7/10
The title is ironic. Romanian director Cristian Mungiu (who made 4 Months, 3 weeks) has scripted five segments, one of which he has directed himself, telling stories from the 'golden' era of Ceausescu's reign, when communism was dominant. Each story highlights the absurdities of a regime where, when reality clashes with the party line, truth is relegated to the also-rans. Whereas most portmanteau films suffer from either a lack of a controlling intelligence and/or a weak link, this film suffers from neither problem The five parts make up a coherent, satisfying and humorous whole. It may be long, but I found it riveting from start to finish. Recommended.
