By now, I've learned to expect the unexpected when it comes to reviewing independent film. There's a certain joy, I suppose, in being able to review what is the first American/Moldovan cinematic collaboration. Written and directed by David Arnaud Larson in his feature debut, Stampila (The Stamp) is a political thriller with ample doses of rich humanity and well-developed characters. It's on the fringes of political satire, though the humor is more of the gutcheck type. 

While Stampila tells a fictional story, it's immersed in such truths that it's noted the film helped spark a real-life Moldovan revolution that led to the downfall of the tiny European country's ruling oligarch, a fellow known as "The Puppetmaster." 

In the film, Jerry (Shawn Law) and Preston (Tommy Dickie) are Americans in Moldova at the request of the nation's oligarch, Mihai (Dragoș Scutelnicu). They have been hired to, in essence, distract Moldovans from plans for a revolution. 

The Moldovans, it would seem, will have other plans. 

There are multiple storyline threads that unfold in Stampila, some more effectively than others but nearly all still quite engaging. Lia Sinchevici gives a winning performance as Anastasia, a translator whose translating doesn't turn out quite so well for Jerry. The film's highlight may very well come from Ana Maria Cobileanschi as Ludmilla, a woman whose food cart is often targeted by corrupt officials. 

Stampila is most effective as a thriller, occasional humor biting through the film's tensions and that sense of the unknown ever present. For most of us in America, we've likely heard of Moldova but would be hard-pressed to identify it on a map. Thus, we don't necessarily enter with a lot of pre-conceived ideas and baggage other than the story that unfolds before us. Larson infuses the film with both humanity and bits of humor. Both shine through nicely and these characters become characters we care about. Hints of romance mostly fall short, however, the film is so otherwise satisfying that it's a minor concern. 

Lensing by Sung Rae Cho is effective throughout and the film's actually being shot in Moldova, under the guise of being a "love story," adds to its authenticity. A unique and inspired effort, Stampila is a not easily forgotten film and the kind of film that once again reminds us of the power of cinema to change the world. 

Written by Richard Propes
The Independent Critic