Movie reviews

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.