Of decorated international auteurs, Cristian Mungiu has long felt particularly overdue for a stateside breakout. The Romanian master, known for his sweeping yet hyperrealistic explorations of contemporary society and its thorniest issues, has been the toast of international critics and film festivals for decades — he made three movies between 2007 and 2016, all of which won prizes at Cannes, including the Palme d’Or-winning classic 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days — even as the Academy consistently overlooked his work. Still, given his profile and consistency, it’s been a matter of when, not if.
We may have reached that moment. Just as the Academy has globalized at a rapid rate, in terms of both membership and recognition, Mungiu has roared back onto the scene with Fjord, which examines the infuriating and subtly tragic fallout of a conservative Romanian family’s move to Norway after their customs — from religiosity to parenting style — are skeptically interrogated by their new progressive government. Starring Oscar nominees Sebastian Stan and Renate Reinsve as the controversial parents in question, Fjord won the Palme d’Or in May, its backing by the great Cannes-to-Oscars whisperer that is Neon signaling a fruitful fall awards run.
