With money comes power. This simple fact has been used as the basis for many stories throughout film history — as has this question: How far would a parent go to protect their child? Both of these themes set the tone for Călin Peter Netzer’s latest film, “Child’s Pose.” Despite a great performance, a non-existent plot and drawn out unnecessary scenes hold back what otherwise could have been a really great film.
The story follows Cornelia, an upper class Romanian woman who does everything in her power to save her son, Barbu, after he’s involved in a deadly car crash. Barbu is the opposite of his mother; he’s a 30-something deadbeat with no real purpose or focus in life. The dynamic between mother and son sets the stage for an incredibly slow-paced tale that not only brings focus to their relationship, but also shows how Cornelia bends and twists family and the law to get what she wants.
Luminița Gheorghiu gives an amazing performance as Cornelia. She is a very strong, independent woman who doesn’t take no for an answer lightly. Her overbearingness toward Barbu is evident throughout the film, as we see her trying to put her son on the right path. Despite good intentions, she’s an awful person and this is made clear after Barbu’s arrest. Her motherly instincts kick in and she attempts to sway the investigation early on by trying to buy off the police with her wealth and status. She tampers with evidence and acts as though no one can or will touch her. She even goes so far as to persuade a witness to change his testimony for a price. This incessant behavior is quite disturbing, making Cornelia’s disregard for everyone but her son seem sociopathic at times. Her bourgeois attitude is incredibly off-putting, even if her heart is in the right place.
Later in the film, she pours her heart out to save her son with such exclamations as he’s attended ‘French Camp’ and gone on extravagant trips, something that would be available to someone in his mother’s status, as if that precludes him from getting off from committing a crime. You want to reach through the screen and strangle her; it’s insane to think that Cornelia would consider that any rational person would agree with her. She refuses to let go of her son as a boy, and cannot see him as a grown-up who actually seems to have a conscience and is grappling with how to accept responsibility for his actions. Even though she wants what’s best for her son, one can’t help but hate her character at the end of it all. This is the genius of Gheorghiu’s performance though. It’s rare in cinema to take such a detestable character but realize the actress has been as convincing and manipulative as this person.
The remaining performances in the film are decent, though they pale in comparison to Gheorghiu’s. Bogdan Dumitrache’s role as Barbu gives us a man who really doesn’t know what he wants and seems to be conflicted on whether he needs his mother’s help or not. He acts like a boy that needs his mother, but he also wants independence. It’s frustrating to watch their interactions and his inability to take charge when he should. His offerings of guilt are shot down by his mother, as if taking the poor man’s way out.
In the end, the performances are what really drive “Child’s Pose” and save it from being a slower film than it already is. Netzer’s story isn’t great, and its methodical pacing holds it back. Building up characters is a necessary component of a film, but unfortunately “Child’s Pose” takes too much time trying to stretch out a very thin plot. At almost two hours, this film could have cut 30 minutes and have been a much more engaging story. Instead, we’re left with one fascinating character, a story that meanders around too much, and an ending that fails to please.
– by Mike Surerus
