How would you handle it if, on the day of your wedding (which is supposed to be one of the happiest moments in your life if the socially mandated beliefs are held to be true), a stranger suddenly emerges and reveals that your soon-to-be-spouse has actually been unfaithful, to the point of having engaged in this near-extramarital affair only a few days prior, and that he is now going to be the father of a child that is not your own? Most of us would have a very intense reaction, to say the least, and certainly would be forgiven for not being able to hold our composure, which is the impetus behind 3 Days in September (Romanian: 3 zile în septembrie), the bitingly funny and deeply subversive seventh directorial outing of Tudor Giurgiu, who has proven to be an extraordinarily interesting contemporary voice in cinema (helped along by his position in between the two eras of the Romanian New Wave), and who sets out to explore the mind of someone whose life falls apart in a matter of moments. The story follows Bianca, who is about to be married to Victor, only to be confronted at the wedding venue by someone her husband apparently knows quite intimately, who reveals that she is pregnant with his child, and thought it was best to warn her before she makes the mistake of marrying someone who clearly does not have her best interests at heart. The only appropriate reaction was seemingly to retreat, which Bianca puts into practice by quite literally running away from the venue, leading to an adventure that takes her across the city, where she meets a range of eccentric individuals, some acting as obstacles in her journey, others aiding her escape, both physical and psychological. It’s a blisteringly funny indictment of modern romance as filtered through the perspective of a complex protagonist who represents a generation of people who are in pursuit of a better future for themselves. Told with razor-sharp precision and a never-ending supply of the most subversive dark humour, 3 Days in September is as close to a masterpiece as something like this could be, and proves to be absolutely unforgettable, both in terms of subject matter and how it is brought to life on screen. 

3 Days in September is heavily built on the premise of the “one crazy night” story, which (as the term suggests) is set in a very restrictive, limited span of time, and follows a protagonist as they find themselves leaping from one location to another, encountering a range of characters that either aid them in reaching a specific destination – whether physical or abstract – or stand in their way, overcomplicating what they imagined was a relatively simple mission. This is a fascinating approach that the film explores brilliantly, using the idea of a woman going on the run from her own wedding as the starting point for a subversive and daring dark comedy in which the director can comment critically on several very resonant themes, not in the least unpacking the idea of marriage as more than just an act of commitment, but also a social institution that challenges and provokes in ways that can often be quite difficult to reconcile when we look at it from a distance. The setting, a remote resort town on the edge of the Black Sea that is never directly named, seems like the perfect place for such a story to take place, as it is urbane enough to make it plausible that someone can get lost in this environment, while also having a small-town charm that makes the presence of the many eccentrics believable. From this, Giurgiu unravels the psychological state of a woman who immediately (in the course of a few seconds) decides to take her life into her own hands, making what could be viewed as a bad decision and quite literally running away from a future she suddenly realises is going to be miserable for her and everyone else who will inevitably be embroiled in this marriage should it go forward. It’s a very simple premise, and the thematic content is about as predictable as we’d expect – but through taking a more straightforward approach to the core themes, the film manages to be unexpectedly very subversive in the execution, in which all of these complex ideas eventually come to a head, revealing just how smart and subversive the satire inspiring this film actually was when put into practice.

On countless occasions, I’ve made it very clear that I wholeheartedly believe that Romanian cinema is not only amongst the most entertaining, but also has an importance that we simply cannot overlook. Whether we focus on the films produced in and around the Communist era (particularly in the direct aftermath) or those which emerged in the 2000s, under what is often called the Romanian New Wave, where absurdity and philosophy merged, there’s always something worth exploring in these films. We’re actually currently in a new era of their national cinema, one that still possesses many of the same qualities but has taken them even further, leaning more heavily into the unhinged, carnivalesque nature of existing in a particular time and place. Giurgiu straddles the line between the two eras, emerging during the first wave but doing his most notable work as a part of the second, and much like one of his peers who is in a very similar position (the extraordinary Radu Jude), the director is forging his own path through embracing the insanity of everyday existence. 3 Days in September is a remarkable achievement because of how it plays across so many different genres, adapting the tone and style to match whatever is happening on screen in a way that prevents us from ever having any idea of which direction this film will head next. Taking place primarily over a single night, the film introduces a single source of tension, which seems to be under control at first, before erupting into complete madness, leading to one of the most unhinged cinematic symphonies we’ve seen in years. Once the film gains that effortlessly bizarre momentum, it simply never stops moving, going in so many unexpected directions – and in the midst of what proves to be an actually very deranged dark comedy that highlights the surreal nature of everyday life as reflected through the eyes of a woman who is plunged into a state of existential despair, it makes some astonishing statements, being unexpectedly moving in ways that are nothing if not entirely surprising. It’s a brilliant work, and Giurgiu proves his mettle as someone who can capture our attention through a relatively simple but never uninteresting narrative, using various techniques to bring this absolutely deranged story to life on screen.

However, as much as we may want to laud Giurgiu for his exceptional vision, the reality is that a film like 3 Days in September can only work with the right actor leading it, and in the part of Bianca, a woman who realises that her carefully plotted future may be in disarray as a result of an unexpected revelation, the director is very lucky to find Andreea Vasile, who collaborates closely with him to bring this character to the screen. At a glance, it seems like a relatively simple performance, since a lot of the work is being done by Giurgiu and his crew, who simply have to follow the protagonist as she makes her way through this town (and the frequent use of long shots during key moments is incredible in how it captures emotion and atmosphere), but like every aspect of this film, some layers draw us in and push us towards understanding this character as much more than just a one-dimensional archetype. Vasile is astonishing in the film, playing someone whose grasp on reality is steadily slipping, her sanity eroding with each new moment she allows herself to dwell in this wall-to-wall madness that has consumed her entire state of being, turning what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life into a nightmarish existential odyssey in which absolutely nothing makes sense to her. It takes a lot of work to convincingly play someone who is gradually falling into a state of psychosis, and many less-gifted actors would’ve taken a binary approach, choosing to play the same single note of madness, whereas Vasile chose to go about it by gradually showing Bianca’s deteriorating mental state, which oscillates between manic and unexpectedly calm in certain parts. It’s a performance that seems simple at a glance, but has a complexity that anchors the entire film, taking the viewer on an immersive journey into the mind of someone who has suddenly started to realise that life is filled with surprises, many of which cause her to question her already fragile perspective on reality, leading to a complete descent into madness that is as hilarious as it is frankly terrifying.

3 Days in September is an incredible piece of filmmaking, both conceptually and in terms of the story it is telling. From a narrative perspective, it’s an enthralling blend of psychological thriller and dark comedy, satirising society and how it functions in a way that is nothing if not wholeheartedly provocative, having a density that can sometimes be difficult to embrace, but which gradually grows on us as we make our way through this challenging and unconventional version of the world. Structurally, it is a marvel – it is the rare modern film that runs a perfectly decent 78 minutes (in fact, our desire to spend more time in this world with these characters is quickly dismissed when we realise the only reason it manages to feel so fresh and exciting is precisely because of its very short running time, since it never once overstays its welcome), moving at a fast pace that draws the viewer in, taking us on an enthralling journey into a single crazy day in the life of someone who sees everything she held to be true quickly falling apart as a result of circumstances outside of her control, and deciding to succumb to her impulses, not being too concerned about the consequences that are inevitably going to be right behind her. Giurgiu is a remarkable filmmaker, someone whose vision and ability to capture the inner architecture of the human mind stands him in good stead in terms of gaining more popularity – he’s certainly got the skills as both a writer and director, being able to capture something unique through this engaging, enthralling character study (anchored by one of the year’s best performances, a fully-committed portrait of a woman slipping into madness that is both unsettling and hilariously bold), and a film that is blisteringly funny, profoundly bleak and never anything other than wholeheartedly entertaining, having a brilliance that draws the viewer in, taking us on an unforgettable journey in which certain moments may not make sense – but in life, when is this ever the case?