Sunday 29 April 2018


루 (A DAY)

Watchable. Like virtually all Korean movies, it's very good technically which merits a cinema viewing. At the same time it's Korean-way hasty. Everything happens so quickly it's very easy to miss details, e.g. I couldn't make out why the doctor snatched a kid's candy till I understood that was what the boy had choked on in the previous run of the day. For that reason it may be more suitable for DVD where you can go back and forth and pause to catch everything. The title has a double meaning: a day in Korean which obviously refers to the day he relives on a loop but also to Ha-Ru - a character in the film. It's intriguing trying to work out what action will break the loop. They should make it into a game.

In Warsaw the movie's on at just one cinema so I went to the leafy Falenica suburb where a tiny Kino Stacja Falenica is located. The two little screens show quite a selection playing each title once a day but at differing hours. In the smaller screening room the sound was astonishingly spatial and the picture like in all modern cinemas. The air-con worked wonders. Perfect for a hot summer day (and not only since radiators were there too). There are also a handful of little tables allowing to have a drink or even a meal brought. As I was the only person at the screening, when I left for a while, the staff thoughtfully paused the movie for me. And the film was preceded by a few trailers only, no commercials.


Saturday 28 April 2018

MALA ZAGLADA (A MINOR GENOCIDE)

Recommended. Absolutely harrowing from the early minutes. Genocide gets compared to torturing and murdering animals in abattoirs. In addition the genocide is presented from the viewpoint of children. Also the question of the type of death is mentioned - one from a bullet with no rape and no torture is a light one. The whole thing is very emotional but the poignant bits are intertwined with fragments of a holy mass or conversations which gives you respite from the agonizing images and descriptions. War is depicted as an abstract and versatile concept. And as unavoidable since it lets people vent their evil which is hindered in peaceful times. It's also striking how a childhood trauma gets perpetuated in adult life and passed on the next generations, especially in case of the survivor daughter who's scarred with the fear of war for life.

AS BOAS MANEIRAS (GOOD MANNERS)

Recommended. A werewolf tale set in modern day São Paulo but retaining all the elements of a fairy tale. Starts with the effects of a one night stand and then fast forwards by 10 years. The 10-year-old wolfie is cute but ravenous. Technically superb. A beautiful story of motherly love, compassion and social exclusion. 

The movie will be released online only: on Tongariro's own channel, on VoD and on Vectra.

The "Mario" trailer is promising - looks like it's going to be a well-paced football drama, with good-looking actors, gay love and attempts to prevent a scandal. 

OCTOBER

Watchable. Typical Bollywood means a lot of good music and the movie becoming even better after the interval. This one's different. Out of 5 listed songs only one is played... over the final credits. It's a shame since the song's beautiful. The first part is totally engrossing: the reckless trainee, his smart female colleague and all the things he does wrong, the accident scene - you just can't take your eyes of the screen. Later the dilemma of how long one should be kept on life support somewhat resembles the very recent Alfie case from Britain. But after the interval the pace slows down and emotions fade. That's where the enchanting music should come in but it doesn't. At least the new generation of actors is excellent. The future of Indian cinema is safe. It doesn't change the fact this one is mediocre.

Thursday 26 April 2018

24. WIOSNA FILMOW (24TH FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)

I finally made it to the Film Spring Festival on the last day but that let me experience it in all three venues, including two brand new ones. I finished Afrykamera and started the Film Spring with "westerns". Three movies were preview screenings (in Poland anyway), only the Japanese one was older.

SWEET COUNTRY

Recommended. Another western/southern - this one set on the dusty red soil of Australia. The lack of music replaced with background noises of insects, cattle, distant conversations creates expectation on the verge of certainty that something's going to happen. It does. Stunning cinematography, with outstanding vistas e.g. of a horse and a rider on white ground with the horizon undulating in the heat, enforces the picture. The engrossing action serves asking the question of whether it's possible to build a country where "settlers" despise the indigenous population and where natives fear newcomers. The only music is "Peace in the Valley" over the final credits - composed and sung by Americans (Thomas A. Dorsey and Johnny Cash respectively) like in a true western.

UNE SAISON EN FRANCE (A SEASON IN FRANCE)

Watchable. One of several, in recent years, movies exploiting the subject of refugees. Convincingly acted and realistically presenting their dire straits. Moving to a rustic room with a sink let by a Chinese seems true to life. Setting oneself on fire is over the top, especially that it fails to be dramatic. Also the ending fails to evoke emotions.

It was my first visit to the newly opened Amondo Cinema in Warsaw. It's tiny (33 seats). A fan clacks above viewers' heads and the seats creak loudly if you move. At the same time the audio and vision are splendid. I hope to be back.

あん (SWEET BEAN)

Recommended. Charming, uplifting, very humane and not as simple a story as it may seem. Filled with love of food, nature, people and animals.

The Pod Sowami screen is dreadful: even the few soft seats on the side are too narrow, the wooden bar stools are too small, too high and too hard for a 2-hour movie and the sound's far from clear. It's all on one level of course so taller people obstruct the view for the shorter ones. 

פוֹקְסטְרוֹט‎ (FOXTROT)

Recommended. Starts with a father being notified of his son's death. Then comes an even bigger surprise. Like in foxtrot, the story takes you sideways, back and forth to lead you to the starting point again. Each part makes an impression in its own right: the way the army takes care of everything, absolutely everything, in case of a tragedy or the border post life. Memorable scenes and a masterful game with the viewer.

The proportion of astounding films at the Film Spring was bewildering. I'm happy all of them either have been or will be on general release.



AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR AT IMAX 3D

Watchable. Only to stay on track with the whole Marvel cinema series extended over years. I was fighting falling asleep near the finale. But for informative purposes seeing the ending should suffice - enough to see who dies and who survives. Imax 3D will beguile the 2.5 hours of demolition and wooden lines: unfunny banter and run-of-the-mill monologues. It's a war movie so it's all dark and only patches of Wakanda brighten up the screen at times. Stan Lee makes an obligatory cameo - here as a school bus driver early on: "What? Haven't you seen a spaceship before?!" Rocket gets dubbed "rabbit" and looks cute. Groot is a teenager inseparable from his gamepad. Black Widow's light blonde with shorter hair. Nothing much happens apart from fights with all weapons possible. After long credits demolition continues with a yet new weapon and Thanos is promised to return which implies the next movie may not be any better. Unless the device in the post-credit is a teleporter? Then rescue would be coming. Anyway, the war's not over yet.

At least the Warsaw Imax volume level is bearable again.

As trailers go, young Han Solo looks totally unlike Harrison Ford. "Ant-Man and the Wasp" is promising. May be some fun finally.

WHY WE'RE KILLING GUNTHER

Watchable. Mockumentaries rarely work. This one's no exception. It follows in the footsteps of "What We Do In The Shadows" which ridiculed vampire movies and youth culture. Here the butt of the joke is hitmen films. Just like the vampire one, it fails to amuse. In fact it's just a 67-minute wait for Arnold Scharzenegger. Comedy's not his best genre, yet his appearance is refreshing. I loved the tongue-in-cheek ending where he's in Austria and I could hear him say a few words in German for the first time in my life. There's a sequence of mid-credit scenes, also with a pinch of salt. Later Arnie's singing Gunther's song which finally put a smile on my face.

Wednesday 25 April 2018

AFRYKAMERA 2018

SHORT FILM COMPETITION

ANOTHER SUNNY DAY

Watchable. About an albino who lives kind of like a vampire - having to stay in most of the day. He slops on sun protection to go out, obviously. Nothing you wouldn't expect. 24 hours in Namibia are shown beautifully.

LODGERS

Recommended. A smart comedy, with outstanding British and Nigerian actors, about being an immigrant to the UK. It picks on: entry formalities, initially incomprehensible English accent, language differences, mispronounced names, educational and professional background assessment, getting the national insurance number, British politeness and consequential cultural misunderstandings, indirect discrimination - all in a comic manner, e.g. when United Kingdom is mentioned, the Nigerian responds: "We are very united where I come from. But I don't know about your kingdom."

DEAR MR SHAKESPEARE

Watchable. Very well, in a modern way, delivered Shakespeare quotes. Was supposed to treat about racism but I don't remember what it was about so I guess the contents didn't stand out. 

ONCE AN OLD LADY SAT ON MY CHEST

Recommended. About the dilemma of staying true to your roots versus changing your name in order to land a job in Britain. The old lady is the girl's late mother from Africa. Thought-provoking.

BECAUSE I AM

Watchable. Just unbelievable what people do to lesbians in Zimbabwe. They get gang raped, accused of magic, oppressed by the Church. It's an animation which lessens the impact.

آية (AYA)

Watchable. About a Tunisian girl torn between two worlds: traditional and western. It explains she's covering up because she's dreaming of meeting God. Her parents and social circles are ambivalent too. You just don't know which way to live in such a society. Insightful but the conundrum remains insoluble.

SUKUT 

Watchable. I can't remember what it was about but I didn't feel like walking out.

IMFURA

Watchable. Slow and with no clear message. The cultural side, i.e. the speaking manner or the village court is a bit interesting.

WÙLU

Recommended. Glamourous drug dealing like in "Blow". Excellent cinematography. Very good technically, which isn't the norm in Africa and it's a Mali-Senegalese-French co-production. Riveting plot.

LIYANA

Watchable. Tear-jerking. In Swaziland, inhabited by 1.2 m people, 200 thousand are infected with HIV which results in numerous orphans. The orphaned children in the film are incredibly strong and are amazingly talented actors. The animation inserts picture the story they invent. It's clearly based on their own experiences. The whole thing is too slow.

FIVE FINGERS FOR MARSEILLES

Walked out. Predictable. Quite a standard western. Or "southern" since it's South African. Terribly protracted.

Air-con - insufficient or blowing air on one row while leaving other overheated - was the main problem in this year's festival venue - Kinoteka in Warsaw. At the same time the movie selection was significantly better than last year. Meetings with film makers were time-restricted but the organizers insisted on everything translated from/to English even if the audience knew the language. The interpreter was an amateur but humbly accepted occasional corrections from the audience. I found bits of incorrect Polish in film subtitles. The very head of the festival, Przemyslaw Stepien, did said translations. The staff were generally very friendly. Sadly it overlapped the Film Spring Festival.

Tuesday 24 April 2018

AFRYKAMERA 2018

SOMEBODY CLAP FOR ME

Watchable. Idi Amin, "the last king of Scotland", built roads but inflicted torture. Current Ugandan president Museveni wants to silence the dissatisfied: "The problem is people who don't even have enough to eat are very talkative". The true issue is politicians are more than 60-70 years old so "only want to exhaust the system" while 76% citizens are young. Traditionally young ones won't speak before the elders. In poetry they will. Arrests, interrogations, beatings are not mentioned directly but the youngsters speak out against the regime. An interesting viewpoint is that white volunteers are brought in instead of creating jobs for the locals. Women are awakening from the rape culture too. And they are subjected to more violence than we are in Europe. One more issue is ethnic identity - a female who's "not white enough to be British, not Indian enough to be Indian, not black enough to be black" is such an exmple. War music of the tribe Museveni hails from is used in the animated sequence. Wonderful music features in the whole film. Kampala appears to be the centre of quality poetry maintained in the African oral literature tradition. It's recited in open-air clubs with kiosks. However, lacking commentary, you have to pick out the important bits. The movie maker explained a lot herself... after the screening, not in the film itself.


THE MERCY

Watchable. Confounding and depressing. Typically real life adventure stories are about victories or at least glorious failures. This one's about a total failure. A homebody set out on the open sea and miserably failed, not only incapable of handling the ocean but also cracking under the pressure of media hype. A true story which is a plus. However it left me dejected for a bigger part of the day.



AFRYKAMERA 2018

FELICITE

Watchable. Very African: the creaky recording ruins the music from minute one and the night is truly so dark you can only see people's silhouettes. In the first hour Félicité's determination to get money for her son's operation is just a pretext to exhibit today's Congo: dirt, stench, littered dirt roads even in a city, paint flaking off walls, greed, corruption, misogyny, violence against women, impunity and cruelty of the rich. The second hour comprises of dreams, drunken debauchery and a sad love affair. The first hour would have been enough.



PANDAS AT IMAX 3D

Recommended. It's all cuteness. From newborns to adults. And black bears too. You just want to reach out and pet them all. The closest you can get to pandas without travelling to China. Or maybe at all.

BENT

Watchable. A pretty standard thriller about a murder case leading to unravelling international espionage but decently made and well-paced. What's peculiar is it's made according to the 80s rules: a tough guy, a few naked women, dealing with the jet set. The ex-con investigating Jennifer's death is both in disgrace and favoured by everyone, excluding the police, at the same time. The whole thing looks good in the southern sun. 

THE DEATH OF STALIN

Watchable. Filmed in London, Kiev and Moscow. Based on historic events but showing the absurdity of the dictatorship. And any dictatorial system for that matter. On a more serious level it explains a crucial period in Russian and Soviet history. Now I understand that the assassination of Beria prevented an even harsher regime. Sharp satire but so true I wasn't able to laugh. Includes Beria's pedophilia and details like parents collecting their daughter from his residence afterwards. Brezhnev's character shows up in the final scene. I'd love a sequel. With a plethora of great British actors, including Michael Palin as... Molotov but my favourite was Jason Isaacs as Zhukov. The soundtrack consists of Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Chopin. 

PAUL, APOSTLE OF CHRIST

Walked out. Dubbing like in a children's movie. Theatrical acting. Brown hues like in virtually all religious films.

NIE WRACAJ DO MNIE W SNACH (DON'T HAUNT MY DREAMS)

Walked out. Amateurish, especially the cheap "period" costumes.Theatrically delivered lines. Nonsense ones. All in all a cheap grotesque.

Sunday 22 April 2018

WESTWORLD - SEASON 2 EPISODE 1

Recommended. The first episode of series 1 was intriguing. The first episode of series 2 is striking, not least for the seascape of dead bodies. The initial season commenced with reveries which manifested themselves, among others, through subtle trembling of a hand. In the beginning of season 2 Bernard's hand trembles noticeably on a number of occasions as if mirroring those reveries. On a more tangible level the drama reflects what happened in Hollywood over the last year. In real life several women notified about sex abuse committed by movie producer Weinstein. In Westworld female hosts were violated on a regular basis in each role they played. Now the revolution's female-led. A far cry from the beginning of series 1 which shocked me with the amount of nudity and violence. Here they take revenge. Notorious aggressor William is still on the hunt. 
Shogunworld is going to be opened later in the season. In this episode Asians only appear briefly. "Westworld" is getting a makeover. A fascinating one. With a puzzling ending of the episode. I'm dying to know how it develops.


A QUIET PLACE

Watchable. What a load of rubbish! It got blood rushing in my veins so the adrenaline rush kept me watching. The music's interesting, e.g. a foetus's heartbeat sounding like techno or the "Inception" motif. But the premise of a place where you have to keep quiet so that a monster can't hear you is nothing new. Here it just gets expanded to the whole world being under a siege of blood-thirsty, blind, Alien-looking creatures. It makes no sense to give birth under such circumstances. After all babies always cry and scream which would put theirs and the family's life in danger. At least this part of the plot can be explained by the woman's previous loss of a son. The same with the old man cracking under pressure and screaming in order to end his suffering - the character appears out of the blue and only serves as an example of a different psychologic reaction. Monsters soon start showing up, even in water when the house, inexplicably, gets flooded. And the movie's about one family's survival, just like so many other horrors before.

Wednesday 18 April 2018

AFRYKAMERA 2018

طلق صناعي (INDUCED LABOR)


Recommended. A pleasant tragicomedy turns into a political hostage thriller when a desperate man and hostages get caught up in international relations. Gripping throughout. Shows cultural differences between Egyptian and American ways of conflict resolution. Great lead actor - ماجد الكدواني (Maged El Kedwany).


ALI MIZAH WA IBRAHIM (ALI, THE GOAT & IBRAHIM)


Watchable. A weird but warm tale full of love of animals - in its own bizarre way but still. About luck and providence as well. The little white goat is cute. It's also poor Egypt, with alcohol, prostitution, police aggression and thugs attacking people in full impunity. The sound in the technician's head which features in the movie is truly annoying. I had to cover my ears.

UMA MEMORIA EM TRES ATOS (A MEMORY IN THREE ACTS)

Watchable. The fascinating topic of Portuguese colonialism, the occupation of Mozambique and torture under the rule gets ruined by an annoying soundtrack and the documentary being comprised of talking heads. Talking all in the same melodious but monotonous intonation. The picture that emerges from their testimonies, when you force yourself to pay attention, is one of Portuguese occupants treating their African subjects almost like slaves - paying them for work on landlords' estates but making the work obligatory. It was also a dictatorship with special agents spying on citizens, holding and torturing political prisoners. Yet the interviewees only vaguely mention the oppression and their ordeals. You never hear what happened in the designated torture part of the building. They mention the use of a palmatoria but fail to explain why it was dreaded so much.

SHORT FILMS SECTION: SECRETS OF LUSOPHONIA

BIOJOIAS - BIZUTERIA Z RYBICH LUSEK Z WYSP ZIELONEGO PRZYLADKA

Watchable. The fish scale jewellery is surprisingly beautiful, flower-like. The 3-minute film's too short.

NYO VWETA NAFTA

Watchable. About young lads' dreams. They're naive, lacking education and life experience so the film's simple but with some charm.

MINA KIA (LITTLE MAID)

Recommended. A significant fictitious film about a teenage girl made a slave and even sexually abused in her uncle's house where she was sent because of school - a common problem in Africa. Colourful, presenting the daughter versus niece clashes realistically. With a happy ending.

PA NHA TERA (FOR MY LAND)

Watchable. I learnt about two fishing net types: the less durable ones disintegrate in water, therefore are safe for fish. The rest is just grumbling about junk on the shore.

HORA DI BAI (TIME TO GO)

Watchable. About local funeral traditions in Cabo Verde and attitudes to death: one's own and that of a family member. Informative but some bits are too religious.

PERCUSOS (TRACKS)

Watchable. About an emigrant fisherman's career so hardly interesting. But it ends in the best music of the seven shorts. The fisherman's voice also has a pleasant timbre and accent.

VESTINDO A RELIGIAO (YOUR RELIGION)

Watchable. More spiritual than I expected. The "radical" islam here is of a peaceful kind. The film's rather about prejudice towards covered women and her belief Islam should rule the world as she perceives man and women segregation and modest clothing as a superior way of living.


MAPUTO - ETNOGRAFIA DE UMA CIDADE DIVIDIDA (MAPUTO - AN ETNOGRAPHY OF A DIVIDED CITY)

Watchable. Will educated children living on a stinking rubbish heap build a better future or perpetuate what they identify as normal: the stench? What's the entry income level to live in a city? These questions are raised in this protracted documentary. I liked the varied footage: interviews, presenting the inhabitants' surroundings and living conditions, accelerated traffic and market vending sequences. It does show a few levels of living standards but also throws in a boxing girl and a priest - protagonists whose degree of material comfort remains unknown so they are kind of on the side track of the subject matter. Prolonged sequences of people's daily grind take too much time too. The music's good though.

Tuesday 17 April 2018

AFRYKAMERA 2018

TICKLING GIANTS

Recommended. I wasn't interested in the Arab Spring till Polish authorities started abusing their power two years ago. Now demonstrations and sacking journalists are commonplace here which brings political upheavals home. The film charts Bassem Youssef's comedy career intertwining show excerpts with news on the internal affairs at the time of each episode. "We need a dictator who'll understand democracy" and "Only a fair dictator will be a true democrat" come from actual news programs. His show has got Egyptians talking about politics and himself exiled. The documentary helped me understand recent Egyptian history and the present. An entertaining way to extend your knowledge of the world.
READY PLAYER ONE 3D

Watchable. Starts with 80s music but tells about VR games and applies computer game aesthetic. References to 80s pop culture abound but in smartly twisted ways: key elements of "Shining" get incorporated in a game, knowledge of pop culture of the period proves you as a fan and not a commercial exploiter, the main protagonist is a teenager driving a DeLorean, who once gets dubbed "McFly" by a newly met girl, the set revokes "Tron" as well. Recent worldwide audience favourites appear too: Transformers-like giant humanoid machines and zombies. The plot, however, is predictable. And Simon Pegg isn't funny - how comes he gets so many roles beneath his talent?! Top-notch 3D makes it all entertaining. I saw it on a regular size screen and I had an impression that Imax would be overwhelming. An ordinary screen should do just fine.


The trailer of upcoming "Taxi 5" looks like the French have taken after American dumbest comedies where you laugh at people because they are ugly or a midget.


LUIS AND THE ALIENS 3D 

Watchable. The 3D makes a minor difference. Very light entertainment. Pleasantly animated, a simple story perfect for children, very derivative for adults: the aliens taking on human forms, a father crazed with a space invasion forgetting his son's birthday, evil social care officers attempting to deprive him of parental rights, alien police, the look of aliens, school bullies. I liked a well-off father reading "The Snooty Economist". An early mid-credit shows the aliens on the petting mat they bought earlier on.

THE HURRICANE HEIST

Walked out. Shouldn't the pre-storm sky have more saturated colours? Everything in the movie is grey: the sky, the vehicles, clothes, interior design, even faces. Apart from a computer hacker in an evening dress. Wooden dialogues. Even the heist plot is ramshackle.

SLIMAKI (SNAILS)


Watchable. A short documentary which could serve as an instruction video for people planning to breed snails. The protagonists are treated warmly and the business with a pinch of salt, especially as the main job turns out to be ensuring the would-be snacks don't run. Not earth-shattering but fun.

NAJBRZYDSZY SAMOCHOD SWIATA (THE UGLIEST CAR)


Watchable. Another short documentary treating the protagonists with lots of warmth. An aged son and mother, both uneducated, very poor and ill protect each other going through life together. He's a smoker and looks older than his mother. Charming but sad as it's about the deprived ones.

MARY MAGDALENE


Watchable. 
She's the one who set up Christianity following Jezus' death but has been wrongly considered a converted prostitute for centuries so I went to the movie dying to know how they would present her. Like all religious movies it's terribly dignified. All apostles are obedient and reverent. Shot in Matera and near Naples, with inspiring underwater images. Unfortunately downright ugly Joaquin Phoenix, looking like a hobo, is Jezus. The final written note on the screen gives Mary Magdalene justice. It states Pope Gregory in 591 wrongly called her a prostitute. In 2016 Vatican recognised her as the Apostle of Apostles.


AFRYKAMERA 2018


SUPA MODO


Watchable. What appears to be a story of a terminally ill, probably with cancer, Kenyan girl, turns into a comedy about amateurs shooting a superhero movie and that's the best part of the film, e.g. with a guy bringing a mat because the director needed "a carpet" - well, he meant a red carpet. Like in all decent superhero films there's a post-credit.


MEERKAT MAANTUIG (MEERKAT MOONSHIP)


Watchable. Another film about an ill child. But this one is from the perspective of a lovely healthy girl. It's set in an Afrikaans family, shot in lush wooded area of the Limpopo River, and tells partly about dealing with grief and mostly about facing one's fears: "Everyone has a hairy monster stopping them from doing things which are exciting or new." It has an atmosphere of a secret, is slow-paced and told gently. On the other hand it's quite stereotypical and sad. But teaches you to fear nothing and just do what you love.

HIGH FANTASY


Watchable. Black South Africa this time. Arid land of Northern Cape Province. One teenage boy and three girls swap their bodies. He gets "genuinely scared that what he was doing to girls was going to start happening to him now." All of them get crazy about the black issue. Scary how everyone, black or white, hates whites, seeing them as big land proprietors. The "found footage" technique doesn't impair the movie as it's very well shot, acted and with good music and imaginative, colourful typography in the final credits. 

ELLEN


Recommended. A harrowing, based on facts, story of a mother driven to killing her own son. Masterfully presents the whole process of her good boy changing into a monster. Produced by a recovered drug addict. Ellen's life is like a history of violence against women in South Africa. Jill Levenberg plausibly renders the main character. Shot in Ellen's real house.

ZULU WEDDING

Watchable.Terribly American: the male lead has a side-kick, there's a fat black woman working in law enforcement, both fiances are amazingly rich. Colourful but cheesy.

ADAMA

Watchable. Delightful animation, mostly watercolours-like, with hues changing along with the geographical regions the boy passes. The story's clear-cut, very linear but lacks the depth it implies to hide. Just another rendition of the Eldorado myth.

Tuesday 10 April 2018

GAME NIGHT

Watchable. Predictable in large part but with fantastic electronic music. Not really funny but when a wounded husband dubbed his wife Calamity Jane it did broaden my smile. There's a post-credit much in line with the movie.

KOBIETA SUKCESU

Watchable. A very pleasant, even if completely not amusing, romantic comedy. Clear-cut goodies and baddies, a dog, an involving corporate intrigue.

Monday 9 April 2018

VINTERBRODRE (WINTER BROTHERS)
Watchable. About lowlifes whose pastimes are pissing on the floor at work, fighting naked or making moonshine vodka from chemicals stolen from the workplace. Great music supports the story but it still remains a waste of time.

GARDE ALTERNEE
Watchable. I was curious who the unfaithful husband will end up with. But it's hardly funny. Only his mistaking directions when driving to his wife or to his lover was a bit amusing. 
There's a mid-credit early on.

Sunday 8 April 2018

ISLE OF DOGS

Recommended. About humans' attitude to animals. What would happen if dogs started to spread dog flu among humans? The answer is hard-hitting as it might well end up like in the movie. Its being puppet animation makes it easier to bear. It ended well - dogs got rescued and "political corruption returned to sustainable levels". Extraordinary music stays with you.
KOBIETY MAFII (WOMEN OF MAFIA)

Watchable. Prolonged, lyrical love sequences in the first hour are tedious and unlike Vega but the elaborate shenanigans in the second part are in his style of the "Pitbull" movies - faster-paced, raw and brutal. Good club music at times. The whole thing presents the backstage of the gang scene: a drug lord losing his teenage daughter to a drug addiction, a gangster's wife falling into alcoholism, cold-blooded murders, sex violence as a means of control used by criminals and law enforcement alike. Quite grim. Apparently based on facts.


BLACKMAIL


Watchable. Bollywood guarantees decent music. It's a comedy which turns darker and darker. One of the first gags is when the protagonist rings a call centre. First he's something like 43rd in the queue, then you see the distance he covers by car while being put on hold. When he gets home and his call gets answered... the line breaks up. Towards the finale a killer can't get blood off his hands due to a break in water supply which is too grisly to evoke laughter. The lead's murder 
fantasies are not funny either. Poor acting further fails to deliver the humour in the otherwise smart and engaging script.

PETER RABBIT

Recommended again. It hasn't been officially released as yet (in Poland anyway) but I've seen it twice already. The CGIs are amazing: rabbits make different faces and have meticulously created furs. I'm impressed. The rabbits are so cute you just want to reach out, grab them from the screen and cuddle. Alternatively cuddle the hottie Domhnall Gleeson. Great attention has been paid to details, e.g. a paintbrush in the artist's hair. Hilarious exchanges, e.g. "So, do you work here?" "Can't you see I'm thinking?!" The rabbits have funny faces when they watch Bea and Thomas together. And even minor parts, like those of the house buyers, are acted masterfully.

Saturday 7 April 2018

24. WIOSNA FILMOW (24TH FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)

The festival is starting shortly and I've had a chance to preview:


AU REVOIR LA-HAUT (SEE YOU UP THERE)


Watchable. Based on a similar concept as "Frantz": taking up a deceased soldier's identity so it feels like a repetition, especially that it's shown in predominantly brown hues. Additionally one of the main protagonists is an artist which makes things weird or partly colourised interchangeably. The intrigue-focused plot rewards you storywise.


CINEMA ITALIA OGGI 2018

The Italian cinema screening started two nights ago.

MADE IN ITALY

Watchable. Made by Luciano Ligabue so features plenty of his songs which provide a great soundtrack. The ear-catching music and beautiful cityskapes are contrasted with a constant crisis both in the protagonists' relationship and an economic one: unemployment, demonstrations, an 8 months' wait for a scan on national healthcare. Tiring to watch. 

The female lead, Kasia Smutniak, asked about her Italian and living in Italy, said she was "like cockroaches" since "nothing will kill her, she'll adjust to anything."


9. PRZEGLAD NOWEGO KINA FRANCUSKIEGO (THE 9TH NEW FRENCH CINEMA SCREENING)

Going to start this month too.

BARBARA

Walked out. Old-fashioned and on the philosophical side. About day-to-day work of some former local French singer/actress. Presented French-way: meaningless, accidental excerpts from her life, just the daily grind. Felt like watching paint dry.


PITBULL. OSTATNI PIES (PITBULL. THE LAST DOG)

Recommended this time. You have to watch carefully to get the whole plot. But what a heist it is! And the other intrigues! Very Vega-like, hard to recognise Pasikowski's direction. You don't know who-done-it till the very end of each subplot. Distinctive characters, extremely well acted, especially by Doda, Marcin Dorocinski, Cezary Pazura and the cameo of Zbigniew Zamachowski as homeless Gawelek. With strong and spot-on one-liners.

Thursday 5 April 2018

NORMANDIE NUE

Watchable. Relatively little actual nudity. Instead it's naked Normandy. The planned nude photo shoot takes off a layer after layer of the lovely village revealing old feuds, psychological issues, passions, forgotten talents as well as unlikely friendships. It's a charming tale about village life, told with a pinch of salt, e.g. the town mayor is so preoccupied with canvassing at a wedding that after his speech he invites guests to raise a toast forgetting to... join them in marriage. The film tempers the otherwise unsettling issues treating the inhabitants with warmth and leniency.

BASIA

Watchable. Psychologically true and adequate. Perfectly appropriate for the children from the age of 4 it's been made for. This is really how nursery age kids think and behave when they're getting to know the world. The parents and grandparents are true to life too, e.g. dad telling his children to get up at 6 a.m. and oversleeping himself. As for me, I'd rather it were funnier. Little children and their parents may like it more.

PACIFIC RIM UPRISING 3D

Watchable. Fun. Doesn't require thinking but doesn't insult your intelligence either. Decent 3D but not a must. Very good sound effects and music. A lot of Chinese spoken probably for the mass Chinese audience potential. I'm not a fan of Transformers-like machines but here, with the monsters emerging from the ocean and the said sound the action was surprisingly enjoyable. In the next part they are "going to them" so that's quite promising.

Tuesday 3 April 2018

SHERLOCK GNOMES

Watchable. Targeted at children from the age of 6 but: with lines like the derogatory sounding "you're acting like a 3-year-old", with lots of extra scenes inserted in the main plot and with weird animation. It also introduces children to London and Sherlock Holmes at an early age. The city looks delighful - like the real one enhanced with vivid colours. The characters look like china dolls but in the inserted scenes some are rag toys and Sherlock Gnomes' thoughts are geometric and black and white. Most dialogues sound forced with an odd witty line, e.g. "The police said they knew nothing about missing gnomes, asked not to call again and changed their phone number" and an occasional clever one, e.g. "A guy won't make you stronger." "A supportive one will." There's 80s music aplenty, with nearly all songs co-written by Elton John who... has produced the cartoon feature. There's a post credit but it's stupid and not worth waiting for. In Poland lousy translation of the dialogues and the title, together with dubbing - in the original by famous actors sounding like they should in a children's tale, in Polish by nobodies with wrong voices and chavish intonation - ruin the movie.
TOMB RAIDER

Watchable. Gosh, is Alicia Vikander muscled! The 2001 and 2003 "Lara Croft: Tomb Raider" movies were hogwash full of improbabilities. Technology has since moved on. But the movie's just like the previous. OK, the bits with her dad are touching and all the good characters are likeable but the plot is nonsense, e.g. in spite of training MMA she's unable to defend herself against a knife. All the goodies and baddies are acted well. But the CGIs look like 20 years ago. I saw it in 2D and the little action that there was implies 3D wouldn't make much difference. The plot's so run-of-the-mill I was looking forward to the finale. The ending is neat. The title typography with an arrow in it and the music over the credits are really good. No mid- or post-credits.

I have since checked out the 3D on this movie and just like I expected it makes just a minor difference.