Not everything is as it seems for Cristi, a policeman who plays both sides of the law. Embarking with the beautiful Gilda on a high-stakes heist, both will have to navigate the twists and turns of corruption, treachery, and deception.
For ten years, Corneliu Porumboiu wrestled with the idea of a whistled language, finding inspiration from the language of El Silbo on the La Gomera islands. As a director, he has a fascination for the justice system and the political connotations that can drive human actions to certain extremes. Bring pattern and new ideation together and we have the birth of “The Whistlers,” a film exploring the path of a disillusioned police officer caught between the throes of gang activity and police justice. Yet it seems that when an enigmatic code like a whistling language gets involved, the same thematic elements of human betrayal, lust for money, and revenge are served to compliment as a “thrilling” plot. Instead, I found “The Whistlers” a dry and clichéd movie that loses the uniqueness of its premise due to its usage of a repetitive Hollywood formula for action.
The style of the transitions between scenes reminded me of Martin Scorsese and his style of cinema in the genres of crime and mysterious representations of ordinary humans. Abrupt during moments of suspense alongside a drastic change in tone via music ensemble and scene, the film explores a pre-existing style, which was rather maximized to its full potential in films like “The Godfather.” In “The Whistlers,” I could not help but feel these techniques did not add to the suspense of the movie, but dried out the intensity of certain moments and creates a tone of subtle awkwardness that I did not particularly find enjoyable. All of the techniques were recognizable, making the film come across as a commodity rather than an expression of art. It distracted from the interesting whistling language premise of the movie and the charisma of the actors.
Played by Vlad Ivanov, Cristi is a policeman who finds himself on the islands of La Gomera at the request of a woman named Gilda. Gilda is played by Catrinel Marlon who first captivated my attention with her voice and left me continuously in concentration due to her dominating presence on screen. She moved as Gilda with a sense of confident vulnerability, a strength that contrasted deeply with her male counterparts, Cristi and Zsolt. In fact, the female leads in this film created the momentum in the struggle for power that swept Cristi and Zsolt through circumstances that ultimately were out of their control. The theme of power in female roles redeemed the film of its otherwise unoriginal exploration of crime, human flaws, and betrayal.
My overall disappointment stems from the lack of effective usage of the whistling language. The whistling language introduced itself as a tool used to prepare for a climax but did not ultimately show itself in some of the movie’s crucial turning points. In fact, it felt forgotten amidst the sea of clichéd betrayals between the most typically suspicious characters and was only brought back in the resolution to remind the audience that this film is supposed to be unique. I failed to receive that message.
If you are an avid action movie fan looking for a new twist to the genre, “The Whistlers” may not quite be the film for your enjoyment. However, if you are looking to branch out into foreign films while still maintaining the comfort of the Hollywood formula, perhaps it may be your cup of tea.
Now playing in select theaters
