Stuff and Dough (Marfa si banii) (2008)

70% of critics liked it
(10 reviews)
62% of users liked it
(195 ratings)

A twenty-something willing to walk the margins of the law for the right price finds that he's on a higher tightrope than he imagined in this compelling low-budget drama from Romania. Ovidiu (Alexandru Papadopol) is a young man with an entrepreneurial bent who is trying to launch a business selling… More A twenty-something willing to walk the margins of the law for the right price finds that he's on a higher tightrope than he imagined in this compelling low-budget drama from Romania. Ovidiu (Alexandru Papadopol) is a young man with an entrepreneurial bent who is trying to launch a business selling snack food while still living in his parent's flat in Constanta. Needing cash to get his business off the ground, Ovidiu is more than willing to listen when he's approached by a local crime boss. It seems the mobster has a package that he needs delivered to Bucharest, and he's willing to pay Ovidiu a healthy wad of cash to do the job. Ovidiu isn't sure what's in the package (and is smart enough not to ask), but he figures it's an easy way to make some fast money, so he packs up his van and hits the road, with his girlfriend (Ioana Flora) and another pal (Dragos Bucur) tagging along for company. Assuming they're carrying some sort of contraband, Ovidiu and his friends have to steer clear of police cars and check points along the way, but before long the law is the least of Ovidiu's worries when he discovers that a red car is following them -- and the four men inside are determined not to be shaken. Marfa Si Banii was enthusiastically received in its screening at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 31 min.
Directed By: Cristi Puiu
Written By: Cristi Puiu, Razvan Radulescu
Genres: Art House & International, Drama

In Theaters: Apr 23, 2008 Wide
Studio: Mitropoulos Films

Critic Reviews

Andrew O'Hehir, Salon.com
Like so many recent Romanian films, Stuff and Dough is tremendously well made on almost no budget, and blends the rhythms of ordinary life with a subtly ominous atmosphere and elements of thriller.
V.A. Musetto, New York Post
New York is beginning to look like Bucharest on the Hudson.
A.O. Scott, New York Times
Though it is suspenseful, unnerving and agile in its techniques, Stuff and Dough has more than speed and danger on its mind.
Leo Goldsmith, Reverse Shot
Ultimately, like Lazarescu, Ovidiu becomes a mere cog in a social and economic system that would chew him up without a moment's consideration, and it's Puiu's goal to elevate this and other such stories above their banality and into the realm of myth.
Sam Adams, AV Club
Making the minutiae of life hold continuous interest is no easy task, as demonstrated by [Cristi] Puiu's fledgling first feature, 2001's Stuff And Dough.
John P. McCarthy, Boxoffice Magazine
Anyone prone to carsickness should bypass Stuff and Dough, unless they have an unquenchable desire to understand Romanian society or a keen interest in the career development of one of its best filmmakers.
Michael Atkinson, Boston Phoenix
Simultaneously lean and distracted.
Ken Fox, TV Guide's Movie Guide
Puiu's film is a day-in-the-life look at a group of young people living in a country still recovering from years of misrule and international neglect.
Eric Monder, Film Journal International
The American title doesn't do it justice, but Stuff and Dough is a small triumph.
Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine
Like Puiu's later The Death of Mr. Lazarescu, Stuff and Dough suggests that time, like procedure, is of the essence in Romania, though it lacks Lazarescu's gravitas and poignancy.

Read all 10 critic reviews

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Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]In "Stuff and Dough," Ovidiu(Alexandru Papadopol) is sleeping, dreaming of owning his own food stall, when he is interrupted by Marcel(Razvan Vasilescu), an older businessman. Marcel wants him to drive to Budapest by 2:00 pm and drop off a package, for… More
[font=Century Gothic]In "Stuff and Dough," Ovidiu(Alexandru Papadopol) is sleeping, dreaming of owning his own food stall, when he is interrupted by Marcel(Razvan Vasilescu), an older businessman. Marcel wants him to drive to Budapest by 2:00 pm and drop off a package, for which he will be handsomely compensated. Only he cannot tell anybody what is in the package and must go alone. That having been said, Ovidiu calls his buddy, Vali(Dragos Bucur), who calls his girlfriend, Betty(Ioana Flora). The ride goes well for the trio until they encounter a red van...[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Stuff and Dough" is an entertaining movie that goes on about ten to fifteen minutes too long in an attempt to make its point in huge letters. In fact, the movie gives little depth to its characters(even worse, Betty is 100% cipher). And the only thing of substance that is said about modern day Romania is the need for wider and better roads, not to mention more polite drivers.[/font]