Movie reviews

ZIEJA (TRUTH MAKES FREE - ZIEJA)

Watchable. The movie is quite religious, the agent trying to extract the information from the priest is but a pretext. It features some smart sermons - shortened but used verbatim. However, Andrzej Seweryn as priest Zieja looks lecherous rather than holy. Funnily, the Vatican Museums paintings show muscled naked men. The extent of male nudity gives them a gay feeling. I'm quite certain that wasn't the director's intention. The lead character is righteous and sensible. The depicted conversations he held with Kuroń are authentic, e.g. "if you have God in yourself, you don't need religion". Talking to his imaginary friend, he's aware that you become "old when you realize you haven't always been right and you're not needed any more". He's said to have rescued 23 wounded in combat during the war, he told soldiers not to shoot in which he resembles the religious hero of "Hacksaw Ridge". Visually-wise, cigarette smoke shifts into a picture of World War 2 where the scene soon becomes clouded in the smoke from explosions. Torn body parts are depicted but it's all grey which spares you from the shock. Unfortunately, apart from the reminiscences, everything else is grey too which makes the movie lackluster. There's also no action or tension. The main message is: "God is one for everyone." Dull music from Fonoteka Sonoria doesn't help. The beginning and ending is a frame - the final knocking by an unknown person leaves a field for interpretation.

Director Robert Gliński thinks Andrzej Seweryn cast as Zieja looks just like the original. I've since looked up his pictures and dare to disagree. The director decided that since Zieja was a virtually saint hero, an anti-hero was needed. So he pitted the restrained "saint" versus such a "rozbuchany kartofel" ("frisky potato") as Zamachowski so that the interaction sparkles.
The script was 180 pages long so he had to decide which fragments to choose but also added extra scenes, ending up with 3 hours so then had to remove some material. The selection criterion was: what's contemporary stays. 
The beginning and ending is a frame - the final knocking on the door by an unknown person meant to show how history repeats itself. 
There had been documentaries about Zieja but no actors' movie before.
The priest spread pacifism. In effect one of the Warsaw Rising scout insurgents went for the Arsenal action without a pistol. Zieja was also a precursor of feminism - he wanted to introduce women into the parish council. KOR (the Workers' Defence Committee) had two opponents active within the organization: Michnik, Macierewicz. They argued a lot and it was Zieja who kept them in peace for 4 years.
On the balcony, Zieja talks to Kuroń whose identity is not explained in the movie. The conversations with Kuroń are authentic. The director has been to Kuroń's flat in Żoliborz.
The dog biting the SB (the Security Service) man was an authentic case.
Robert Gliński found it hard to implement the script due to resistance from Catholics in the film circles though the Church supported it. It was his colleagues who tried to block the movie.

WINTERLAND

Watchable. The snowboard documentary comprises of virtually the same views and rock music all the time. What drew my attention was frostbite on the sportspeople's faces as a downside to the hobby but, on the other hand, the 12 year old was superb and the dangerous falls from extremely steep slopes provided a bit of adrenaline for the viewer.

ROADLESS

Watchable. Another snowboard flick. I quickly spotted frostbite on their faces and hands again. This film offers more varied views and music. Talks also about getting pro.

365 DNI (365 DAYS)

Walked out. Neither the mafia opening, nor the subsequent corporate meeting are plausible. Wooden acting makes it even worse. In the first sex scene we see disgust on Massimo's face. Later, with the 'right girl', they both look at each other with hatred and disdain. Both leads act gangsters instead of lovers. And he treats her like a perv. It's basically a "Fifty Shades of Grey" chav way, especially in the protagonists' language. In the US, movie producers hire dialect coaches. In Poland, they didn't even check English grammar!

The script writer barely managed to get to the premiere of the movie, the producers didn't invite him. When he did see the film, he realised it wasn't what he had written. He could see low budget. He wrote the whole in Polish and someone else translated the dialogues into incorrect English.