Barbarella believes POPPY FIELD will resonate with the right audience

Published: April 23, 2022, 9:10 am CST by Barbarella

Hello, my friends. Barbara here. The Romanian film POPPY FIELD is currently available on demand and digital. The story of a closeted gay man trying to balance who he is with what he does for a living doesn't portray much conflict on screen, but it seems like a lot is going on inside the character's mind. principal, Cristi, played by Conrad Mericoffer. Sometimes I wish for more of his inner conflict to emerge and unfold before my eyes, perhaps through more interactions with others. Some do, but not enough for me to be fully satisfied after watching, as I'm the kind of girl who prefers to follow a clear and intriguing narrative. While I want more to happen and unfold that can be seen, I understand the filmmaker's decision not to provide that.

POPPY FIELD is a film about hiding all of one's identity, and it makes sense not to display the turmoil Cristi experienced. For much of the film, the camera holds him in its gaze, forcing viewers to use their own experiences and ideas to extrapolate the meaning of expressions that mostly vacillate between pensive and sulky.

While this choice may seem somewhat experimental, this is where the viewing experience can be made or broken depending on what one brings to the table. I think this should play well for LGBTQ+ communities who might relate to feelings and don't need a strong narrative to follow. Saying less allows the film to become a deeply personal story for viewers, as they have the opportunity to inject their own thoughts and beliefs into Cristi's mind as he endures certain circumstances. I think perhaps the best audiences for this are those who have struggled to understand who they are with society's ideas of who they should be.

I suspect this would be a polarizing film for audiences, as much of what you get out of it depends on what you put into it, and some have more relevant experiences to contribute than others . Audiences who need a clear story that builds tension, culminating in huge conflict, may struggle to find enjoyment here, as the most dramatic moments don't quite reach the intensity that the one can wait or desire. Yet it gives realism to POPPY FIELD. Life is full of conflict that can often seem quite mundane compared to the entertainment we usually ingest. The conflict here remains grounded in the real world, never requiring a moment of suspended disbelief. These types of events can and do happen anywhere. In fact, this story is inspired by a real event that happened in Bucharest in 2013.

This relativity gives power to the film, as does spending time early on to introduce relationships. I appreciate these glimpses into his love and family life. I would have liked to spend more time delving into these connections, but the story moves from personal life to work pretty quickly. Apparently, even in the cinema, it is difficult to find the right work-life balance.

This film explores the ideas of prejudice and the internalization of these prejudices. I would have preferred less time watching a silent Cristi and more time watching him engage in dialogue or actions to convey the ideas, but that's just me. As I mentioned earlier, I understand how it can be more effective to say and show less. It's just that I prefer the kind of narrative that grabs me and keeps me going for an hour or more, and Ioana Moraru's story just doesn't offer that. Director Eugen Jebeleanu also leans into a kind of documentary aspect of the general mood of the film, which doesn't always turn out to be so effective, but where it works, it works well. Overall, I have mixed feelings about POPPY FIELD. Some scenes work effectively, although they may require a ce...