The Whistlers is a film that is quite dry, honestly a touch too dry for my personal taste. However, there is a lot to like and appreciate about it. It has a cool and detached swagger that I find appealing, and it’s twisty-turny nature kept a continuous sense of intrigue through its complex plot. Romanian writer/director, Corneliu Porumboiu, even throws in splashes of humor, which often comes in the form of playful eccentricities born out of its unique narrative conceit and some bitterly funny lines that are found in moments of banter between the characters.
The film follows Cristi (Vlad Ivanov), a crooked police officer who gets himself entangled in a money laundering scheme by the seductive Gilda (Catrinel Marlon), in which he has to travel to the Canary Islands, specifically the island of La Gomera, and learn the language of Silbo Gomero, which consists entirely of whistling. That way, he can relay information that will be utilized to free a notorious businessman from police custody. In classic heist fashion, there’s gangsters involved, other cops, both crooked and otherwise, and a ton of cash that is waiting to be taken, but not with some unexpected twists, complications, and betrayals along the way.
As constructed by Porumboiu and his editor, Roxana Szel, the narrative here is told through numerous flashbacks and flashforwards, each given title cards with the names of newly introduced characters. It adds to the labyrinthian quality of the plot, offering some further context to many of the characters we see as well. Although, none of them end up quite as fleshed out as Cristi. But they are still performed with enough personality to keep things engaging, and Ivanov is a very strong lead that grounds a lot of the stranger elements of the story in a way that is very satisfying, and easy to root for.
The whistling language is a very real one, and the film makes an effective use of it, even if it’s not quite as heavily used as one might expect, or even hope. It does add this paranoid element to the film. While it’s a Romanian production, it’s a very international picture with languages spoken including Spanish, English, and Silbo Gomero. Not everyone speaks the same language, so sometimes characters will be in the dark regarding certain situations or bits of information, which adds an interesting level of tension, as well as irony for us watching it all unfold with subtitles.
It’s also notable how Porumboiu is able to paint a pretty bleak picture, while still retaining a fairly light touch. The world he showcases here is a fairly unflinching and unforgiving one. Help is hard to find, and the people you think you can count on are out for their own self-interest. It’s these kind of touches that make the film distinct, even with its almost winking indulgences of numerous tropes, archetypes, and film references.
The Whistlers is a sick production, very well crafted, and takes full advantage of its wonderful scenery. It’s style is minimal, but clear and effective. I am not super familiar with either the works of Corneliu Porumboiu, or the overall Romanian New Wave movement, which he is a part of, but considering we’re probably going to be in quarantine for a while, I suppose now’s a good a time as any to catch up. It’s a neat little crime flick, one that I enjoyed watching, even if I didn’t necessarily love it. If this kind of stuff seems like your bag, it’s definitely worth a watch, and like with Bacurau last week, you can watch it through a virtual screening that will support your local indie theater.