Tuesday, After Christmas

The Romanian New Wave of the past decade has yielded such internationally acclaimed gems as 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, The Death of Mr. Lazarescu and 12:08 East of Bucharest. Add to them Tuesday, After Christmas, an elegant, emotionally resonant drama of a middle-class couple whose 10-year marriage is rocked by the husband's illicit affair with their daughter's sexy dentist. In many respects it's an oft-told tale: Paul must choose between the easy rapport and stability of his family life and the uncertainty and excitement of a relationship with a much younger woman. In scorchingly intense long takes, the power dynamics among these three are unpredictable and, in the end, devastating. The fact that the two leads are actually a married couple adds to the verisimilitude.