Tense manipulation in Romanian film 'Child's Pose'

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"Child's Pose" is a Romanian film that thrusts the viewer into the ugly truth, but in a hauntingly beautiful way. Directed by Calin Peter Netzer, the movie won the Golden Berlin Bear award at the Berlin International Film Festival, surely for its superb acting, masterful storytelling, and tense manipulation of the viewer experience.

Luminita Gheorgiu plays controlling middle-aged Cornelia, who is doing everything in her power to manipulate all around her, especially her snivelling desperate son. He makes the tragic mistake of killing a teenaged boy in a car accident. The rest of the film is a strained, emotional battle between all of the characters struggling to get what they want, until they find release in pure surrender.