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From Golden Bear winner Radu Jude, Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World takes a fierce and darkly comic swipe at modern day life. Overworked and underpaid production assistant Angela (Ilinca Manolache) is assigned to film a workplace safety video for a multinational corporation in Bucharest. When one of the interviewees makes a statement that ignites a scandal, Angela has to re-invent the story. Featuring appearances from Nina Hoss, Uwe Boll, and Angela's TikTok alter-ego Bobiță, Jude's anarchic satire is a wild and unforgettable ride through the vulgar indignities of the 21st century.
The Garden Cinema View:
Radu Jude, (Bad Luck Banging or Loony Porn, winner of the Berlinale’s Golden Bear 2023), strikes back with a cut-throat satire, a post-modern Modern Times, filled to the brim with anarchic Balkan sensibility.
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World transcends conventional cinema through its collage of contemporary curiosities, such as literary and philosophical quotes, references to the war in Ukraine and Viktor Orbán, and - not least - guest TIK TOK appearances from ‘Andrew Tate’. And similarly to Modernist artists’ use of collage, it is a highly political act.
The film follows Angela, who despite her employee's involvement in an accident, is tasked by them with creating videos featuring disabled workers promoting the importance of protective equipment. The narrative is frequently interrupted by the Ceaușescu-era film Angela on The Move, which follows a policewoman's romantic entanglement. It is through this juxtaposition that Radu critiques both capitalism and communism's deadlocks, as well as their unexpected similarities in terms of exploitation and patriarchy.
Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World has a frivolous personality but grapples with important issues of our outrageous contemporary reality. Formally experimental, wildly entertaining, and often veering into politically incorrect territory, Jude's film takes bold risks that pay off handsomely.
Dazed - Interview with Radu Jude
Irish Times *****
The Scotsman ****
The Skinny *****
Eye for film *****
Cast:
Ilinca Manolache, Ovidiu Pîrșan, Nina Hoss, Dorina Lazăr