Basically the last breath of Romanian arthouse cinema before the complete takeover of the Romanian New Wave. From a filmmaking perspective, it’s probably far from the movement, but in terms of the naturalistic, sometimes banal approach to documenting Romanian life, it’s definitely transitional.Niki and Flo examines the generational divide and political status quo in Romania. It's ultra-black in its dissection of a Romanian army official’s family, where both tragedy and comedy coexist. There are, of course, intrigues that feel similar to the New Wave, and some great naturalistic performances from its ensemble. However, I don’t particularly find the script great, partly due to cultural and political barriers, and partly because of its random, sensationalized ending, which you wouldn’t find in a great New Wave classic. It’s interesting that Cristi Puiu co-wrote the screenplay, but clearly, he saved the best ideas for himself.
