February begins with a packed calendar of Oscar premieres, newly released Romanian comedies and not-to-be-missed heritage films. Bonus: two surprise classics return to the big screen.

Oldboy (r. Park Chan-wook)

Restored and re-released on February 3, marking its 20th anniversary, Oldboy is a cinema classic. The film follows the story of Dae-Su, a man who is kidnapped and held prisoner for 15 years without knowing why. Suddenly released, Dae-su has a series of strange encounters that lead him to track down his captor.

Oldyboy was awarded the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2004, and its return to the big screen is more than welcome for those who want to revisit Park Chan-wook’s beginnings, before the premiere of his new film, Decision to Leave, on February 17.

Oldboy runs in theatres in Bucharest, Brașov, Bistrița, Cluj-Napoca, Lugoj, Miercurea Ciuc, Pitesti, Timișoara. Here is the complete list of cinemas.

The Banshees of Inisherin (r. Martin McDonagh)

Director Martin McDonagh reunites with his In Bruges stars Colin Farrell and Brendan Gleeson for another film that has taken festivals by storm. After winning the Golden Globes for Best Picture and Best Actor (Colin Farrell) – Musical/Comedy, as well as Best Screenplay, The Banshees of Inisherin has entered the Oscar race with no less than nine nominations.

The film is set on a fictional remote Irish island, so remote that not even the war raging on the mainland touches it. But on its streets and at the only bodega in the village, a different drama takes place, just as important to those who live it: Pádraic wakes up one day that his lifelong friend, Colm, no longer wants to have to do with him. A great abyss arises between the two, where on one side there is the wish to be a good person, and on the other, the desire to leave something behind, to be remembered.

The Banshees of Inisherin premiered on February 1st and runs in cinemas across the country. For more insight, read the Films in Frame review by Dora Leu.

Fokus Fassbinder

Elvire Popesco Cinema presents three titles from director Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s filmography, in partnership with the Goethe Institute and the Contrasens Cultural Association. In his short career, Fassbinder directed over 40 feature films, several short films and stage plays.

On February 10, from 6.30 p.m., there will be a discussion about Fassbinder, held in the Atrium of the French Institute, followed by the screening of Ali: Fear Eats the Soul (1974). Katzelmacher (1969) will be screened on February 11 and The Marriage of Maria Braun (1979) on February 12.

Cinemateca Eforie

On February 8, Eforie Cinematheque hosts the screening of El Verdugo / The Executioner (dir. Luis García Berlanga, 1963) as part of the Film Menu Cineclub. Amadeo, an old executioner, must convince his son-in-law to inherit his profession in order not to lose the flat they live in. The screening will be followed by a discussion moderated by Film Menu writers Iulia Necșulescu and Iris Irodi.

On February 11, Horror Forum presents The Faculty (dir. Robert Rodriguez, 1998). A school is taken over by alien creatures, and the few students that escape them must find a solution to save the world. The screening will be followed by a discussion between film critics Flavia Dima and Sebastian M. Ceolca.

Titanic (r. James Cameron)

Along with Oldboy, Titanic is another classic to return to the big screen this month, an event that marks its 25th anniversary. For the hopeless romantics and the nostalgic, the film comes out at the perfect time, just before Valentine’s Day. Moreover, the new version will be released in a remastered 3D 4K HDR render, thus promising a different experience from the one we were used to, from TV airs or VHS tapes.

The tragic love story between Jack and Rose won 11 Academy Awards and remains in history as one of the most popular films in the world. From backlash to praise and endless debate on the fact that Jack could have easily fit on the floating furniture with Rose, we’ve all had an opinion about Titanic at one point or another.

The film hits theatres nationwide on Thursday, February 9, for a limited release.

Everything Everywhere All at Once (r. Dan Kwan, Daniel Scheinert)

Evelyn Wang is thrown from her boring world, surrounded by bills and never-ending to-do lists, into dozens of parallel universes, where she unintentionally becomes a heroine. As its name suggests, the film succeeds in being anything, anywhere, anytime, an amalgam of colours, actions and sounds, with brief moments of respite.

In addition to the crazy action, EEAO invites pondering on contemporary life, where people are always on the go, always busy, and yet stressed by the lack of money. It’s an escape (for both the main character and the viewer) from the chaos of life into a different chaos, which may not be easier to control, but at least is more thrilling.

The film enjoyed international success and recognition, especially among superhero movie fans, and received the most nominations (11) at this year’s Oscars.

EEAO opens in theatres nationwide on February 10.

Ramon (r. Jesús del Cerro)

Starring Pavel Bartoș, Ramon tells the story of a simple man with a sole passion: viticulture. Things change when the most beautiful woman in the world appears in his life, with whom he obviously falls in love. That’s how he ends up in Bucharest, where his life gets even more complicated: the city is full of traps, and Ramon becomes, without meaning to, a suspect in a robbery.

Ramon is a light comedy, perfect for a weekend with the family at the cinema, in the already characteristic style of director Jesús del Cerro (Miami Bici, Hawaii).

The film plays in cinemas across the country.

Melissa Antonescu

Writer, photographer and videographer. For Films in Frame she writes news about the latest happenings in the film world and brings to the readers' attention the productions that can be seen at the cinema. When she's not writing articles, she's photographing people in a small studio or searching for new cake recipes.