Released in 1979, and directed by Sergiu Nicolaescu, Nea Mărin Miliardar ( Uncle Marin, the Billionaire ) is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, one of the most successful Romanian comedies of all time. The parody, humor, and stellar direction elevate this film to cult status. Nea Mărin is a well-known movie character in Romanian culture, like a Romanian Mr. Bean, if you will. He’s a bungling yet incredibly funny man from the region of Oltenia, who unwittingly enters into the dangerous world of the mafia.
"The movie’s setting, special effects, outstanding music, and innovative cinematography make this a masterpiece of Romanian cinema."
The movie is about a case of mistaken identity. Nea Mărin bears an uncanny resemblance to a multi-millionaire named Mr. Juvett, who comes to Romania with a suitcase full of money in order to save his daughter from the hands of gangsters. However, these gangsters mistake Nea Mărin for Mr. Juvett, and so the bumbling hero gets sucked into a dangerous world of spies, femme fatales, and gun-toting men hell-bent on destroying him and stealing his supposed cash. As viewers, we also enter into a parody of American movies, in which Nea Mărin, carrying a suitcase filled with “ praz ” (spring onions) and “ brânză ” (maturate cheese), stumbles into all sorts of troubles.
As the action progresses, Nea Mărin gets so carried away with all that’s happening to him, that he forgets about his holiday and his wife Veta, who impatiently waits for him to come home. Veta finally decides that she has had enough, and when she becomes suspicious of her husband’s delay, she sets out to find him. Little does she know that she will be in for a massive surprise, as she finds Nea Mărin cuddling with a beautiful blonde lady on a sandy beach. Or so she thinks ... for it is not Nea Mărin she sees but, in fact, Mr. Juvett! It appears that Veta, too, confuses the two men, and this becomes the source of even more humorous mishaps. By the end, however, everything falls into place, as Mr. Juvett rescues his beautiful young daughter without giving away his money, the gangsters are arrested by a Romanian police officer named Columbo, and Nea Mărin and his wife make amends and return to their village.
The movie’s setting, special effects, outstanding music, and innovative cinematography make this a masterpiece of Romanian cinema. The actors all put in incredible performances, while the late Amza Pellea stands out with his skilful and witty interpretations of both Mr. Juvett and Nea Mărin. The language adds even more beauty to the film, since the standard Romanian is expanded with colloquialisms, English borrowings, and Veta’s and Nea Mărin’s Oltenian dialect. The only downside is the movie’s brevity, as it only reaches ninety minutes in length .
