break because we’re not fucking anymore”
• And now what do you want? My blessing?? Go ahead, take it! Get the hell out of here!
• Have you read Pascal Bruckner’s *Months of Bitter Anger*? If you had read it, you’d understand now.
Media articles
- TIFF Romania Review: Deja Vu (2013) – www.nextprojection.com
- Binefacerile digitalului – www.aarc.ro
- Déjà vu cu Dan Chișu – www.ziarulmetropolis.ro
- Déjà vu. Demonul de la amiază – www.aarc.ro
- Déjà vu, de Dan Chișu, film românesc bun – www.arielu.ro
