Graduation

R

Released Apr 7, 2017

2 hr. 8 min.

Drama

Crime

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List

94%

140 Reviews

Tomatometer

83%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A Romanian doctor takes matters into his own hands when an attack on his daughter jeopardizes her scholarship to a prestigious British university.

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Critics Consensus

Graduation marks yet another well-written and powerfully acted look at morality and societal decay from writer-director Cristian Mungiu.

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Dave S

Targeted by vandals, involved in an affair that is a secret to nobody, immersed in a corruption scandal, and coping with the aftermath of an assault on his daughter that could jeopardize her scholarship to Cambridge, Romeo, a well-respected doctor at a Romanian hospital, is having difficulty juggling his scruples. Cristian Mungiu's Graduation is, primarily, about the sacrifices a parent will make for their child and the principles that they are willing to abandon. Like Mungiu's 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days from a decade earlier, what makes Graduation work is the fact that it feels real – understated but solid performances, effective handheld camerawork and long takes that make you feel like part of the experience, and some wonderfully natural dialogue. Arguably, this could be Mungiu's best film to date.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/24

Full Review

isla s

This is a relatively slow (plot wise) film and it felt frustating in terms of waiting to see what the future for the young girl would turn out to be. There are undoubtedly numerous unanswered questions but it does raise some valid points and, more than anything else, its about the parents role in adolescents - doing what is right for them above all else. There are some red herrings I suppose but it was an interesting and somewhat thought provoking watch, its just a bit slow paced and a little lacking in overall substance perhaps. This is not a bad film but it isn't great either - I thought its an ok, thoughtful film. Depending on your taste in film, you may or may not enjoy this, frankly. Its worth considering watching though.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

wayne m

Graduation is another masterly work from the Romanian director Cristian Mungiu. He yet again shows his great skill to build drama out of ordinary human situations. Set in a small Romanian city we follow a family that is seemingly in balance but a series of events set them on a path of social upheaval and dilemmas. Romeo is the father and doctor, his wife suffers through a pained marriage and they have a daughter in Eliza. Eliza is a gifted student and if she succeeds in her exams she has the opportunity to go to Cambridge University. Romeo regrets not leaving his country and sees this as a great chance for his daughter to leave and succeed. But she is assaulted before the exams and she can't complete them. Romeo tries to fix the system on her behalf but it sets off a chain of events with dire consequences. This a quietly superb film that is focused on small details but shines a light on much bigger ideas. The decay in society. The dilemma of cheating the system. Moral obligations. It does it all in a very skillful and masterly way.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

chris n

An intelligent and well crafted film that could have used some closure regarding the fates of its' characters.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It's nice to have a peek at Romanian Cinema sometime.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

This movie has everything that made James Joyce a great writer. On top of that, it explores a deep ethical question without sounding pedantic. Excellent down to every minute detail.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

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Cristian Mungiu

Director

Adrian Titieni

Romeo

Maria Dragus

Eliza

Rares Andrici

Marius

Lia Bugnar

Magda

Malina Manovici

Sandra

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Graduation: Trailer 1

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David Stratton

The Australian

By shining a spotlight on the everyday corruption and dirty dealing, Mungiu enables us to understand just why his homeland is struggling to escape from the weight of the dictatorship that ruined it and betrayed its people for so many years.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 9, 2017

Full Review

Kate Taylor

Globe and Mail

The cinematography, the dialogue and the performances, especially Adrian Titieni's as an earnest and anxious Mr. Fix-It, are impressively naturalistic.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 2, 2017

Full Review

Peter Howell

Toronto Star

It's ... insistent that life is a series of complex decisions, with fate intruding, and the path's never clear.

Rated: 3.5/4

Jun 1, 2017

Full Review

Vadim Rizov

Filmmaker Magazine

The film is funny in a kind of state-of-the-nation, burn-it-all-down way and wrought with care throughout, but two hours of this is ultimately too much — we’ve seen this terrain with fresher eyes many times over.

Jan 12, 2023

Full Review

Dustin Chang

Floating World

Bacalaureat draws Romeo's dilemma as a father, as a man, as a Romanian really well. It's an amazingly scripted film that contains all the nuances of the sticky human existence.

Feb 14, 2021

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

A remarkable film.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 9, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

A Romanian doctor takes matters into his own hands when an attack on his daughter jeopardizes her scholarship to a prestigious British university.

Director: Cristian Mungiu
Executive Producer: Tudor Reu
Screenwriter: Cristian Mungiu
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Mobra Films, Les Films du Fleuve, Why Not Productions
Rating: R (Some Language)
Genre: Drama, Crime
Original Language: Romanian
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 7, 2017, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 4, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $176.0K
Sound Mix: Stereo, Surround

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