Cristian Mungiu’s films invariably deal with social, cultural and moral divisions, uneasy truths, ethical dilemmas and unjust compromises. In his latest, Fjord, the Romanian New Wave auteur brings his needling focus and unvarnished realism to a knotty drama of parenting and education, in which a suspicion of possible child abuse escalates into a full inquisition during a head-spinning rush to judgement. It’s also a nuanced reflection on otherness, and how anyone failing to conform to the values of a community invites distrust.
The community in this case are the residents of a picturesque port town on the isolated West coast of Norway, nestled among snow-capped mountains. The locals are all welcoming smiles and warm handshakes when the devoutly religious Gheorghiu family relocates there from Bucarest — including Romanian Mihai (Sebastian Stan) his Norwegian wife Lisbet (Renate Reinsve) and their five children, the oldest of them teenage Elia (Vanessa Ceban). Lisbet was born in the village and the move there was prompted by her mother’s offer to help with the kids.
Fjord
The Bottom Line
Compellingly squirm-inducing, if far from the director’s best.
