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Feb 20, 2014 By Shawn Hazelett Web Exclusive

Loyalty, ethics, class, and society clash in Child’s Pose, a Romanian drama examining the fallout of a deadly car accident caused by the thirty-year-old son of a bourgeoisie family. The story follows his mother, a wealthy architect named Cornelia, who has a sour relationship with her son but nonetheless wants to keep him from going to prison. He tells her he wasn’t drinking, speeding, or doing anything illegal at the time of the accident, and—though negligence is strongly implied—there is little evidence to debunk his story. It becomes clear that an indictment will hinge on eyewitnesses and police assigned to the case—some of whom could use Cornelia’s assets.

How far is she willing to go? It seems even she doesn’t know. As she interacts with a police officer in need of a home decorator and discusses money with a key eyewitness, her negotiating feels more like a veil for internal compromise. These details are beautifully observed in lengthy, theatrical scenes, which may not have been sustainable without a captivating performance from Luminita Gheorghiu, who suggests a degree of uncertainty beneath the steely Cornelia. Indeed, her character is forced to shoulder the film’s entire ethical burden: if she really believes her son’s story, why is she considering pay-offs? Her son may have been aimless before the accident but he wasn’t a bad person; yet, he undeniably killed someone. How far before a mother’s love should waver?

www.zeitgeistfilms.com/childspose

Author rating: 8/10