Movie reviews

16. INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL WATCH DOCS

IKONA (ICON)

Watchable. The film lacks cohesion. While part of the disarray comes from the contorted relationships in the mental hospital, e.g. the birthday cake scene, where the hapless patient gets practically told off for having caused the problem of baking the cake, appears in between numerous shows of affection of the personnel towards the ill, the doctor's philosophical musings are out of the blue.

HOOLIGAN SPARROW

Watchable. The case of a school director who abused 6 of his female charges is just a pretext to present current day China where high officials find it "fashionable" to rape underage girls and authorities systematically threaten human rights activists and raid their offices. It's also more about the activist's life than about the case. So it's for viewers interested in China as a country rather than in women's rights.

WALKA Z SZATANEM (THE BATTLE WITH SATAN)

Watchable. No wonder the film met with neither outrage nor praise from the side of the Church. It's quite low key. The topic is controversial: Poland is Europe's unfamous leader in the number of exorcisms and most of the alleged possession victims are females between 15 and 25. While it's clear from the film that some children are forced to attend religion lessons and then get coerced into undergoing the rites which guarantee regular profits to the Church, it all can be read between the lines only.

FANG DEN HAIDER (CATCHING HAIDER)

Watchable. An interesting portrayal of a tremendously popular politician. While it says a lot about Joerg Haider's background and political tactics, what comes to the fore is his impact on people. He was a keen observant, with outstanding memory of people's names and faces, just as much as a shrewed manipulator. A natural born leader. Beautiful views of Austria - similar to Switzerland - and local festivities are a delight too. The director's personal commentary doesn't help to understand some local dealings though. It would be better as a biopic rather than a political reportage.


LA LA LAND

Watchable. I was afraid the jazz music might be too much for me and that I would walk out like from "Excentrycy, czyli po slonecznej stronie ulicy" or "Whiplash". Anything but. It's mild jazz, pop, 80s, really light. What's more, it's truly catchy, the music just stays with you. The story is also light, good for a musical, a bit cliche, especially as it associates happiness with having a child as the culmination of a relationship. J. K. Simmons, known as the teacher from "Whiplash", plays a small part. There's nothing over or after the credits so you can leave as soon as the movie ends.

In between the screenings I overheard a peculiar conversation between two Muggle journalists: "There's a 'Star Wars' screening on Wednesday." "Again?! There's been one already!" "That was last year. There's a new part coming out."

SOLIDARUCHY Z RAKOWIECKIEJ

Watchable. A very fresh documentary about former Solidarnosc activists talking about their imprisonment. Some funny bits, e.g. about the political police from Katowice driving a Varsovian activist to the jail in Warsaw - they didn't know the city so the arrested guy had to guide them, or prisoners' pipe dreams of becoming the director of a jail for communists. Some grim ones - about brutally murdered freedom fighters and conditions of their incarceration. A number of talking heads droning on. Who-is-who notes are given at the very end which renders a big part of the film incomprehensible to people like me.

The film will be shown on Channel 2 of Polish Television at 10:55 p.m. tonight.


16. INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL WATCH DOCS

THE LAST LAUGH

Watchable. About whether you can joke about the Holocaust or not. Of course you can. Provided you're Jewish. I'm not but some jokes are so tactful even I can quote them: "Two Jews were sent to assassinate Hitler. They were waiting outside his quaters as he was to come at 8. Half an hour passed. He didn't turn up. An hour passed. He was still not there. Two hours passed and one Jew says to the other: 'He's still not here. I hope nothing's happened to him.'" or "My mum was a Holocaust survivor. Sorry, she was the alleged Holocaust survivor." Several other jokes were told in the film. Unfortunately, most just weren't funny.