Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      The Way I Spent the End of the World

      2006 1h 46m Drama List
      Reviews 70% 500+ Ratings Audience Score During the Communist era, two Romanian students break a bust of Dictator Ceausescu in their school. Read More Read Less

      Where to Watch

      The Way I Spent the End of the World

      Prime Video

      Rent The Way I Spent the End of the World on Prime Video, or buy it on Prime Video.

      Audience Reviews

      View All (37) audience reviews
      Audience Member Precious, magnetic and precocious Timotei Duma, as the younger, adorable brother of Dorothea Petrie's Eva, keeps the focus on a tale of hope against hope in the final months of Romanian tyrannical, iron-fisted, communist dictator Nicolae Ceausescu. I loved this one! Knowing about the real-life Ceausescu and his bloody-reign of terror helped to raise the emotional stakes as I watched this film unfold. (Viewed on Netflix streaming.) Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member I was personally interested in this movie because I was on The Balkan when all this was happening and I witnessed all of it. On TV we could watch directly all the events - yes... Yugoslav TV (JRT) covered all the fighting in the neighbouring Romania continuously... I had no sleep for 3 days. The story is happening during this time and is about 17 year old Eva and her 7 year old brother Lilu. They live in the capital Bucharest during the final years of the communist regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu. Eva is expelled from her high school for her uncooperative attitude, and in those times she was sent to a technical school where she meets Andrei, with whom she plans to escape Romania by swimming across the Danube into Yugoslavia and relocating to Italy... On the other hand, little Lilu and his friends volunteer for a children's choir scheduled to sing for Ceauşescu, hoping this will give them a chance to kill him! Solidly made movie... but... even with the best intentions, and quite interesting story, one could feel the engine running out of steam and it had to be restarted before the end to reach the final destination! Nice acting, but not an outstanding photography. If you have an interest in foreign movies, this could be one to choose! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/23 Full Review Audience Member I'm pretty sure that the Romanian people understood this movie more than our Cinematheque audience. And yet, the almost chaotic story telling could be seen as a mirror to the way of life for the Romanian people under the rule of Nicolae Ceausescu. Through their personal interactions, the main characters personify the relationship of the people to the government. They also offer multiple perspectives from which to view the tyranny of the regime. Interesting stuff . . . and made better by discussion afterward. The two main characters - Eva and Lalaliu - were great, as well. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member NU VA VENI SFARSITUL LUMII DECI NU VA MAI SPERIATI Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/28/23 Full Review Audience Member Pointless to say the least... Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/03/23 Full Review Audience Member A (self-)narrative of Romanians' livelihood in the era before the Romanian Revolution in 1989. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      Movie News & Guides

      View All Movie News & Guides

      This movie is featured in the following articles.

      CANNES: Loach’s "Wind," More Euro Films Take End of Festival Prizes

      Photos

      View All The Way I Spent the End of the World photos

      The Way I Spent the End of the World

      The Way I Spent the End of the World (2006) The Way I Spent the End of the World (2006) The Way I Spent the End of the World (2006) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (3) Critics Reviews
      Deborah Young Variety Ambitiously trying to blend the joys of growing up with the melancholy of living in a country under one of the worst dictatorships in Eastern Europe, this warm story does have a tendency to ramble. May 25, 2006 Full Review Enrique Buchichio Uruguay Total Una historia sencilla y humana sobre un cambio histrico desde la perspectiva de un nio y su hermana adolescente, interpretados con encanto y sensibilidad. Rated: 3/5 Apr 12, 2008 Full Review Boyd van Hoeij european-films.net A charming if too meandering coming-of-age story that remains largely afloat because of the luminous performances of its young protagonists Dorotheea Petre and Timotei Duma. Oct 1, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis During the Communist era, two Romanian students break a bust of Dictator Ceausescu in their school.
      Director
      Catalin Mitulescu
      Screenwriter
      Catalin Mitulescu, Andreea Valean
      Production Co
      Les Films Pelleas
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Oct 15, 2016
      Runtime
      1h 46m
      Most Popular at Home Now