After publishing two novels (The Life and Deeds of Elijah and Theodosius the Small) and signing the scripts for many Romanian films in the pas few years, Razvan Radulescu makes his debut as a director, together with Melissa by Raffi, with the long feature First of all, Felicia.
Completed for a while now, the film is just after going into cinemas, after screenings in international film festivals and a recent participation in the TIFF (Transilvania International Film Festival) competition. And it returned from Cluj with an award for the screenplay, one for debut and another for Best Actress (awarded to the lead Ozana Oancea).
This film is of a heartbreaking simplicity: it is a family drama that has nothing in common with any of the films including Razvan Radulescu’s name in the credits. Despite the fact that many who have written about this film would not necessarily agree to that.
Retold in a few words, the story may seem trite: a life long day in Felicia's personal history. Settled for several years in Holland, the 40 years old divorced and mother of one, comes back on holidays to visit her parents. The story begins a few hours before the return flight to Amsterdam...
The dialogues have the vibrating familiarity that, in the apartment scenes, give an insight on each and everyone’s family relationships, which for several reasons become absurd over time. All of the characters are blind to the existence of others, no longer recognize each other, they are perfect and beloved strangers, related to one another by blood.
They’re pestering one another to the verge of intolerability. The love umbrella is so wide it can fit under it any reproach, grumble or misbehaviour. What the other feels is insignificant, as long as the scenario is clear: parents only want your good, you’ll be a child to them as long as they live so there’s no point in acting like a 40 years old grownup, they won’t buy that. They’ll still lecture you about life when you’ll try to prove them wrong.
This is mainly you in life a three character film. The rest are just voices, and I’m not saying it incidentally: there’s a lot of talk over the phone. Ozana Oancea is unforgettable in the role of Felicia. Confused, annoyed, angry, desperate, she goes through all the possible dispositions with amazing naturalness. In the role of mother, Ileana Cernat is a haunting presence, abominable, obtuse, having the best intentions. The father (Vasile Mentzel), the sickness infantilized ghost, becomes a sort of a piece of furniture in this “regular” family.
Because this is what all is about, actually, a regularity we feel through every pore, but which seems twice as serious when seen on the screen; and all the more painful.
First of all, Felicia is the kind of flawless film, clear to cruelty and as touching as it can get. You can’t get it out of your mind; it stays with you like a mirror reflecting you and your loved ones. Making you think that you are not alone...
