The Death of Mr. Lazarescu

The Death of Mr. Lazarescu explores the dire consequences of an ailing medical system in Romania and the one man who bears the brunt of it all. Mr Lazarescu is a 63-year-old widower who shares his apartment with his three cats and who drinks to excess on a regular basis affecting his health. Suffering from pains in his head and his stomach, he calls for an ambulance to take him to the local hospital. Hindered by a major bus accident the medics eventually arrive and so begins a long and increasingly frustrating night. Shuffled from pillar to post, he becomes wearier and weaker in the face of the medical profession’s bureaucracy and casual inefficiency. A succession of colourful characters permeates the film and the combination of dry humour and ‘scapel sharp’ satire make this one of the year’s most deeply affecting films. (Accent Film Entertainment)