The Treasure

A comedy so dry it practically evaporates, Romanian writer-director Corneliu Porumboiu's The Treasure begins in Bucharest, where Costi (Toma Cuzin) is reading Robin Hood tales to his young son when they are interrupted by a neighbor, Adrian (Adrian Purcarescu), who has come to borrow money that Costi does not have. Adrian proffers an alternative: if Costi will front the hiring of a metal detector operator, they can survey an old family property of Adrian's for buried treasure and split the proceeds 50/50. Adrian figures that his grandfather might have hidden some money or valuables before the Communist takeover of the country. Unfortunately, although Romania is free of Communist rule, it is not necessarily devoid of oppression. Costi is informed that anything they find could be considered a “heritage” item belonging to the state (although the finders could keep a small percentage of its value). Costi hires operator Cornel (Corneliu Cozmei) and his metal detector—under the table—and Cornel promises to keep any discovery hush-hush from the authorities. The slow, deliberate pace sets viewers up to expect laughs during and perhaps after the surveying and digging, but Porumboiu takes a very different approach, delivering a lengthy (very lengthy) second act in which the three men scour every inch of a tract of land, listening to the whine of the detector and bickering while Costi shovels a deeper and deeper hole. And there is nothing funny or ironic about it. Despite a whimsical and delightful ending, this slow-paced film will be a tough slog for mainstream viewers, although fans of the critically-acclaimed Porumboiu will likely enjoy. A strong optional purchase. (T. Keogh)