Translation Results Requested Through Conyac Made Public

The film was shot in Romania, and Depardieu and Keitel are surrounded by a cast of Romanian actors. Keitel seems stiff and unsure of what film he is actually in, and the rest of the ensemble play their roles broadly, appropriate for farce but lost in the uneven tone of the whole. Romania's new wave is flourishing right now, with directors and producers and actors bringing forth dark, ironic, disturbing films detailing the chaos and problems inherent in the post-Ceaușescu era. "A Farewell to Fools" is a strangely flat entry in that roll call, with that one gleaming wistful moment from Depardieu suggesting the film it could have been.