Romanian psychological thriller Miracle, well received in France
The Romanian psychological thriller Miracle directed by Bogdan George Apetri, has received several rave views during its one-month run in France, where it can still be viewed in more than 50 cinemas throughout the country.
Miracle - a film that is "dense, powerful, unpredictable, wonderful!" (Causette) – tells the story of a young nun (Ioana Bugarin) who sneaks out of her monastery to attend to an urgent personal matter but never makes it back and of a police detective's (Emanuel Parvu) complex investigation into her fate.
Here are some of the positive reviews it received in France:
"A mad labyrinth with no way out, in which humanity reveals itself viscerally, with a fervor and harshness never seen before" - Libération
"Formidable" - L'Obs
"Bogdan Apetri takes us, this time, through a dark thriller, in which the unexpected appears as a danger in the middle of a forest. (...) Made from two distinct chapters - united by the same meticulous simplicity of editing - Miracle progresses smoothly, cultivating off-screen tension out of respect for mystery and revealing the plot while leaving its shadowy side intact. And while monopolizing our attention, Bogdan George Apetri will have casually instilled a social critique through methodical observation of his characters and their daily lives." - Le Figaro
"Intrigues from the very first images and is made with elegant mastery" - La Croix
"Is as remarkably staged as it is acted" – Le Parisien
"With films of this calibre, Romanian cinema has a bright future ahead" – Sofilm
In a "balanced narrative that distills a permanent electricity for the characters and the viewer", the director "succeeds with restrained virtuosity, thanks to the imagery and management of temporality, to embark the viewer on a descent into hell that is never superficial or demonstrative, but constantly tense and organic" towards "a tragic and moving ending that makes Miracle a great feminist film." – Ecran Large
Winner of the Romanian Film Days Award for Best Feature Film at TIFF 2022, the Grand Prize at the Warsaw International Film Festival 2021, and the Critics' Award at CinEast Luxembourg 2021, Miracle can currently be watched online on HBO Max.
(Photo source: Miracle Facebook page)
