THE 16TH MILLENIUM DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY AWARDS CEREMONY
I haven't seen any of the films awarded at the ceremony. The atmosphere was pleasant, in spite of both presenters making mistakes in Polish, English and French. Electro music enjoyed state-of-the-art sound quality. I also learnt that the team of Against Gravity select films all year round.
Friday 31 May 2019
Thursday 30 May 2019
16TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL
CAMINO, A FEATURE-LENGTH SELFIE
Watchable. I'm happy to have seen it. Now I know I'm not going to undertake such a journey. Not without alarming French and Spanish health authorities beforehand anyway. Apparently, all hostels along the route are bedbug-ridden. The trail may be picturesque but I've seen similar sights in the countryside before, even here in Poland. Such a long walk strengthens your leg muscles, including those around your knees but people don't do it for health as their drinking evenings show. I expected an internal journey of the protagonist. Instead, he decided to inform the audience of his defecating. Well, a shallow person will stay shallow no matter what they experience. The mobile phone footage does not provide the quality of a film camera but is just enough to give you a complete picture of what it's like to go on the pilgrimage.
#FEMALE PLEASURE
Recommended. I couldn't even cry. 5 cultures, including the world's largest religions, all designed by men, most likely in order to oppress. Not only to subjugate society and create subservient roles for women. More wars have been instigated by religion than by any other cause. 5 women who've spoken up. Hard-hitting and informative even when you know a lot about the topics. Most importantly, men want their women to feel sexual pleasure too so there's hope for female genital mutilation to be eradicated. And as Leyla Hussein says: "it's not female circumcision - it's child sex abuse, there's no child marriage - it's legalised paedophilia." The film later received the viewers' choice award.
And here are some facts I learnt in the meetings with the director and the protagonist: Pope Francis is aware that 30% of nuns get raped by priests. Doris Wagner, the nun in the picture, studied theology and got Ph. D. in philosophy. The director will probably shoot a documentary about male sexuality, their fears and anxieties next. Her parents had the '68 attitude so she grew up in a liberal family. She used to be a lawyer. She says that female directors have 40% lower earnings than male. Orgasm through clitoris doesn't exist in mainstream porn. There's also a lot of violence there. Among Christian countries, No. 1 in pornography consumption is the Philippines and No. 2 is Poland. Three days later Doris Wagner herself arrived at the festival. In canon law, rape on a female is not a crime, it's just breaching celibacy. In the 1990s 40% of nuns were harassed sexually in the US. Some were forced to abort and some died. The Pope knew about that. Nuns have no monies so no way to leave the convent. She got a scholarship so that was her way out. After the rape, she talked to a priest from her convent - today he's her husband. Nuns sometimes don't even get medical treatment. Priests have their own bank accounts. She's seen Sekielski's documentary "Don't Tell Anyone".
Afterwards, I went to the debate on polyamory. While it was conducted with respect to all the speakers: on stage and in the audience, the only new thing I heard was from a psychotherapist working with men. It clarified why women got involved in hopeless relationships like polyamorous ones or other. It's the saviour role - the role fulfils the need of importance but the person always loses.
THE RAFT
Watchable. Advertised as an aggression experiment and a "raft of love", it disappoints, The scientist assembled men and women of various ethnicities, religions and backgrounds, but only attractive ones, and put women in charge. Small space and forced isolation for 101 days were to create friction. Instead, the only sign of aggression, with a coup attempt, was on his part. All others grew closer and more tolerant. While it restores your faith in humanity and feminity - menstrual cycles didn't affect aggression levels, it's about as interesting as reading a scientific paper with no possibility to scan it faster. There's a mid-credit.
CAMINO, A FEATURE-LENGTH SELFIE
Watchable. I'm happy to have seen it. Now I know I'm not going to undertake such a journey. Not without alarming French and Spanish health authorities beforehand anyway. Apparently, all hostels along the route are bedbug-ridden. The trail may be picturesque but I've seen similar sights in the countryside before, even here in Poland. Such a long walk strengthens your leg muscles, including those around your knees but people don't do it for health as their drinking evenings show. I expected an internal journey of the protagonist. Instead, he decided to inform the audience of his defecating. Well, a shallow person will stay shallow no matter what they experience. The mobile phone footage does not provide the quality of a film camera but is just enough to give you a complete picture of what it's like to go on the pilgrimage.
#FEMALE PLEASURE
Recommended. I couldn't even cry. 5 cultures, including the world's largest religions, all designed by men, most likely in order to oppress. Not only to subjugate society and create subservient roles for women. More wars have been instigated by religion than by any other cause. 5 women who've spoken up. Hard-hitting and informative even when you know a lot about the topics. Most importantly, men want their women to feel sexual pleasure too so there's hope for female genital mutilation to be eradicated. And as Leyla Hussein says: "it's not female circumcision - it's child sex abuse, there's no child marriage - it's legalised paedophilia." The film later received the viewers' choice award.
And here are some facts I learnt in the meetings with the director and the protagonist: Pope Francis is aware that 30% of nuns get raped by priests. Doris Wagner, the nun in the picture, studied theology and got Ph. D. in philosophy. The director will probably shoot a documentary about male sexuality, their fears and anxieties next. Her parents had the '68 attitude so she grew up in a liberal family. She used to be a lawyer. She says that female directors have 40% lower earnings than male. Orgasm through clitoris doesn't exist in mainstream porn. There's also a lot of violence there. Among Christian countries, No. 1 in pornography consumption is the Philippines and No. 2 is Poland. Three days later Doris Wagner herself arrived at the festival. In canon law, rape on a female is not a crime, it's just breaching celibacy. In the 1990s 40% of nuns were harassed sexually in the US. Some were forced to abort and some died. The Pope knew about that. Nuns have no monies so no way to leave the convent. She got a scholarship so that was her way out. After the rape, she talked to a priest from her convent - today he's her husband. Nuns sometimes don't even get medical treatment. Priests have their own bank accounts. She's seen Sekielski's documentary "Don't Tell Anyone".
Afterwards, I went to the debate on polyamory. While it was conducted with respect to all the speakers: on stage and in the audience, the only new thing I heard was from a psychotherapist working with men. It clarified why women got involved in hopeless relationships like polyamorous ones or other. It's the saviour role - the role fulfils the need of importance but the person always loses.
THE RAFT
Watchable. Advertised as an aggression experiment and a "raft of love", it disappoints, The scientist assembled men and women of various ethnicities, religions and backgrounds, but only attractive ones, and put women in charge. Small space and forced isolation for 101 days were to create friction. Instead, the only sign of aggression, with a coup attempt, was on his part. All others grew closer and more tolerant. While it restores your faith in humanity and feminity - menstrual cycles didn't affect aggression levels, it's about as interesting as reading a scientific paper with no possibility to scan it faster. There's a mid-credit.
Monday 27 May 2019
THE HUSTLE
Watchable. Alex Sharp positively stands out in the otherwise perfectly satisfactory cast. The Mallorcan locations add the glitz. It's clear-cut and eventful. But the only amusing gag was with regaining eyesight: "Can you read this?" "No, that's in French." The rest is lower-end vulgar humour. Songs include Meghan Trainor. A good translation by Elżbieta Gałązka-Salamon. A lesson to remember is: "why are women better cons? Because men never believe they can be as smart as them." I enjoyed the comedy but wished it weren't so moronic, including the dorky post-credit.
16TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL
SAKAWA
Watchable. It's an instruction of scam avoidance. Don't post your pictures on Facebook or Ghanaians "in the fraud business" may use them as bait. Never discard your hard drives. And don't tolerate spelling mistakes. Even voice-changing phones are used by male cons to sound female. On the other hand, just like white men in their 50s believe in love and horny damsels in distress, the con artists in Ghana are taken for a ride by voodoo priests. Eye-opening but not earth-shattering.
The meeting with Sergei Loznitsa after "The Trial" focused on the film and was surprisingly dull. I found out that only "Maidan" and "Donbass" were banned in Russia. "The Trial" is seen as part of their history. Also, in the 1920s and now medicines are used to affect people's will. Apparently also a hypnotiser worked on the subjects. But the police left no traces of any coercion.
Watchable. Alex Sharp positively stands out in the otherwise perfectly satisfactory cast. The Mallorcan locations add the glitz. It's clear-cut and eventful. But the only amusing gag was with regaining eyesight: "Can you read this?" "No, that's in French." The rest is lower-end vulgar humour. Songs include Meghan Trainor. A good translation by Elżbieta Gałązka-Salamon. A lesson to remember is: "why are women better cons? Because men never believe they can be as smart as them." I enjoyed the comedy but wished it weren't so moronic, including the dorky post-credit.
16TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL
SAKAWA
Watchable. It's an instruction of scam avoidance. Don't post your pictures on Facebook or Ghanaians "in the fraud business" may use them as bait. Never discard your hard drives. And don't tolerate spelling mistakes. Even voice-changing phones are used by male cons to sound female. On the other hand, just like white men in their 50s believe in love and horny damsels in distress, the con artists in Ghana are taken for a ride by voodoo priests. Eye-opening but not earth-shattering.
The meeting with Sergei Loznitsa after "The Trial" focused on the film and was surprisingly dull. I found out that only "Maidan" and "Donbass" were banned in Russia. "The Trial" is seen as part of their history. Also, in the 1920s and now medicines are used to affect people's will. Apparently also a hypnotiser worked on the subjects. But the police left no traces of any coercion.
16TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL
The director of "Anthropocene: The Human Epoch" talked about shooting a documentary. She doesn't believe in preaching or in writing a script. Basically, when the material's ready, she goes in for 1 year and thinks what to do with it. The schedule is: 1-year research, 1 year to get to the places, 2-year shooting and 1-year editing. She often shows a beautiful detail, then the camera moves back slowly in order to attract the viewers. The beauty of the pictures instead of preaching. The film is going to have a worldwide release with UN assistance. As for China, the next day her previous film premiered it was pirated so everyone watched it. She was asked about what source of energy she believed in most since renewable ones are insufficient for the current level of consumption. Hydrogen is highly combustible - work has started on using it as a new energy source. And what can we do? A Buddha monk asked how to save the planet, answered: "go to sleep".
Letizia Battaglia's much-younger partner looks her age. She smokes. She'd want marijuana legalised but not hard-drugs because of the mafia. Where there's no money, there's no mafia. Taking photos she was looking for people dying alone, in silence. Her 3 daughters and even her nephews were interviewed for "Shooting the Mafia" but did not appear in the film eventually. The mafia is no longer brutal, girls can come home at night alone. Now the mafiosi deal in drugs, politics, police, business, public corruption. They're simple minds no more.
The judge in Radko Mladic's trial, who featured in "The Trial of Radko Mladic", talked about the war criminal's behaviour in court. Mladic sounds like a psychopath to me: no remorse, outbursts in court.
The director of "Anthropocene: The Human Epoch" talked about shooting a documentary. She doesn't believe in preaching or in writing a script. Basically, when the material's ready, she goes in for 1 year and thinks what to do with it. The schedule is: 1-year research, 1 year to get to the places, 2-year shooting and 1-year editing. She often shows a beautiful detail, then the camera moves back slowly in order to attract the viewers. The beauty of the pictures instead of preaching. The film is going to have a worldwide release with UN assistance. As for China, the next day her previous film premiered it was pirated so everyone watched it. She was asked about what source of energy she believed in most since renewable ones are insufficient for the current level of consumption. Hydrogen is highly combustible - work has started on using it as a new energy source. And what can we do? A Buddha monk asked how to save the planet, answered: "go to sleep".
Letizia Battaglia's much-younger partner looks her age. She smokes. She'd want marijuana legalised but not hard-drugs because of the mafia. Where there's no money, there's no mafia. Taking photos she was looking for people dying alone, in silence. Her 3 daughters and even her nephews were interviewed for "Shooting the Mafia" but did not appear in the film eventually. The mafia is no longer brutal, girls can come home at night alone. Now the mafiosi deal in drugs, politics, police, business, public corruption. They're simple minds no more.
The judge in Radko Mladic's trial, who featured in "The Trial of Radko Mladic", talked about the war criminal's behaviour in court. Mladic sounds like a psychopath to me: no remorse, outbursts in court.
Sunday 26 May 2019
LET'S DANCE
Watchable. Based on the "Streetdance 3D" script so it had quite a potential. But everything in this movie looks so amateurish it ruins the experience. Actors, dancers, pictures, choreographies, the script, music are all just sufficient. But a strictly dance movie should use at least a decent choreographer! It's just all barely there.
Watchable. Based on the "Streetdance 3D" script so it had quite a potential. But everything in this movie looks so amateurish it ruins the experience. Actors, dancers, pictures, choreographies, the script, music are all just sufficient. But a strictly dance movie should use at least a decent choreographer! It's just all barely there.
Saturday 25 May 2019
16TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL
WHAT SHE SAID: THE ART OF PAULINE KAEL
Watchable. What a wisecracker she was! I'd love to be able to emulate her style. I wonder what she'd say about this film. Plenty of movie excerpts with a voice over reading her brilliant, sharp reviews. I found it interesting that what directors found to be their signature, in her eyes was just boring repetition. The documentary tackles the morals of art criticism, talks about the difficulties of making a living off it but while it's insightful, it's shallow. The only part of it that still matters in nowadays' world is how to write entertainingly and memorably without trying to please or persuade anyone.
WHAT SHE SAID: THE ART OF PAULINE KAEL
Watchable. What a wisecracker she was! I'd love to be able to emulate her style. I wonder what she'd say about this film. Plenty of movie excerpts with a voice over reading her brilliant, sharp reviews. I found it interesting that what directors found to be their signature, in her eyes was just boring repetition. The documentary tackles the morals of art criticism, talks about the difficulties of making a living off it but while it's insightful, it's shallow. The only part of it that still matters in nowadays' world is how to write entertainingly and memorably without trying to please or persuade anyone.
Friday 24 May 2019
TOLKIEN
Recommended. An English village with rolling meadows like in "Hobbit", black warriors with spears in South Africa where J. R. R. Tolkien briefly lived in childhood, his mother's tall stories, the brotherhood he formed out of the high and the low, land burnt by war in reality and by a dragon in his imagination, "The Ring Cycle" by Wagner, a pal who later became Sam, the horrors of the First World War lieutenant Tolkien saw with his own eyes, "a war to end all wars", a quest he undertook as "a journey you take to prove yourself", "little in stature, not in spirits", "a mortal man who fell in love with an Elvish princess" - you can stalk facts from his life (the film presents fictionalised real events) and even quotes in search for tropes from his books. He came from an impecunious family, then lost friends in the war - I had tears in my eyes. But his sorrow led to the creation of the best-known fantasy realm ever. Led me also to ponder over war when a poet died - what a loss of talent it is when bright men partake in brutality contradicting their destiny. Remarkable cinematography. LOTRish music over the end credits.
Recommended. An English village with rolling meadows like in "Hobbit", black warriors with spears in South Africa where J. R. R. Tolkien briefly lived in childhood, his mother's tall stories, the brotherhood he formed out of the high and the low, land burnt by war in reality and by a dragon in his imagination, "The Ring Cycle" by Wagner, a pal who later became Sam, the horrors of the First World War lieutenant Tolkien saw with his own eyes, "a war to end all wars", a quest he undertook as "a journey you take to prove yourself", "little in stature, not in spirits", "a mortal man who fell in love with an Elvish princess" - you can stalk facts from his life (the film presents fictionalised real events) and even quotes in search for tropes from his books. He came from an impecunious family, then lost friends in the war - I had tears in my eyes. But his sorrow led to the creation of the best-known fantasy realm ever. Led me also to ponder over war when a poet died - what a loss of talent it is when bright men partake in brutality contradicting their destiny. Remarkable cinematography. LOTRish music over the end credits.
Thursday 23 May 2019
16TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL
The debate on women in the movie industry was eye-opening. There are few female composers, in the US less than 10%. More women work in documentaries and that's because of lower budgets - the higher the budget, the more a producer earns. In Poland, assistants are mostly female while directors etc. mostly male. Costumes, make-up, decor are all feminised. If you talk to men, you need numbers so a study was conducted to prove to men what women have known all along. In Poland between 2006 and 2017, feature-length movies were 14% female-directed, documentaries 30%, short films 27%, animation 30%. It's more than in Hollywood but if women reach the 30% threshold in any field, it starts to be called "miażdżąca przewaga kobiet" ("the overwhelming preponderance of women"). Women constitute 38% of producers and 47% production directors in co-operation with others and only 15% as sole producers. In feature productions, 4% of music composers are female, as are 5% cinematographers, 27% editors, 25% scriptwriters. But in total on the market, more editors are female than male. If a profession is feminised, the pay is lower and the rights and conditions of work are inferior. PISF (Polish Film Institute) has devoted 13% of the budget on movies directed by women but it's those productions that actually brought more awards. Most Polish productions are bankrolled by this institution. The experts now are 50/50 male/female. According to the Canadian director of "Anthropocene: The Human Epoch", Jennifer Baichwal: "most critics are white middle-aged men". Only strict laws, not soft rules can change the situation in the industry. Director of "Komunia" ("Communion") works with professionals so she ends up working with women. Men invite women to work with them because they need "a female eye", "female sensitivity". For "Anthropocene: The Human Epoch" all composers were female but were very hard to find. The director is respected by men more since she's very hands on with technicalities of the job. At the debate, most of the people in the audience were women, more than 100, and only 6 men. The much-awarded "Komunia" ("Communion") director gets no job offers from Poland but did from France, though she'd have no right to the final cut so she declined. Many women after their first great success, whether at festivals or commercial, don't get offers from Poland. But they do get from foreign producers. Polish producers fight for male movie-makers.
WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?
Watchable. A grim picture of democracy not just failing nowadays but having failed and having to fail because people are selfish and the rich control the middle layer of the society to keep the poor in check. If you ask for a right, a right you have already will be taken away from you. The smartest voices in the film are those of an ex-convict and of a black schoolgirl. Philosophers have their say too but the only thing both comprehensible and to the point you hear from them, although on the margin only, is that originally, in Athens, democracy comprised no elections but a lottery. I'd love it to come back! Now financial and trade institutions have their global representations while the global populace doesn't.
I attended a meeting with "The Reformist - a Female Imam" protagonist. She says that to create change, you don't ask for permission, you take it yourself. She also pointed out that prophet Mohammad had appointed female imams. It was only the second Caliph Omar who forbade it.
I also went to a meeting with the director of "Meeting Gorbachev". Apparently, the politician negotiated with Hollywood for 5 years and Leonardo di Caprio was to impersonate him. Gorbachev is nearly 90, with diabetes. He's a passionate environmentalist. A lot of Russians don't like him because he gave up on the Soviet empire and the economy crashed before his reforms worked. His family live in Berlin. He's very circumspect. He would ponder over questions before answering. To Andre Singer, the British director who has been working with Werner Herzog for several years, a documentary is objective truth, to Herzog, it's poetic truth.
The debate on women in the movie industry was eye-opening. There are few female composers, in the US less than 10%. More women work in documentaries and that's because of lower budgets - the higher the budget, the more a producer earns. In Poland, assistants are mostly female while directors etc. mostly male. Costumes, make-up, decor are all feminised. If you talk to men, you need numbers so a study was conducted to prove to men what women have known all along. In Poland between 2006 and 2017, feature-length movies were 14% female-directed, documentaries 30%, short films 27%, animation 30%. It's more than in Hollywood but if women reach the 30% threshold in any field, it starts to be called "miażdżąca przewaga kobiet" ("the overwhelming preponderance of women"). Women constitute 38% of producers and 47% production directors in co-operation with others and only 15% as sole producers. In feature productions, 4% of music composers are female, as are 5% cinematographers, 27% editors, 25% scriptwriters. But in total on the market, more editors are female than male. If a profession is feminised, the pay is lower and the rights and conditions of work are inferior. PISF (Polish Film Institute) has devoted 13% of the budget on movies directed by women but it's those productions that actually brought more awards. Most Polish productions are bankrolled by this institution. The experts now are 50/50 male/female. According to the Canadian director of "Anthropocene: The Human Epoch", Jennifer Baichwal: "most critics are white middle-aged men". Only strict laws, not soft rules can change the situation in the industry. Director of "Komunia" ("Communion") works with professionals so she ends up working with women. Men invite women to work with them because they need "a female eye", "female sensitivity". For "Anthropocene: The Human Epoch" all composers were female but were very hard to find. The director is respected by men more since she's very hands on with technicalities of the job. At the debate, most of the people in the audience were women, more than 100, and only 6 men. The much-awarded "Komunia" ("Communion") director gets no job offers from Poland but did from France, though she'd have no right to the final cut so she declined. Many women after their first great success, whether at festivals or commercial, don't get offers from Poland. But they do get from foreign producers. Polish producers fight for male movie-makers.
WHAT IS DEMOCRACY?
Watchable. A grim picture of democracy not just failing nowadays but having failed and having to fail because people are selfish and the rich control the middle layer of the society to keep the poor in check. If you ask for a right, a right you have already will be taken away from you. The smartest voices in the film are those of an ex-convict and of a black schoolgirl. Philosophers have their say too but the only thing both comprehensible and to the point you hear from them, although on the margin only, is that originally, in Athens, democracy comprised no elections but a lottery. I'd love it to come back! Now financial and trade institutions have their global representations while the global populace doesn't.
I attended a meeting with "The Reformist - a Female Imam" protagonist. She says that to create change, you don't ask for permission, you take it yourself. She also pointed out that prophet Mohammad had appointed female imams. It was only the second Caliph Omar who forbade it.
I also went to a meeting with the director of "Meeting Gorbachev". Apparently, the politician negotiated with Hollywood for 5 years and Leonardo di Caprio was to impersonate him. Gorbachev is nearly 90, with diabetes. He's a passionate environmentalist. A lot of Russians don't like him because he gave up on the Soviet empire and the economy crashed before his reforms worked. His family live in Berlin. He's very circumspect. He would ponder over questions before answering. To Andre Singer, the British director who has been working with Werner Herzog for several years, a documentary is objective truth, to Herzog, it's poetic truth.
Wednesday 22 May 2019
WONDER PARK AT HELIOS DREAM
Watchable. Not exactly engaging for me and too crazy a plot for the little girl next to me to sit still. She was clearly bored. The cartoon is both visually and action-wise quite mediocre. At least it's psychologically true in how a little girl reacts to her mum's going away to hospital. Matthew Broderick and Mila Kunis are in the original voice cast. The Polish dubbing is just fine.
Dream rooms let you cope with adult life anxieties at least. I'm a great fan of those seats.
16TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL
I didn't manage to see "Time Thieves" - neither on the first weekend nor on the last day of the festival. The screenings were sold out a day earlier. I only got the chance to take part in the time management workshop by a company called Future Simple. That, curiously, wasn't very time-efficient. It was overtalked but with one useful exercise. So not a total waste of time.
Watchable. Not exactly engaging for me and too crazy a plot for the little girl next to me to sit still. She was clearly bored. The cartoon is both visually and action-wise quite mediocre. At least it's psychologically true in how a little girl reacts to her mum's going away to hospital. Matthew Broderick and Mila Kunis are in the original voice cast. The Polish dubbing is just fine.
Dream rooms let you cope with adult life anxieties at least. I'm a great fan of those seats.
16TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL
I didn't manage to see "Time Thieves" - neither on the first weekend nor on the last day of the festival. The screenings were sold out a day earlier. I only got the chance to take part in the time management workshop by a company called Future Simple. That, curiously, wasn't very time-efficient. It was overtalked but with one useful exercise. So not a total waste of time.
Tuesday 21 May 2019
US
Recommended again. I tried to catch more meanings and work out if Jason was switched too. In vain. Here are the very few details that caught my attention at the second viewing. Spider-Woman is mentioned and 2 spiders appear which can lead to a multitude of interpretations depending on which Spider-Woman you analyze. The star frisbee turns up on the beach and the two white twins do stars too. The Tethered wear a glove like Jacko did in "Thriller" whose T-shirt the girl is wearing. The boat is called Crow Daddy, just like a character from the game called "The True Knot" which is a sequel to "The Shining". Crow Daddy's skill is kidnapping but his mind gets taken over by the one he captured. In "Us", the dad gets cornered when the boat circles him like the shark in "Jaws" whose T-shirt his son is wearing. The white family's voice recognition smart house system is called Ophelia like the one in "Hamlet" who, after her father's death starts talking in riddles and sings inappropriate songs. When strangers appear at the door of the white family, the man jokes: "It's O.J. Simpson" which is a reference to a black sportsman convicted of armed robbery and murders. The sound is truly surrounding. Both the TV commercial and the final shot of Hands Across America feature "Les Fleurs" by Minnie Riperton - a song of hope for the forlorn but also saying: "Inside every man lives the seed of a flower" - are the Tethered the internal manifestations of people or are people hidden inside the Tethered? People look like scissors in the Hands Across America poster. It's also a grim version of "Alice in Wonderland" - she follows the rabbit. Apart from all the cultural references, there are some witty lines, e.g.: "You're scaring the kids" and the kids say in unison: "Too late." Another interesting thing is that it's women who take decisions in the movie. The female lead even says it explicitly to her husband - he's no longer in control.
Rain was dropping as I was entering the cinema, just like when the girl was entering the mirror labyrinth and a guy in the audience kept grunting until... the Tethered started their grunts. Omens this time too.
HORROR MARATHON WITH LA LLORONA
Since I had watched "Lights Out" and both parts of "Conjuring" before, I skipped those and only saw:
THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA IN ATMOS
Watchable. The apparition startles you often but the film's based on several horror gimmicks run-down so badly I yawned every now and then. The Atmos sound is perfectly clear but not sufficiently surrounding. Music by Joseph Bishara - the full-time horror score composer.
16TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL
I started this year's festival with the silent disco. Brit pop was the main theme and, while you have to sign that in case of damaging the earphones you'll cough up 800 zl, I admit the sound quality was top-notch.
(M)OTHERHOOD
Recommended. Having a child in the Western world increases your carbon footprint 20 times, yet it's childless women who are, according to a survey, most often described as "infantile, narcissistic and neurotic". Cinema plays a role too since psychopathic women are always portrayed as childless. The documentary explicates maternal instinct is a sham designed to restrict females. While women are urged to participate in public life in times of war, crisis or a revolution, in times of prosperity they are pressured into child-bearing to the point where refusing to do so or regretting it provokes death threats. The film's far from obvious: a professional midwife has no children by choice and some mothers baulk at extolling motherhood. The notion of fatherhood, in turn, carries totally different connotations, to the detriment of mothers of course. Archive footage shows babies but it's easy to ignore since during those insertions you're going to be deep in thoughts.
I checked out the debate on radicalism but heard only obvious stuff.
The same with the meeting with "National Geographic Traveler" journalists - nothing new and, for a fact, in my case bus journeys were usually cheaper than train ones in Spain, contrary to what one of the journalists claimed.
The meeting with the director of "Land Without God" was more fruitful. Unfortunately what I heard what that nearly no prosecutions had taken place after the Church scandals in Ireland, only some little fish who admitted their guilt. And the whole abuse was possible in result of giving immense power to the Church by the state when it was weakened by the war.
Recommended again. I tried to catch more meanings and work out if Jason was switched too. In vain. Here are the very few details that caught my attention at the second viewing. Spider-Woman is mentioned and 2 spiders appear which can lead to a multitude of interpretations depending on which Spider-Woman you analyze. The star frisbee turns up on the beach and the two white twins do stars too. The Tethered wear a glove like Jacko did in "Thriller" whose T-shirt the girl is wearing. The boat is called Crow Daddy, just like a character from the game called "The True Knot" which is a sequel to "The Shining". Crow Daddy's skill is kidnapping but his mind gets taken over by the one he captured. In "Us", the dad gets cornered when the boat circles him like the shark in "Jaws" whose T-shirt his son is wearing. The white family's voice recognition smart house system is called Ophelia like the one in "Hamlet" who, after her father's death starts talking in riddles and sings inappropriate songs. When strangers appear at the door of the white family, the man jokes: "It's O.J. Simpson" which is a reference to a black sportsman convicted of armed robbery and murders. The sound is truly surrounding. Both the TV commercial and the final shot of Hands Across America feature "Les Fleurs" by Minnie Riperton - a song of hope for the forlorn but also saying: "Inside every man lives the seed of a flower" - are the Tethered the internal manifestations of people or are people hidden inside the Tethered? People look like scissors in the Hands Across America poster. It's also a grim version of "Alice in Wonderland" - she follows the rabbit. Apart from all the cultural references, there are some witty lines, e.g.: "You're scaring the kids" and the kids say in unison: "Too late." Another interesting thing is that it's women who take decisions in the movie. The female lead even says it explicitly to her husband - he's no longer in control.
Rain was dropping as I was entering the cinema, just like when the girl was entering the mirror labyrinth and a guy in the audience kept grunting until... the Tethered started their grunts. Omens this time too.
HORROR MARATHON WITH LA LLORONA
Since I had watched "Lights Out" and both parts of "Conjuring" before, I skipped those and only saw:
THE CURSE OF LA LLORONA IN ATMOS
Watchable. The apparition startles you often but the film's based on several horror gimmicks run-down so badly I yawned every now and then. The Atmos sound is perfectly clear but not sufficiently surrounding. Music by Joseph Bishara - the full-time horror score composer.
16TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL
I started this year's festival with the silent disco. Brit pop was the main theme and, while you have to sign that in case of damaging the earphones you'll cough up 800 zl, I admit the sound quality was top-notch.
(M)OTHERHOOD
Recommended. Having a child in the Western world increases your carbon footprint 20 times, yet it's childless women who are, according to a survey, most often described as "infantile, narcissistic and neurotic". Cinema plays a role too since psychopathic women are always portrayed as childless. The documentary explicates maternal instinct is a sham designed to restrict females. While women are urged to participate in public life in times of war, crisis or a revolution, in times of prosperity they are pressured into child-bearing to the point where refusing to do so or regretting it provokes death threats. The film's far from obvious: a professional midwife has no children by choice and some mothers baulk at extolling motherhood. The notion of fatherhood, in turn, carries totally different connotations, to the detriment of mothers of course. Archive footage shows babies but it's easy to ignore since during those insertions you're going to be deep in thoughts.
I checked out the debate on radicalism but heard only obvious stuff.
The same with the meeting with "National Geographic Traveler" journalists - nothing new and, for a fact, in my case bus journeys were usually cheaper than train ones in Spain, contrary to what one of the journalists claimed.
The meeting with the director of "Land Without God" was more fruitful. Unfortunately what I heard what that nearly no prosecutions had taken place after the Church scandals in Ireland, only some little fish who admitted their guilt. And the whole abuse was possible in result of giving immense power to the Church by the state when it was weakened by the war.
Monday 20 May 2019
TRANSIT
Recommended. Strange. We, Europeans, don't think of ourselves as of even potential refugees. So the story, even though without violence, is disconcerting. Some elements, like fashion and music, hint at the times of WW2. But our contemporary time expressions are used and cars and uniforms look modern. Centuries seem to mix. Quite an intimate story, one of few movies which will benefit from watching on a small screen, when alone at home. In spite of pleasant, sunny pictures. A little psychology, e.g. that people don't like seeing others happy when they aren't happy themselves. The love story is intriguing but intellectually rather than emotionally. A number of scenes are protracted creating slow pace. The ending is shocking taken the context of the whole story. And ambiguous too since he's smiling. The song by Talking Heads over the end credits sounds cheerful. But the lyrics go: "We are on the road to nowhere."
MINUSCULE - LES MANDIBULES DU BOUT DU MONDE (MINUSCULE - MANDIBLES FROM FAR AWAY)
Watchable. Shot in Guadeloupe and in real life interiors, with real actors. Only bugs and some other animated elements are superimposed. No word is spoken but the story's clear enough and rich in events in temperate and tropical zone forests, a town and even underwater with a shark - which looks real but with smaller teeth and white eyes. A mid-credit implies a sequel to take place in China.
HELLBOY
Walked out. Severed body parts and slimy corpses every few minutes. It felt just sick. And the plot was rubbish too.
SHAZAM!
Watchable again. Much better, natural-sounding in the original language version i.e. English. The worst thing, one which makes it feel protracted in spite of lively action is the music - a slower rhythm than that of the plot. As for the plot, GoT, Superman and Batman mentions ground it strongly in contemporary teenage pop culture.
Recommended. Strange. We, Europeans, don't think of ourselves as of even potential refugees. So the story, even though without violence, is disconcerting. Some elements, like fashion and music, hint at the times of WW2. But our contemporary time expressions are used and cars and uniforms look modern. Centuries seem to mix. Quite an intimate story, one of few movies which will benefit from watching on a small screen, when alone at home. In spite of pleasant, sunny pictures. A little psychology, e.g. that people don't like seeing others happy when they aren't happy themselves. The love story is intriguing but intellectually rather than emotionally. A number of scenes are protracted creating slow pace. The ending is shocking taken the context of the whole story. And ambiguous too since he's smiling. The song by Talking Heads over the end credits sounds cheerful. But the lyrics go: "We are on the road to nowhere."
MINUSCULE - LES MANDIBULES DU BOUT DU MONDE (MINUSCULE - MANDIBLES FROM FAR AWAY)
Watchable. Shot in Guadeloupe and in real life interiors, with real actors. Only bugs and some other animated elements are superimposed. No word is spoken but the story's clear enough and rich in events in temperate and tropical zone forests, a town and even underwater with a shark - which looks real but with smaller teeth and white eyes. A mid-credit implies a sequel to take place in China.
Now briefly about a Czech film. Once I took to the series and was looking forward to part three: "Zahradnictví: Nápadník" ("Garden Store: Suitor"), I heard there'd be no shows in Warsaw.
HELLBOY
Walked out. Severed body parts and slimy corpses every few minutes. It felt just sick. And the plot was rubbish too.
SHAZAM!
Watchable again. Much better, natural-sounding in the original language version i.e. English. The worst thing, one which makes it feel protracted in spite of lively action is the music - a slower rhythm than that of the plot. As for the plot, GoT, Superman and Batman mentions ground it strongly in contemporary teenage pop culture.
Sunday 19 May 2019
16TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FILM FESTIVAL
MAREK EDELMAN... I BYLA MILOSC W GETCIE (MAREK EDELMAN... AND THERE WAS LOVE IN THE GHETTO)
Watchable. Love let them forget where they were but that same love got the couples killed. In some cases, displays of affection were life-saving though, e.g. when a Jewish liaison girl coddled with her equally Jewish boyfriend overtly, without averting gaze the way their kind normally did. I learnt that also Estonians killed for Nazis. The documentary becomes even funny when the interviewee gets upset with the director. Excellent cinematography but the film's protracted at times.
MAREK EDELMAN... I BYLA MILOSC W GETCIE (MAREK EDELMAN... AND THERE WAS LOVE IN THE GHETTO)
Watchable. Love let them forget where they were but that same love got the couples killed. In some cases, displays of affection were life-saving though, e.g. when a Jewish liaison girl coddled with her equally Jewish boyfriend overtly, without averting gaze the way their kind normally did. I learnt that also Estonians killed for Nazis. The documentary becomes even funny when the interviewee gets upset with the director. Excellent cinematography but the film's protracted at times.
Tuesday 14 May 2019
Sunday 12 May 2019
BREAKTHROUGH
Recommended. Incredibly (pun intended) good. The title has a double meaning: literal and abstract. From some moment in the film, you expect it but it comes as a shock anyway. Convincingly acted and the actors even look similar to the original folk whose photos are shown at the end. Great soundtrack. Most of the movie is tear-jerking.
MAKSYMIUK. KONCERT NA DWOJE (CONCERTO FOR TWO)
Watchable. At first, nothing indicates this scruffy old prick is a renowned conductor. I couldn't make sense of his utterances and got the impression musicians were equally frustrated. But soon you see a rich interior in a traditional style, learn that it's his wife who takes care of his wardrobe, deodorant, make-up. He instead earns money. He's conducted thousands of concerts in Poland, Paris, London, New York (Carnegie Hall). While it captures his daily life and his mastery, the documentary is a bit chaotic, on top of Maksymiuk himself introducing confusion. For him, the whole world is a digression so he blathers a lot. He's a musical genius capable of not only catching it when part of an orchestra skips 2 tacts but also when some scores of world-famous composers contain mistakes which render them impossible to perform. What a shame the director made the sound flat. The music should surround you in the cinema. The documentqry features mostly the intricate contemporary scores he's said to be the only one able to conduct with no mistake. It ends aptly with applause.
Seen courtesy of Kinokawiarnia Falenica where the little screening room allows food and drinks from the cafe to be brought inside. You can use a special little table for those. At first, I was preoccupied because of a screaming kid in the cafe part but once the door was closed it turned out to be perfectly soundproof. And don't worry about the floor being one level - you can see above others' heads easily.
Recommended. Incredibly (pun intended) good. The title has a double meaning: literal and abstract. From some moment in the film, you expect it but it comes as a shock anyway. Convincingly acted and the actors even look similar to the original folk whose photos are shown at the end. Great soundtrack. Most of the movie is tear-jerking.
MAKSYMIUK. KONCERT NA DWOJE (CONCERTO FOR TWO)
Watchable. At first, nothing indicates this scruffy old prick is a renowned conductor. I couldn't make sense of his utterances and got the impression musicians were equally frustrated. But soon you see a rich interior in a traditional style, learn that it's his wife who takes care of his wardrobe, deodorant, make-up. He instead earns money. He's conducted thousands of concerts in Poland, Paris, London, New York (Carnegie Hall). While it captures his daily life and his mastery, the documentary is a bit chaotic, on top of Maksymiuk himself introducing confusion. For him, the whole world is a digression so he blathers a lot. He's a musical genius capable of not only catching it when part of an orchestra skips 2 tacts but also when some scores of world-famous composers contain mistakes which render them impossible to perform. What a shame the director made the sound flat. The music should surround you in the cinema. The documentqry features mostly the intricate contemporary scores he's said to be the only one able to conduct with no mistake. It ends aptly with applause.
Seen courtesy of Kinokawiarnia Falenica where the little screening room allows food and drinks from the cafe to be brought inside. You can use a special little table for those. At first, I was preoccupied because of a screaming kid in the cafe part but once the door was closed it turned out to be perfectly soundproof. And don't worry about the floor being one level - you can see above others' heads easily.
DRONNINGEN (QUEEN OF HEARTS)
Watchable. The very first scene repeats towards the end and serves just as an announcement of events to come. For the first half of the story, they don't even have a dog. Nice, clean shots and just the right pace. Not as controversial as advertised. Lacks suspense. Plenty of cues given: the woman listens to "Tainted Love" at the party, and first she reads "Alice in Wonderland" to her daughters, then she hears it read to them by her lover. The title's clearly from the book too. Still, from the readings, you'd think she's Alice who fell into the hole and explores the new world, not the queen who fancies beheading people. The protagonist doesn't really match her, e.g. in her marriage, she's not pleased by people around her. Another literary reference is to Oriana Fallaci's "A Man" which is quite a meninist title and is read by the young boy. The movie's quite engaging but lacks any tension. And while the young folk in the movie are good-looking, she is not. So the sex scenes are not impressive.
AFTER
Watchable. I have the feeling it was "Twilight"-inspired with a trope from "Dangerous Liaisons" so not an original concept yet plot-wise unpredictable till the end. Lovely shot, with hot Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and beautiful Josephine Langford as the young leads.
LOS BANDO
Watchable. Dreadful, forced dubbing. And it's a film for teenagers! They can read! The music, especially vocals, also often grated on my nerves. Only the bass cello beats were good. Contrary to the distributor's claim, it's not a comedy. Rather a coming-of-age drama. Verdant Norway soothed my nerves. The little fugitive intrigue was engaging more than the band plot.
Watchable. The very first scene repeats towards the end and serves just as an announcement of events to come. For the first half of the story, they don't even have a dog. Nice, clean shots and just the right pace. Not as controversial as advertised. Lacks suspense. Plenty of cues given: the woman listens to "Tainted Love" at the party, and first she reads "Alice in Wonderland" to her daughters, then she hears it read to them by her lover. The title's clearly from the book too. Still, from the readings, you'd think she's Alice who fell into the hole and explores the new world, not the queen who fancies beheading people. The protagonist doesn't really match her, e.g. in her marriage, she's not pleased by people around her. Another literary reference is to Oriana Fallaci's "A Man" which is quite a meninist title and is read by the young boy. The movie's quite engaging but lacks any tension. And while the young folk in the movie are good-looking, she is not. So the sex scenes are not impressive.
AFTER
Watchable. I have the feeling it was "Twilight"-inspired with a trope from "Dangerous Liaisons" so not an original concept yet plot-wise unpredictable till the end. Lovely shot, with hot Hero Fiennes-Tiffin and beautiful Josephine Langford as the young leads.
LOS BANDO
Watchable. Dreadful, forced dubbing. And it's a film for teenagers! They can read! The music, especially vocals, also often grated on my nerves. Only the bass cello beats were good. Contrary to the distributor's claim, it's not a comedy. Rather a coming-of-age drama. Verdant Norway soothed my nerves. The little fugitive intrigue was engaging more than the band plot.
Wednesday 8 May 2019
GAME OF THRONES SEASON 7 EP. 8 (watchable) AND SEASON 8 EP. 1 (recommended) AT HELIOS DREAM
The ending of season 7 explains a lot of the preceding story. Both episodes were shot in my favourite, and often used in fantasy productions, Iceland. I loved the music and dragons and rooted for Snow. Both parts are brutal, esp. season 8 ep. 1. But there was even one funny scene - the look a dragon gives Jon when he and Daenerys are kissing. The start of season 8 has a better pace than the beginning of season 7. And what Jon Snow learns makes for a cliffhanger that's bound to last till the end of the series.
The Atmos system really does enhance even 5.1-recorded films. And the "GoT" theme was sounding in my ears long after.
DOUBLES VIES (NON-FICTION)
Watchable. Overtalked and superficial. At least relatable in the part covering the modern publishing market. Unfortunately, the movie's so badly conversation-based that I'd rather get the dialogue list in writing to scan the text quickly instead of sitting nearly 2 hours in the cinema. And they talk cliches.
MISSING LINK
Watchable. An average animation with puppets which look ugly but wear clothes with distinctive textures. The storyline's engaging and the Yeti has a pleasant character. Yet the action has a number of superfluous slower bits and the humorous situations fail to make viewers laugh. In Poland, dubbing means you won't hear Hugh Jackman as Sir Lionel Frost.
RED JOAN
Recommended. A heartfelt spy story. Touching because of love affairs and heartbreaks but also thoroughly compelling through the way the secrets unravel. Interesting also on the social level since women were perceived differently than today. Superbly acted - Dame Judi Dench is the least of the magnificent cast. Also, a part of history is presented and it poses a difficult question of whether weapons of mass destruction ensure peace in the world.
Warsaw's cinemas vary in display quality. Atlantic provided a decent viewing while just a few minutes later I went to Kinoteka where the "Red Joan" trailer was of considerably poorer visual quality.
SAUVER OU PERIR (THROUGH THE FIRE)
Recommended. A deeply moving and compelling story about rebuilding your health and life after a disfiguring accident. It's all the more striking since the protagonist is good-looking and very fit, wonderfully muscled. Shown how he goes from saving others to saving himself step by step but so powerfully it just glues you to the screen. James Ensor's paintings reflect his face during recovery. Tear-jerking.
DOLCE FINE GIORNATA
Watchable. A Polish movie shot at Porto di Cecina in Tuscany. Very pleasant, slow-paced but with intelligent conversations since the main character is a Nobel-winning poet. The rest is shallow though. Still, in Poland, it's going to be released in June so it's just something pleasant before holidays. The sun-drenched screen is going to fit the season.
SHAZAM! 3D
Watchable. A silly tale with amiable characters. Music varies from so-so to quite good and ranges from Bing Crosby, through Bruno Mars, Calvin Harris, Queen to John Williams' "Superman Theme". 3D enhances the picture but this version is only dubbed in Poland and the dubbing makes it sound vexingly infantile. There are a mid-credit and a post-credit with an "Aquaman" reference.
PUPILLE (IN SAFE HANDS)
Recommended. Touching surprisingly engaging even for people like me who don't like children. It presents the enviably well-organized adoption process in France from all angles and what toll it takes on everyone involved. Left me amazed at their responsibility and professionalism. Top-notch make-up reflects the signs of time on their faces.
AVENGERS: ENDGAME AT IMAX 3D
Watchable. "No amount of money can buy a second of time" so never mind the picture and sound formats. It's 3 hours long so just pick the comfiest seat in town. In fact, I'm relieved the series is over. Or is it? They mentioned a risk of parallel worlds... Nostalgic music by Alan Silvestri, farewell to some protagonists, sentimental family scenes - it drags. And it's dark and sombre. It's uneven. Parts merit 3D and/or Imax, most don't. Wooden lines, e.g.: "Let's get that son of a bitch!" or "You've got a problem." Twists of action enliven things and it ends roughly well, though with 2 big losses of much-loved heroes. Stan Lee cameos as a driver in the 1970s. No mid- or post-credit.
IRON SKY: THE COMING RACE
Watchable. Surprisingly fun, certainly better than part one. Moon Nazis want to "make Earth great again". People worship Steve Jobs with an e-prayer app. Earth Nazis include Hitler, Margaret Thatcher, Kim Jong Un, Stalin, Steve Jobs etc. and they sit at a long table like in "The Last Supper" painting. Cultural connotations and conspiracy theories abound. Reptilians rule the world and use dinosaurs like dogs. Communists ally with crusaders and jihadis who both chase "the unfaithful sinners". You find out why Nazis were looking for the Holy Grail. The ending connects the red planet of Mars with Russians. It's all postmodernist entertainment, yet I giggled only at the allergy and gluten gag. The comedy part failed a bit, especially the Russian jokes were pointless. Cheerful songs and military techno by Laibach sound great and are recorded in Dolby Atmos - though this sound format isn't played in some countries including Poland. No mid- or post-credit.
BELZEBUTH
Watchable. Engaging but not scary. An unusually for a horror complex and consistent storyline. Horrid massacres, also untypically, take place in Mexican bright light. The plot's engaging and holds a few aces up the sleeve. Still, the second hour of this Mexican production consists mostly of American-style possessions (worms, lit eyes, shooting to demons).
PET SEMATARY
Watchable. The remake goes the beaten path of horrors: ominous music, sound effects, pictures, a deadman's warning, word choice in a conversation, e.g. "graveyard shift". In spite of truly surround sound, it's tense but not really scary. The middle twist is over the top. Jason Clarke as the doctor looks like a moron, he acts well but his face is not convincing.
The heavy ending's much different to the original. I'm afraid a sequel may be on the cards.
A funny incident occurred during the screening. At some point, we heard a dog growl on the right but the sound came from below, not from the loudspeakers above. It turned out to be a cinema employee's, normally benign, pet.
VOX LUX
Watchable. This tale about a fictitious celebrity startles almost from the opening but wears off and the abrupt finale is a let-down. Mediocre music in a film about a singer is a blunder. Songs performed by Raffey Cassidy mostly, 3 by Natalie Portman. The initial incident at school is definitely the highlight of the film.
KALANK
Watchable. Catchy Bollywood tunes. Beautiful outfits. A message of love which builds and hate that destroys. As for shortcomings, CGIs are pathetic and the tale mawkish.
The ending of season 7 explains a lot of the preceding story. Both episodes were shot in my favourite, and often used in fantasy productions, Iceland. I loved the music and dragons and rooted for Snow. Both parts are brutal, esp. season 8 ep. 1. But there was even one funny scene - the look a dragon gives Jon when he and Daenerys are kissing. The start of season 8 has a better pace than the beginning of season 7. And what Jon Snow learns makes for a cliffhanger that's bound to last till the end of the series.
The Atmos system really does enhance even 5.1-recorded films. And the "GoT" theme was sounding in my ears long after.
DOUBLES VIES (NON-FICTION)
Watchable. Overtalked and superficial. At least relatable in the part covering the modern publishing market. Unfortunately, the movie's so badly conversation-based that I'd rather get the dialogue list in writing to scan the text quickly instead of sitting nearly 2 hours in the cinema. And they talk cliches.
MISSING LINK
Watchable. An average animation with puppets which look ugly but wear clothes with distinctive textures. The storyline's engaging and the Yeti has a pleasant character. Yet the action has a number of superfluous slower bits and the humorous situations fail to make viewers laugh. In Poland, dubbing means you won't hear Hugh Jackman as Sir Lionel Frost.
RED JOAN
Recommended. A heartfelt spy story. Touching because of love affairs and heartbreaks but also thoroughly compelling through the way the secrets unravel. Interesting also on the social level since women were perceived differently than today. Superbly acted - Dame Judi Dench is the least of the magnificent cast. Also, a part of history is presented and it poses a difficult question of whether weapons of mass destruction ensure peace in the world.
Warsaw's cinemas vary in display quality. Atlantic provided a decent viewing while just a few minutes later I went to Kinoteka where the "Red Joan" trailer was of considerably poorer visual quality.
SAUVER OU PERIR (THROUGH THE FIRE)
Recommended. A deeply moving and compelling story about rebuilding your health and life after a disfiguring accident. It's all the more striking since the protagonist is good-looking and very fit, wonderfully muscled. Shown how he goes from saving others to saving himself step by step but so powerfully it just glues you to the screen. James Ensor's paintings reflect his face during recovery. Tear-jerking.
DOLCE FINE GIORNATA
Watchable. A Polish movie shot at Porto di Cecina in Tuscany. Very pleasant, slow-paced but with intelligent conversations since the main character is a Nobel-winning poet. The rest is shallow though. Still, in Poland, it's going to be released in June so it's just something pleasant before holidays. The sun-drenched screen is going to fit the season.
SHAZAM! 3D
Watchable. A silly tale with amiable characters. Music varies from so-so to quite good and ranges from Bing Crosby, through Bruno Mars, Calvin Harris, Queen to John Williams' "Superman Theme". 3D enhances the picture but this version is only dubbed in Poland and the dubbing makes it sound vexingly infantile. There are a mid-credit and a post-credit with an "Aquaman" reference.
PUPILLE (IN SAFE HANDS)
Recommended. Touching surprisingly engaging even for people like me who don't like children. It presents the enviably well-organized adoption process in France from all angles and what toll it takes on everyone involved. Left me amazed at their responsibility and professionalism. Top-notch make-up reflects the signs of time on their faces.
AVENGERS: ENDGAME AT IMAX 3D
Watchable. "No amount of money can buy a second of time" so never mind the picture and sound formats. It's 3 hours long so just pick the comfiest seat in town. In fact, I'm relieved the series is over. Or is it? They mentioned a risk of parallel worlds... Nostalgic music by Alan Silvestri, farewell to some protagonists, sentimental family scenes - it drags. And it's dark and sombre. It's uneven. Parts merit 3D and/or Imax, most don't. Wooden lines, e.g.: "Let's get that son of a bitch!" or "You've got a problem." Twists of action enliven things and it ends roughly well, though with 2 big losses of much-loved heroes. Stan Lee cameos as a driver in the 1970s. No mid- or post-credit.
IRON SKY: THE COMING RACE
Watchable. Surprisingly fun, certainly better than part one. Moon Nazis want to "make Earth great again". People worship Steve Jobs with an e-prayer app. Earth Nazis include Hitler, Margaret Thatcher, Kim Jong Un, Stalin, Steve Jobs etc. and they sit at a long table like in "The Last Supper" painting. Cultural connotations and conspiracy theories abound. Reptilians rule the world and use dinosaurs like dogs. Communists ally with crusaders and jihadis who both chase "the unfaithful sinners". You find out why Nazis were looking for the Holy Grail. The ending connects the red planet of Mars with Russians. It's all postmodernist entertainment, yet I giggled only at the allergy and gluten gag. The comedy part failed a bit, especially the Russian jokes were pointless. Cheerful songs and military techno by Laibach sound great and are recorded in Dolby Atmos - though this sound format isn't played in some countries including Poland. No mid- or post-credit.
BELZEBUTH
Watchable. Engaging but not scary. An unusually for a horror complex and consistent storyline. Horrid massacres, also untypically, take place in Mexican bright light. The plot's engaging and holds a few aces up the sleeve. Still, the second hour of this Mexican production consists mostly of American-style possessions (worms, lit eyes, shooting to demons).
PET SEMATARY
Watchable. The remake goes the beaten path of horrors: ominous music, sound effects, pictures, a deadman's warning, word choice in a conversation, e.g. "graveyard shift". In spite of truly surround sound, it's tense but not really scary. The middle twist is over the top. Jason Clarke as the doctor looks like a moron, he acts well but his face is not convincing.
The heavy ending's much different to the original. I'm afraid a sequel may be on the cards.
A funny incident occurred during the screening. At some point, we heard a dog growl on the right but the sound came from below, not from the loudspeakers above. It turned out to be a cinema employee's, normally benign, pet.
VOX LUX
Watchable. This tale about a fictitious celebrity startles almost from the opening but wears off and the abrupt finale is a let-down. Mediocre music in a film about a singer is a blunder. Songs performed by Raffey Cassidy mostly, 3 by Natalie Portman. The initial incident at school is definitely the highlight of the film.
KALANK
Watchable. Catchy Bollywood tunes. Beautiful outfits. A message of love which builds and hate that destroys. As for shortcomings, CGIs are pathetic and the tale mawkish.
Thursday 2 May 2019
US
Recommended. Jordan Peele is a genius. The movie's shockingly brutal but no less meaningful. Disturbing shots of rabbits, a prison-laboratory - what are they? While in "Get Out" each scene had a double meaning, in "Us" each scene carries multiple interpretations, all true simultaneously. And the ending turns the whole storyline around. At face value, it combines the slasher genre with supernatural horror the way "Friday the 13th" did and even the son's name's Jason as well. The metaphoric layer requires in-depth knowledge and profound understanding of cinema and social phenomena since each scene, each line, each outfit, each choice of a music piece and all lyrics refer you to those. The script weaves into the film a number of current events in the US, history, other movies, music styles and lyrics, clothing, (Christian) religion, literature. One big game with the genre. There are potentially more twists of action (not just her). It's such a deep movie I'm going to watch it again. On return from the cinema, I spent 3.5 hours online browsing interpretations. There are so many Easter eggs that no one finds them all at first viewing. I'm proud to announce that in what I heard and read over those 3.5 hours no one caught "Friday the 13th" which was my first association - the house on the lake and original Jason drowned while the one in "Us" is wearing a "Jaws" T-shirt. Some references are very American though so it's worth googling them if you don't live there. The mention of citizens controlled through fluoride in water put there by the government reminds me of Flint whose citizens have consumed water unfit for drinking in the result of the authorities' apparent attempt at poisoning the deprived. The Tethered may be seen as shadows of the slavery past. Some blacks left the shadow earlier than others. In the film, the whites and blacks react to the intrusion differently. The white man's idea is of pizza delivery, he's not afraid. But the white folk are also treated differently by their Tethered. Even plentiful in this movie gore is not just blood. The red apple with syrup dripping from it when it starts raining is an appetiser for the bloodshed to follow. But it also resembles the trope from "Snow White" and possibly several other works of culture. Word choice matters: "They have the upper hand" carries at least a double meaning. "The Nutcracker" music by Tchaikovsky is no coincidence - the composer was white, also tin soldiers of kind appear but are more brutal (picture: gore). Michael Jackson's "Thriller" featured zombies and the singer was black and white at the same time. Red uniforms may refer to Jacko's famous red outfit (among other associations with the colour). The chain of people holding hands forms a red line dividing the country.
Right after the movie I went to the cinema toilet and saw two young long-haired blondes looking like sisters. Spooky, isn't it?
25. WIOSNA FILMOW (25TH FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)
SYNONYMES (SYNONYMS)
Walked out. Nothing's going on in the first hour. I was amicably informed by festival organizers that a lot happens in the last 10 minutes. However, I wasn't ready to endure it for another hour waiting for the 10 minutes.
WERK OHNE AUTOR (NEVER LOOK AWAY)
Recommended. About 30 years of the 20th-century German history (recreated through events, costumes and interiors) and finding your self throughout turmoils of history. Wonderfully shows various methods of coping with life in Nazi Germany. NSDAP membership worked only for true blue Nazis, not for those who compromised their own principles. Interesting art too. Even humour: the naked escape through the window and veiled references to it later. And a smart observation: "people don't like themselves in photographs but do in a painting."
寝ても覚めても (ASAKO I & II)
Watchable. Good-looking leads. Music scarce but good. A well-shot and acted love story and a drama about a girl who has to choose between two guys, also about building a relationship. Quiet, touching at times, warm. A bit too much focus on everyday life.
GREEN BOOK
Recommended again. Seen for the second time it's no longer tragic or sad. I revelled in the wonderfully recreated 1962 and superb acting by everyone in the movie. And I laughed at Tony Lip's reaction: "No shit. Must have been naughty kids." hearing the supposed kids on the "Orpheus" record cover were demons or whenever Tony spat out bones or a tomato and cheese sandwich. His lack of manners just delights. I noticed in the credits that only 1 piece of music was by actual Don Shirley.
DUMBO 3D
Watchable. Danny Elfman's music and Ben Davis' cinematography make it look and sound old-fashioned and sad even though it ends well. The baby elephant is cute. CGIs amaze you with his huge ears or with pink elephant bubbles and 3D, though not always vivid, at least once makes water splash right onto your face. Only dubbed in Poland, no subtitled version.
LE LIVRE D'IMAGE (THE IMAGE BOOK)
Watchable. Intellectual and philosophic art. Interesting since it's a motley set of images. Pictures and videos mix with narration and music (of sorts) with no order. Fascinating cinematography consisting of photographic experiments. Only blackouts were annoying in the first part. The whole thing is frustrating though because of its incomprehensibility.
AHLAT AGACI (THE WILD PEAR TREE)
Watchable. Slow life - pleasant but without a point. Excessive talking. I loved the pictures of the village.
25. WIOSNA FILMOW (25TH FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)
PETRA
Watchable. Slow-paced which is magnified by prolonged shots with ambient music and trivial conversations. A suicide enlivens things for a while and character psychology develops. Ends satisfactorily.
LA DERNIERE FOLIE DE CLAIRE DARLING (CLAIRE DARLING)
Watchable. About a peculiar way of saying farewell to life. Inspiring in terms of getting rid of your clutter. Nothing much happens, evokes no emotions but Catherine Deneuve and Alice Taglioni (as young Claire) look beautiful and Claire announces she's going to die so I waited to see if she does. The ending is picturesque. So are Claire's floral dresses.
The director Julie Bertuccelli learnt Russian a bit but decided it would be out of place if she started to speak Russian at the meeting in Poland. She's made both documentaries and feature films and says that writing the script of a feature takes about 2 years, then the making lasts 1 year and then promotion takes 1 more year. In this one, the director wanted to reflect the fact we remember with open eyes so the picture intertwines the present with the past. She's an atheist herself. To me, she appeared self-confident but she said she lacked that quality, was full of doubts and had problems with making choices that film-making requires and after the release was full of doubts all the more. At the same time, she's aware the movie can be difficult. Catherine Deneuve's house is in reality filled with bric-a-brac she collects. She's easy to direct, has an appetite for film, food, has curiosity. The book is set in Texas but the film moved the setting to France. The director's granny's house was used. The dream-like visions of women in white dresses, dressed up children and the butterfly are not in the book. A CGI butterfly would be expensive so she didn't use computer-generated images. The butterfly was bred, hatched (15 minutes in reality). Julie Bertuccelli mentioned also that as a female director she was obeyed less than a man.
LONG SHOT
Recommended. A romantic political comedy. Charlize Theron looks and acts amazing. Jokes are up to date: "since you've been such a good secretary" "of State". The president is after a more respectful job - in movies. Hints at "House of Cards", "Game of Thrones", selfies, viral videos. A Scandinavian politician's name is Minervudottir. I don't normally like gross but here even the gross bits were hilarious. I laughed to tears.
25. WIOSNA FILMOW (25TH FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)
YULI
Watchable. With and about ballet dancer Carlos Acosta. Sweeping views of La Habana and London and admirable muscles of dancing professionals. A complex story and history of Cubans. What detracts from this engaging movie is jumping to and fro in time. It creates confusion. I often lost the track of when and who, unsure of the sequence of events. The mention of 350 years of slave history and Cubans still remembering Yoruba gods makes an impression. Acoustics in the ruins is a local attraction I guess.
ROMEO AKBAR WALTER
Recommended. Excellent Bollywood songs from the beginning till the final credits. Surround sound - steps in the house sound as if someone opened a side door to the screening room and the steps move from the back to the front. While the sound is top-notch Atmos, which can be heard even in an ordinary 5.1 cinema, visually it resembles pictures from 1971/81 when the action takes place. The spy intrigue keeps you on the edge of the seat. The off-screen narration is by Abhishek Bachchan.
EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE
Recommended again. Zac Efron exudes such charm it's easy to see why so many women would fall for Ted Bundy. An extremely well-researched movie.
25. WIOSNA FILMOW (25TH FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)
DAS SCHWEIGENDE KLASSENZIMMER (THE SILENT REVOLUTION)
Recommended. Shocking how a trivial protest of teenagers developed. The mixture of former Nazis and communists of the time created a surreal state where a juvenile antic forced the youngsters to emigrate (cutting the long story short). Also about a terrible entrapment of ordinary people in politics.
From the subsequent meeting with historians: professor Włodzimierz Borodziej and PhD Raphael Utz I learnt there is a word in German: jein = ja + nein meaning yes and no. The radio station in the movie was Radio in the American Sector and it could be heard all over the country apart from Dresden which had no reception and was dubbed the Valley of the Clueless. The German scholar shed more light on the process of dealing with the Nazi past: "The grandparent generation didn't talk about anything emotionally important. It would have been impossible for a family to sit over dinner chatting: "When I was killing innocent civilians..."
KONA FER I STRID (WOMAN AT WAR)
Watchable. Engaging since she adopts warzone tactics in her plight. But details of her cause remain unknown and the music's weird. The best fragment is the scene with her sister in prison. The film made me nostalgic about Iceland, especially its hot springs.
IMI ESTE INDIFERENT DACA IN ISTORIE VOM INTRA CA BARBARI (I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS)
Walked out. Instead of a historical film about Nazi Romania, you see a woman who is shooting a movie, reading a book aloud, preparing a historical enactment, watching somebody else's movie, discussing it. So basically you get a cheap imitation of a film. I also don't know what that nude scene was for. The guy is ugly, fat, hairy. Seeing him naked resembled a perv sending his dick pictures to unsuspecting women.
LE MYSTERE HENRI PICK (THE MYSTERY OF HENRI PICK)
Recommended. A riveting detective story with no murders but searching for a book author. Serious but with humorous bits, e.g.: "I'll go to the toilet and tell you later." "I'm coming with you!". I was knackered that day but the action was captivating, with lots of red herrings and a solution which makes total sense in the plot but which I could not predict.
Recommended. Jordan Peele is a genius. The movie's shockingly brutal but no less meaningful. Disturbing shots of rabbits, a prison-laboratory - what are they? While in "Get Out" each scene had a double meaning, in "Us" each scene carries multiple interpretations, all true simultaneously. And the ending turns the whole storyline around. At face value, it combines the slasher genre with supernatural horror the way "Friday the 13th" did and even the son's name's Jason as well. The metaphoric layer requires in-depth knowledge and profound understanding of cinema and social phenomena since each scene, each line, each outfit, each choice of a music piece and all lyrics refer you to those. The script weaves into the film a number of current events in the US, history, other movies, music styles and lyrics, clothing, (Christian) religion, literature. One big game with the genre. There are potentially more twists of action (not just her). It's such a deep movie I'm going to watch it again. On return from the cinema, I spent 3.5 hours online browsing interpretations. There are so many Easter eggs that no one finds them all at first viewing. I'm proud to announce that in what I heard and read over those 3.5 hours no one caught "Friday the 13th" which was my first association - the house on the lake and original Jason drowned while the one in "Us" is wearing a "Jaws" T-shirt. Some references are very American though so it's worth googling them if you don't live there. The mention of citizens controlled through fluoride in water put there by the government reminds me of Flint whose citizens have consumed water unfit for drinking in the result of the authorities' apparent attempt at poisoning the deprived. The Tethered may be seen as shadows of the slavery past. Some blacks left the shadow earlier than others. In the film, the whites and blacks react to the intrusion differently. The white man's idea is of pizza delivery, he's not afraid. But the white folk are also treated differently by their Tethered. Even plentiful in this movie gore is not just blood. The red apple with syrup dripping from it when it starts raining is an appetiser for the bloodshed to follow. But it also resembles the trope from "Snow White" and possibly several other works of culture. Word choice matters: "They have the upper hand" carries at least a double meaning. "The Nutcracker" music by Tchaikovsky is no coincidence - the composer was white, also tin soldiers of kind appear but are more brutal (picture: gore). Michael Jackson's "Thriller" featured zombies and the singer was black and white at the same time. Red uniforms may refer to Jacko's famous red outfit (among other associations with the colour). The chain of people holding hands forms a red line dividing the country.
Right after the movie I went to the cinema toilet and saw two young long-haired blondes looking like sisters. Spooky, isn't it?
25. WIOSNA FILMOW (25TH FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)
SYNONYMES (SYNONYMS)
Walked out. Nothing's going on in the first hour. I was amicably informed by festival organizers that a lot happens in the last 10 minutes. However, I wasn't ready to endure it for another hour waiting for the 10 minutes.
WERK OHNE AUTOR (NEVER LOOK AWAY)
Recommended. About 30 years of the 20th-century German history (recreated through events, costumes and interiors) and finding your self throughout turmoils of history. Wonderfully shows various methods of coping with life in Nazi Germany. NSDAP membership worked only for true blue Nazis, not for those who compromised their own principles. Interesting art too. Even humour: the naked escape through the window and veiled references to it later. And a smart observation: "people don't like themselves in photographs but do in a painting."
寝ても覚めても (ASAKO I & II)
Watchable. Good-looking leads. Music scarce but good. A well-shot and acted love story and a drama about a girl who has to choose between two guys, also about building a relationship. Quiet, touching at times, warm. A bit too much focus on everyday life.
GREEN BOOK
Recommended again. Seen for the second time it's no longer tragic or sad. I revelled in the wonderfully recreated 1962 and superb acting by everyone in the movie. And I laughed at Tony Lip's reaction: "No shit. Must have been naughty kids." hearing the supposed kids on the "Orpheus" record cover were demons or whenever Tony spat out bones or a tomato and cheese sandwich. His lack of manners just delights. I noticed in the credits that only 1 piece of music was by actual Don Shirley.
DUMBO 3D
Watchable. Danny Elfman's music and Ben Davis' cinematography make it look and sound old-fashioned and sad even though it ends well. The baby elephant is cute. CGIs amaze you with his huge ears or with pink elephant bubbles and 3D, though not always vivid, at least once makes water splash right onto your face. Only dubbed in Poland, no subtitled version.
LE LIVRE D'IMAGE (THE IMAGE BOOK)
Watchable. Intellectual and philosophic art. Interesting since it's a motley set of images. Pictures and videos mix with narration and music (of sorts) with no order. Fascinating cinematography consisting of photographic experiments. Only blackouts were annoying in the first part. The whole thing is frustrating though because of its incomprehensibility.
AHLAT AGACI (THE WILD PEAR TREE)
Watchable. Slow life - pleasant but without a point. Excessive talking. I loved the pictures of the village.
25. WIOSNA FILMOW (25TH FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)
PETRA
Watchable. Slow-paced which is magnified by prolonged shots with ambient music and trivial conversations. A suicide enlivens things for a while and character psychology develops. Ends satisfactorily.
LA DERNIERE FOLIE DE CLAIRE DARLING (CLAIRE DARLING)
Watchable. About a peculiar way of saying farewell to life. Inspiring in terms of getting rid of your clutter. Nothing much happens, evokes no emotions but Catherine Deneuve and Alice Taglioni (as young Claire) look beautiful and Claire announces she's going to die so I waited to see if she does. The ending is picturesque. So are Claire's floral dresses.
The director Julie Bertuccelli learnt Russian a bit but decided it would be out of place if she started to speak Russian at the meeting in Poland. She's made both documentaries and feature films and says that writing the script of a feature takes about 2 years, then the making lasts 1 year and then promotion takes 1 more year. In this one, the director wanted to reflect the fact we remember with open eyes so the picture intertwines the present with the past. She's an atheist herself. To me, she appeared self-confident but she said she lacked that quality, was full of doubts and had problems with making choices that film-making requires and after the release was full of doubts all the more. At the same time, she's aware the movie can be difficult. Catherine Deneuve's house is in reality filled with bric-a-brac she collects. She's easy to direct, has an appetite for film, food, has curiosity. The book is set in Texas but the film moved the setting to France. The director's granny's house was used. The dream-like visions of women in white dresses, dressed up children and the butterfly are not in the book. A CGI butterfly would be expensive so she didn't use computer-generated images. The butterfly was bred, hatched (15 minutes in reality). Julie Bertuccelli mentioned also that as a female director she was obeyed less than a man.
LONG SHOT
Recommended. A romantic political comedy. Charlize Theron looks and acts amazing. Jokes are up to date: "since you've been such a good secretary" "of State". The president is after a more respectful job - in movies. Hints at "House of Cards", "Game of Thrones", selfies, viral videos. A Scandinavian politician's name is Minervudottir. I don't normally like gross but here even the gross bits were hilarious. I laughed to tears.
25. WIOSNA FILMOW (25TH FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)
YULI
Watchable. With and about ballet dancer Carlos Acosta. Sweeping views of La Habana and London and admirable muscles of dancing professionals. A complex story and history of Cubans. What detracts from this engaging movie is jumping to and fro in time. It creates confusion. I often lost the track of when and who, unsure of the sequence of events. The mention of 350 years of slave history and Cubans still remembering Yoruba gods makes an impression. Acoustics in the ruins is a local attraction I guess.
ROMEO AKBAR WALTER
Recommended. Excellent Bollywood songs from the beginning till the final credits. Surround sound - steps in the house sound as if someone opened a side door to the screening room and the steps move from the back to the front. While the sound is top-notch Atmos, which can be heard even in an ordinary 5.1 cinema, visually it resembles pictures from 1971/81 when the action takes place. The spy intrigue keeps you on the edge of the seat. The off-screen narration is by Abhishek Bachchan.
EXTREMELY WICKED, SHOCKINGLY EVIL AND VILE
Recommended again. Zac Efron exudes such charm it's easy to see why so many women would fall for Ted Bundy. An extremely well-researched movie.
25. WIOSNA FILMOW (25TH FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)
DAS SCHWEIGENDE KLASSENZIMMER (THE SILENT REVOLUTION)
From the subsequent meeting with historians: professor Włodzimierz Borodziej and PhD Raphael Utz I learnt there is a word in German: jein = ja + nein meaning yes and no. The radio station in the movie was Radio in the American Sector and it could be heard all over the country apart from Dresden which had no reception and was dubbed the Valley of the Clueless. The German scholar shed more light on the process of dealing with the Nazi past: "The grandparent generation didn't talk about anything emotionally important. It would have been impossible for a family to sit over dinner chatting: "When I was killing innocent civilians..."
KONA FER I STRID (WOMAN AT WAR)
Watchable. Engaging since she adopts warzone tactics in her plight. But details of her cause remain unknown and the music's weird. The best fragment is the scene with her sister in prison. The film made me nostalgic about Iceland, especially its hot springs.
IMI ESTE INDIFERENT DACA IN ISTORIE VOM INTRA CA BARBARI (I DO NOT CARE IF WE GO DOWN IN HISTORY AS BARBARIANS)
Walked out. Instead of a historical film about Nazi Romania, you see a woman who is shooting a movie, reading a book aloud, preparing a historical enactment, watching somebody else's movie, discussing it. So basically you get a cheap imitation of a film. I also don't know what that nude scene was for. The guy is ugly, fat, hairy. Seeing him naked resembled a perv sending his dick pictures to unsuspecting women.
Recommended. A riveting detective story with no murders but searching for a book author. Serious but with humorous bits, e.g.: "I'll go to the toilet and tell you later." "I'm coming with you!". I was knackered that day but the action was captivating, with lots of red herrings and a solution which makes total sense in the plot but which I could not predict.
Wednesday 1 May 2019
LE CHANT DU LOUP (THE WOLF'S CALL)
Recommended. Outstanding cinematography. Starts with a fantastic shot of water from which something emerges - a whale or a submarine? Soon followed by a top-notch sound effect: first, you hear something strange and you only see the helicopter after a while. While sounds are key, the thriller also pulls all the right strings building tension and warming you to the protagonist. Hot François Civil in the lead role, in episodes accompanied by Paula Beer with mesmerising eyes. An 80s-style nuclear threat is transported to modern political reality. In the beginning, the crew, even the most French of them, wiggle to Arabic music. Later, when Al-Jadida attacks, it's clear terrorism has nothing to do with nationality. The plot is military but you get to feel it on the personal level, experiencing the world of sounds "Chaussette" ("Sock") lives in. Powerful ending.
MANOU - FLIEG' FLINK! (MANOU THE SWIFT)
Watchable. The plot is pleasant and sufficiently complex to satisfy an adult too. This animated photoplay features birds of varying faces and introduces children to intercultural differences via the world of flying creatures. Good music.
MAIDEN
Recommended. It was a phenomenal feat of dogged determination. The documentary is gripping like a thriller. The girls first refurbished a scruffy, derelict second-hand yacht and then sailed the world winning two legs of a marathon race. They lacked funds and in 1989 no one in Britain believed in them but a powerful outsider did. King Hussein of Jordan bailed them out while Christian circles only kept asking them about boyfriends or whether they were lesbians. The women battled -20 degrees Celsius temperatures on the Southern Ocean when their skin would flake off (they look all right now). You can't help but root for them as they re-live the endeavour on the screen. As one of the crew points out, "if we believed everything we're told we can't do, how far would humanity get?"
LES DISTANCIES (DISTANCES)
Walked out. About people so average I couldn't force myself to care about them. And when one of them went missing I still didn't care.
CALE SZCZESCIE (THEIR LUCKY STARS)
Watchable. A warm and naive love story with occasional funny elements like: "Szybciej, szybciej, bo przepadnie!" ("Faster, faster or you'll miss out!") when a customer is going to collect his order from a grumpy fresh fish vendor or another one when the main protagonist runs naked to the oven and is surprised by a visitor.
Recommended. Outstanding cinematography. Starts with a fantastic shot of water from which something emerges - a whale or a submarine? Soon followed by a top-notch sound effect: first, you hear something strange and you only see the helicopter after a while. While sounds are key, the thriller also pulls all the right strings building tension and warming you to the protagonist. Hot François Civil in the lead role, in episodes accompanied by Paula Beer with mesmerising eyes. An 80s-style nuclear threat is transported to modern political reality. In the beginning, the crew, even the most French of them, wiggle to Arabic music. Later, when Al-Jadida attacks, it's clear terrorism has nothing to do with nationality. The plot is military but you get to feel it on the personal level, experiencing the world of sounds "Chaussette" ("Sock") lives in. Powerful ending.
MANOU - FLIEG' FLINK! (MANOU THE SWIFT)
Watchable. The plot is pleasant and sufficiently complex to satisfy an adult too. This animated photoplay features birds of varying faces and introduces children to intercultural differences via the world of flying creatures. Good music.
MAIDEN
Recommended. It was a phenomenal feat of dogged determination. The documentary is gripping like a thriller. The girls first refurbished a scruffy, derelict second-hand yacht and then sailed the world winning two legs of a marathon race. They lacked funds and in 1989 no one in Britain believed in them but a powerful outsider did. King Hussein of Jordan bailed them out while Christian circles only kept asking them about boyfriends or whether they were lesbians. The women battled -20 degrees Celsius temperatures on the Southern Ocean when their skin would flake off (they look all right now). You can't help but root for them as they re-live the endeavour on the screen. As one of the crew points out, "if we believed everything we're told we can't do, how far would humanity get?"
LES DISTANCIES (DISTANCES)
Walked out. About people so average I couldn't force myself to care about them. And when one of them went missing I still didn't care.
CALE SZCZESCIE (THEIR LUCKY STARS)
Watchable. A warm and naive love story with occasional funny elements like: "Szybciej, szybciej, bo przepadnie!" ("Faster, faster or you'll miss out!") when a customer is going to collect his order from a grumpy fresh fish vendor or another one when the main protagonist runs naked to the oven and is surprised by a visitor.
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