Another not so great movie from Film Movement. I've said before that while some Film Movement films aren't that great story wise, they show a glimpse of life in another culture that might make the movie worthwhile.
If I Want to Whistle does so only if you're interested in the culture of a Romanian prison for juvenile offenders, and then it doesn't even do that very well.
Silviu is about to be released from the juvenile lock-up, and his mom returns to Romania to take Silviu's little brother back to Italy with her. She had ditched her family years before, and Sivliu had been taking care of his brother. He looks forward to resuming his caretaker role upon his release. Already distressed about his mother's actions, he gets into trouble and jeopardizes his chances of being released, so he takes the pretty prison social worker hostage. Chaos ensues.
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| How do you get what you want? Hint: not like this. |
Desperate men do make desperate choices; I realize that is a reality of life. But I get frustrated with this type of portrayal, in which reason and rationality seem to be tossed aside by the filmmakers. This film had difficulty getting from point A (desperate young man) to point B (hostage situation). It reminds me of the old cartoon, where the scientist has a blackboard full of equations, and in the middle it reads, "Then a miracle occurs. . . ."
If I Want to Whistle is not without some decent acting, but it's lacking in exposition.
Bottom line, 1 1/2 stars.
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