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If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle

Play trailer Poster for If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle 2010 1h 34m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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70% Tomatometer 23 Reviews 56% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
A teen (George Pistereanu) falls for a trainee (Ada Condeescu) while waiting to be released from a detention center.

Critics Reviews

View All (23) Critics Reviews
Keith Uhlich Time Out A well-made yet slight first feature (adapted from a play by Andreea Valean) whose best scenes recall Alan Clarke’s British-Borstal exposé Scum. Rated: 3/5 May 26, 2023 Full Review Mike McCahill Guardian Not for the first time, a Romanian film shows us an individual floundering within a system from which there can be no easy escape. Rated: 3/5 May 18, 2012 Full Review David Jenkins Little White Lies This is Şerban's second feature, and even though it's not quite all there, we very much look forward to his third. Rated: 3/5 May 17, 2012 Full Review Daniel Green CineVue If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle makes its presence felt -- albeit with a whisper, rather than a shout. Rated: 3/5 Jan 8, 2019 Full Review Isabel Stevens ViewLondon For its atmosphere, gritty realism, and acute social commentary, If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle should be applauded. Rated: 3/5 Aug 27, 2018 Full Review Philip French Observer (UK) The tone, though not the style, brings to mind The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner. May 20, 2012 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (44) audience reviews
Audience Member Beklentimin biraz alt?nda ç?kt? film ama yine de guzeldi. it was less than expected. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Post-communist, democratic, capitalist life. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member ending was odd lol...twist.... Rated 3 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review walter m With Silviu(George Pistereanu) only having 15 days left on a four year sentence at a juvenile detention center, his younger brother Marius comes to visit, informing him that their mother(Clara Voda) is going to take him to Italy with her. Isn't that great? Upset, Silviu wants to get a closer look at who is with him but has the snot beaten out of him by a guard when he gets too close to the fence. Luckily, the warden(Mihai Constantin) says this will not affect his release which is brightened considerably when Ana(Ada Condeescu) comes to interview him. In return, he flirts with her. What "If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle" wants to aim for is a feeling of slow burn and dread in its first half. Rather, like every almost every other Romanian movie I have seen lately, it is full of long, pointless scenes that go nowhere, thus ruining the mood.(Seriously, can't anybody in the country edit?) So, it is not really clear what the movie is trying to say. Since it is not apparent that the mother is either abusive or toxic, maybe Silviu will just have to get over himself before he starts a new life on the outside. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review saad k Eu Cand Vreau sa Fluier, Fluier - If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle - CATCH IT (B+) A Romanian movie about a young teenager, who has spent four years in a youth penitentiary, is granted release. Before he can leave, his mother returns to Romania to bring his little brother to Italy with her, despite Silviu's objections. He meets a young woman, Ana, who is working on a research project in the prison, and becomes interested in her. In his desperation Silviu resorts to violence, and Ana becomes his hostage. The premises and the execution of the movie are really intriguing. This is my first Romanian movie and somehow I found the Romanian music very close to the Afghani music. But anyhow the best part of the movie is its young cast. George Pi?tereanu as rebellious teenager is simply amazing. It's so great to see how he communicates with his brother, mother, inmates and Anna. Through his performance he showed four different sides to his personality. Even though I found his actions crazy as he is so close to getting release for ever but hey it's the script. Once the movie is over all you can think if he just could have controlled himself for another few days. On the whole, it's a really nice movie and shows something really refreshing in juvenile jails otherwise I was fed up of watching rapes in almost every jail movie. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This film is full of suspense, tragedy, and irony. With the focus on excellent acting and directing, rather than special effects and music, this movie incites the viewer to ponder its messages long after the last credits. Raising issues related to the importance of parenting, the frustration of hoping when the system is against you, and the role administrators play in keeping the accused, even when rehabilitation is imminent, in prison. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews
If I Want to Whistle, I Whistle

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Cast & Crew

Movie Info

Synopsis A teen (George Pistereanu) falls for a trainee (Ada Condeescu) while waiting to be released from a detention center.
Director
Florin Serban
Screenwriter
Catalin Mitulescu, Florin Serban
Production Co
Film i Väst, Svenska Filminstitutet, The Chimney Pot
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Romanian
Release Date (Streaming)
May 13, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$12.1K
Runtime
1h 34m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital