메기 (MAGGIE)
Switched off. I loved the big white Polish subtitles on dark grey background. And that's it. Because it's one weird film. I kept wondering if the scattered narrative was a reflection of someone's scattered brain. The story's built around sex in an x-ray room and told with captions and by a narrator - every bit of it was annoying. Also, the movie gave an impression of being an amateurish production.
Reviewed from a screener, cinematic reception might differ.
Friday 31 July 2020
Thursday 30 July 2020
UN DIVAN A TUNIS (ARAB BLUES)
Watchable. I can see where they attempted comedy. 'Attempted' is the key word. I might be a biased feminist but what struck me from early minutes was sexism in the depicted Tunisian society and at some point even sorrow. Tunisia is portrayed as a country at crossroads between tradition and modernity, very much like Poland now but with the added economic and legal chaos smacking of Poland of the 1990s. Little in terms of a plot either. The whole thing is shallow and simplistic. Wasted potential.
Watchable. I can see where they attempted comedy. 'Attempted' is the key word. I might be a biased feminist but what struck me from early minutes was sexism in the depicted Tunisian society and at some point even sorrow. Tunisia is portrayed as a country at crossroads between tradition and modernity, very much like Poland now but with the added economic and legal chaos smacking of Poland of the 1990s. Little in terms of a plot either. The whole thing is shallow and simplistic. Wasted potential.
Wednesday 29 July 2020
ROSSZ VERSEK (BAD POEMS)
Watchable. Not bad. The few actual verses recited in the movie aren't inspiring. But the film's truly poetic because of its lyrics and rhythm and that's what constitutes poetry. Fascinating camerawork, zany set piecies, e.g. a chamber orchestra with passengers turning out to be musicians one by one is a delight. The lead actor tripled as additionally the scriptwriter and also the director which explains the personal feel permeating the movie. The subject of lost love is nothing new but his search for it, in younger years mistaken for sex, is compelling.
JUST MERCY
Recommended. Harrowing and shattering. I needed several hours to pull myself together after the screening. When Johnny D fells a tree in the opening scene he doesn't know yet next it will be him going to be felled. The movie's released hard on the heels of African Americans' riots which spread across the US like wildfire. It may seem swift marketing but the importance of such a project made while so many white people don't get how inherently racist they are cannot be underestimated. What real life hasn't changed, such blockbusters can. Especially the US deep-fried South gets to see itself in a black mirror. The movie's set in Alabama, "the home of "To Kill a Mockingbird"" as the welcome road sign boasts and which is sarcastically used in the picture. But it's only the more chilling since the portrayed white locals find pride in a work of fiction blind to the horrors of reality. Plot-wise, it's a character-driven story from the director of Christian movie "Shack". No wonder the title carries religious connotations. But the topic's versatile and a church is only mentioned a couple of times as a social activity of the part of population which is offered help only in their final hours on the death row. Unlike "Shack", "Just Mercy" is heavy and loaded. "The opposite of poverty is justice."
Watchable. Not bad. The few actual verses recited in the movie aren't inspiring. But the film's truly poetic because of its lyrics and rhythm and that's what constitutes poetry. Fascinating camerawork, zany set piecies, e.g. a chamber orchestra with passengers turning out to be musicians one by one is a delight. The lead actor tripled as additionally the scriptwriter and also the director which explains the personal feel permeating the movie. The subject of lost love is nothing new but his search for it, in younger years mistaken for sex, is compelling.
JUST MERCY
Recommended. Harrowing and shattering. I needed several hours to pull myself together after the screening. When Johnny D fells a tree in the opening scene he doesn't know yet next it will be him going to be felled. The movie's released hard on the heels of African Americans' riots which spread across the US like wildfire. It may seem swift marketing but the importance of such a project made while so many white people don't get how inherently racist they are cannot be underestimated. What real life hasn't changed, such blockbusters can. Especially the US deep-fried South gets to see itself in a black mirror. The movie's set in Alabama, "the home of "To Kill a Mockingbird"" as the welcome road sign boasts and which is sarcastically used in the picture. But it's only the more chilling since the portrayed white locals find pride in a work of fiction blind to the horrors of reality. Plot-wise, it's a character-driven story from the director of Christian movie "Shack". No wonder the title carries religious connotations. But the topic's versatile and a church is only mentioned a couple of times as a social activity of the part of population which is offered help only in their final hours on the death row. Unlike "Shack", "Just Mercy" is heavy and loaded. "The opposite of poverty is justice."
Sunday 26 July 2020
THE HUNT
Watchable. Engaging action, with decoys and twists but the back story based on a ludicrous idea that "the liberal elites" "murder people for fun". Action? A mixture of: "The Purge", "Hostel" and "The Hunger Games". I loved the opening where a text message is zoomed till the title appears. The first murder comes way too early - the protagonists agree. Fortunately, the rest rewards you with new revelations at each stage of the action. The very last scene is a delight. I loved the music over the end credits too. But the rightist agenda portraying the left as bloodthirsty psychopaths screeches in the game mechanism. Some ordinary rich hunting poor "deplorables" would have been more convincing.
LA BONNE EPOUSE (HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE)
Watchable. Is Juliet Binoche in every French movie? OK, she's great in this one but I had seen too much of her elsewhere. The nun is fun - the best character and the picture's saving grace. One of 600 housewife schools existent in the early 1960s in France and the schooling depicted is fine. But the second half of the film is a far-fetched fable with Prince Charming turning up out of the blue and Princess Charming discovering her homosexuality all of a sudden as well. A rapid lesson in feminism turns old school obedient girls and adult women into revolutionary feminists overnight - hardly plausible. The finale goes bonkers with a silly dance ending in Juliet Binoche waving her arms like a windmill.
Watchable. Engaging action, with decoys and twists but the back story based on a ludicrous idea that "the liberal elites" "murder people for fun". Action? A mixture of: "The Purge", "Hostel" and "The Hunger Games". I loved the opening where a text message is zoomed till the title appears. The first murder comes way too early - the protagonists agree. Fortunately, the rest rewards you with new revelations at each stage of the action. The very last scene is a delight. I loved the music over the end credits too. But the rightist agenda portraying the left as bloodthirsty psychopaths screeches in the game mechanism. Some ordinary rich hunting poor "deplorables" would have been more convincing.
LA BONNE EPOUSE (HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE)
Watchable. Is Juliet Binoche in every French movie? OK, she's great in this one but I had seen too much of her elsewhere. The nun is fun - the best character and the picture's saving grace. One of 600 housewife schools existent in the early 1960s in France and the schooling depicted is fine. But the second half of the film is a far-fetched fable with Prince Charming turning up out of the blue and Princess Charming discovering her homosexuality all of a sudden as well. A rapid lesson in feminism turns old school obedient girls and adult women into revolutionary feminists overnight - hardly plausible. The finale goes bonkers with a silly dance ending in Juliet Binoche waving her arms like a windmill.
Friday 24 July 2020
10 GIORNI SENZA MAMMA (WHEN MOM IS AWAY)
Watchable. It's Italian so, unsurprisingly, about mamma. OK, the set-up is versatile and there have been comedies about men forced to take care of children aplenty. Yet here you feel the celebration of the position of mom in Italy. It's predictably entertaining and raises quite a few laughs, e.g. the whole teeth situation. And the perfect employee Alessandro is a hilarious and wonderfully exaggerated comic character. Even with fine performances all round, it's Niccolò Senni who just blows you away as the nasty rival at work. The career subplot is weaved through the narrative and its ending is not 100% predictable. Funny lines include war terminology in childcare: "Don't give in!" "My children aren't my enemies." Unfortunately, at times it turns cringeworthy and superficial with over-used bad jokes, e.g. about menstruation. At least nappies don't recur as another recycled attempt at amusing. Although the whole film is skillfully constructed, with the second act starting satisfactorily early, the supportive office worker subplot lacks conclusion.
Reviewed from a screener. Cinematic impression might differ.
Watchable. It's Italian so, unsurprisingly, about mamma. OK, the set-up is versatile and there have been comedies about men forced to take care of children aplenty. Yet here you feel the celebration of the position of mom in Italy. It's predictably entertaining and raises quite a few laughs, e.g. the whole teeth situation. And the perfect employee Alessandro is a hilarious and wonderfully exaggerated comic character. Even with fine performances all round, it's Niccolò Senni who just blows you away as the nasty rival at work. The career subplot is weaved through the narrative and its ending is not 100% predictable. Funny lines include war terminology in childcare: "Don't give in!" "My children aren't my enemies." Unfortunately, at times it turns cringeworthy and superficial with over-used bad jokes, e.g. about menstruation. At least nappies don't recur as another recycled attempt at amusing. Although the whole film is skillfully constructed, with the second act starting satisfactorily early, the supportive office worker subplot lacks conclusion.
Reviewed from a screener. Cinematic impression might differ.
Thursday 23 July 2020
Cinema City has re-opened. It's comfy and friendly as ever and safer than most other venues due to higher seats (at least in the locations which have retained the soft, plush ones). I can see that the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a superb repertoire too.
ONWARD
Recommended. No wonder it's such a hit in the current Polish box office. It's delightfully imaginative. The Realm is completely worked out - toungue-in-cheek - and painstakingly created. A family of elves keeps a little pet dragon - which behaves like a dog and even kinda barks. A genial centaur cop, cyclops, hooligan pixies and plenty of other magical creatures inhabit a world looking like our contemporary reality. Two brothers embark on a quest filled with adventures. Their journey through the Realm is rich in detail, e.g. a plane can be seen on the sky when the heroes traverse the plain. Quip lines, Harry Potter way worded spells and a nod to "Back to the Future" provide extra fun. The messages the picture conveys are: authenticity pays off in business, a family together will conquer anything - that line of the story leads to a touching ending, I had tears in my eyes. It also tells about confronting your fears and anxieties. It caters to teenagers but will be appreciated by younger and older audiences too. "Sound created in Atmos" so it may be better listened to in that system, in a regular screening room you only hear one line coming undoubtedly from the side at some point. In Poland, the production's dubbed in Polish.
VIC LE VIKING (VIC THE VIKING AND THE MAGIC SWORD)
Recommended. I want such a squirrel! The smart, feisty, independent and cute animal aside, it's a visual fest: making use of a wide range of colours, catchy shading, like in the squirrel's fur, and textures, e.g. red hairs on a Viking's chest and legs. The whole thing is light in tone and witty, with masterful dialogues, in Polish - only a dubbed version available - translated by truly expert Bartek Fukiet. The sound surrounds you all the time. The tale is lovable, with music trappings, including " Ride of the Valkyries" which, in the cartoon, gives a comical effect. The picture has a reference to movies for slightly older audiences, since the action takes place in the realm of the Vikings and Asgard.
THE HIGH NOTE
Recommended. Have you ever felt like a PA to a superstar? Shoved around and put down at every step? Dakota Johnson sheds her erotic image, dons a T-shirt and jeans and excels in the role. Her character is someone who grew up among musicians which reminds of herself coming from an acting family. But it's not just her, there are fine performances all round. Kelvin Harrison Jr. shines as the budding star. And the self-absorbed, narcissistic celebrity Grace Davis is wonderfully scripted, also Tracie Ellis Ross is superb as the chuffed heroine of the stage. As for a flick about fictitious singers, the music sounds admirably professional. The deeper message is that it's those downtrodden people that make each star's success possible. But also how patronising men can be when offering career opportunities to women. As corny as the storyline and women power may sound, the film does not dumb the subject down and makes plenty tart observations.
ONWARD
Recommended. No wonder it's such a hit in the current Polish box office. It's delightfully imaginative. The Realm is completely worked out - toungue-in-cheek - and painstakingly created. A family of elves keeps a little pet dragon - which behaves like a dog and even kinda barks. A genial centaur cop, cyclops, hooligan pixies and plenty of other magical creatures inhabit a world looking like our contemporary reality. Two brothers embark on a quest filled with adventures. Their journey through the Realm is rich in detail, e.g. a plane can be seen on the sky when the heroes traverse the plain. Quip lines, Harry Potter way worded spells and a nod to "Back to the Future" provide extra fun. The messages the picture conveys are: authenticity pays off in business, a family together will conquer anything - that line of the story leads to a touching ending, I had tears in my eyes. It also tells about confronting your fears and anxieties. It caters to teenagers but will be appreciated by younger and older audiences too. "Sound created in Atmos" so it may be better listened to in that system, in a regular screening room you only hear one line coming undoubtedly from the side at some point. In Poland, the production's dubbed in Polish.
VIC LE VIKING (VIC THE VIKING AND THE MAGIC SWORD)
Recommended. I want such a squirrel! The smart, feisty, independent and cute animal aside, it's a visual fest: making use of a wide range of colours, catchy shading, like in the squirrel's fur, and textures, e.g. red hairs on a Viking's chest and legs. The whole thing is light in tone and witty, with masterful dialogues, in Polish - only a dubbed version available - translated by truly expert Bartek Fukiet. The sound surrounds you all the time. The tale is lovable, with music trappings, including " Ride of the Valkyries" which, in the cartoon, gives a comical effect. The picture has a reference to movies for slightly older audiences, since the action takes place in the realm of the Vikings and Asgard.
THE HIGH NOTE
Recommended. Have you ever felt like a PA to a superstar? Shoved around and put down at every step? Dakota Johnson sheds her erotic image, dons a T-shirt and jeans and excels in the role. Her character is someone who grew up among musicians which reminds of herself coming from an acting family. But it's not just her, there are fine performances all round. Kelvin Harrison Jr. shines as the budding star. And the self-absorbed, narcissistic celebrity Grace Davis is wonderfully scripted, also Tracie Ellis Ross is superb as the chuffed heroine of the stage. As for a flick about fictitious singers, the music sounds admirably professional. The deeper message is that it's those downtrodden people that make each star's success possible. But also how patronising men can be when offering career opportunities to women. As corny as the storyline and women power may sound, the film does not dumb the subject down and makes plenty tart observations.
Wednesday 22 July 2020
17TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FESTIVAL
4-18 September (taking into account all 7 city locations, e.g. Warsaw will be 4-13 September) instead of usual May - cinema screenings, afterwards: 19 September-4 October online, without "cinema rooms", it's going to be available all over Poland with no restrictions. Against Gravity's earlier online Docs Against Isolation was a huge success: 113 000 times movies watched in full. After the online festival, all of October will be devoted to online screenings, including previous editions films and workshops for schools. October ones will be available free, after collecting a virtual entry ticket. Over years the festival has grown to become one of the biggest documentary film events in the world. This year the whole program consists of almost half and half male to female movie makers' ratio. In the main competition, there are 15 female and 8 male directors - a result of purely artistic value, the festival programmers are of both sexes. From what I've heard in the (online) conference, my subjective interest is in the following films:
"Blizny" ("Scars") - a Polish documentary about former female warriors of the Tamil Tigers,
films about cinema: on Forman, Tarkovsky, Kubrick, Tarantino, Friedkin, the romantic comedy genre,
a section on various aspects of China, including the problem of smog,
Hubert Sauper's "Darwin's Nightmare" about Tanzania and how the game of global empires affects the poor.
Among potentially interesting events there'll be one devoted to the phenomenon of disbelief in science, replaced by a belief in conspiracy theories and creationism. And another one will delve into how rom-coms affect our partner choice. We can expect also a workshop that will cover dealing with the need of personal peace and the simultaneous need of activism.
There'll be a new section of home-made films - one I'm not going to follow closely. I don't expect content quality from those.
The conference, however convenient for typing notes, wasn't free from technical interruptions. I hope they'll won't hinder watching the online festival part. Also the film screened at the end was too quiet for a laptop and with interruptions:
NOMAD: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BRUCE CHATWIN
Watchable. The bristly fur of a brontosaurus in the beginning turns out to belong to a kind of prehistoric giant sloth. Chaos ensues for the following half the protracted film. The second half is still disorganized but lets you find trivia like a replica of Magellan's ship in Punta Arenas, hear of horrors - to the natives treated like animals - of the era of geographic discoveries, extending until 20th century, learn of free solo climber Stefan Głowacz and of King Nsein who personally acted in a feature movie on West African slave trade. I still don't get what the whole thing was to be about.
4-18 September (taking into account all 7 city locations, e.g. Warsaw will be 4-13 September) instead of usual May - cinema screenings, afterwards: 19 September-4 October online, without "cinema rooms", it's going to be available all over Poland with no restrictions. Against Gravity's earlier online Docs Against Isolation was a huge success: 113 000 times movies watched in full. After the online festival, all of October will be devoted to online screenings, including previous editions films and workshops for schools. October ones will be available free, after collecting a virtual entry ticket. Over years the festival has grown to become one of the biggest documentary film events in the world. This year the whole program consists of almost half and half male to female movie makers' ratio. In the main competition, there are 15 female and 8 male directors - a result of purely artistic value, the festival programmers are of both sexes. From what I've heard in the (online) conference, my subjective interest is in the following films:
"Blizny" ("Scars") - a Polish documentary about former female warriors of the Tamil Tigers,
films about cinema: on Forman, Tarkovsky, Kubrick, Tarantino, Friedkin, the romantic comedy genre,
a section on various aspects of China, including the problem of smog,
Hubert Sauper's "Darwin's Nightmare" about Tanzania and how the game of global empires affects the poor.
Among potentially interesting events there'll be one devoted to the phenomenon of disbelief in science, replaced by a belief in conspiracy theories and creationism. And another one will delve into how rom-coms affect our partner choice. We can expect also a workshop that will cover dealing with the need of personal peace and the simultaneous need of activism.
There'll be a new section of home-made films - one I'm not going to follow closely. I don't expect content quality from those.
The conference, however convenient for typing notes, wasn't free from technical interruptions. I hope they'll won't hinder watching the online festival part. Also the film screened at the end was too quiet for a laptop and with interruptions:
NOMAD: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BRUCE CHATWIN
Watchable. The bristly fur of a brontosaurus in the beginning turns out to belong to a kind of prehistoric giant sloth. Chaos ensues for the following half the protracted film. The second half is still disorganized but lets you find trivia like a replica of Magellan's ship in Punta Arenas, hear of horrors - to the natives treated like animals - of the era of geographic discoveries, extending until 20th century, learn of free solo climber Stefan Głowacz and of King Nsein who personally acted in a feature movie on West African slave trade. I still don't get what the whole thing was to be about.
Tuesday 21 July 2020
EMA
Recommended. "Firestarter" comes to mind first. Later, the book of "I Ching" where the fire sign means it can either provide you with warmth or burn you. Ema is the heat and does she burn! She's a natural dancer, expressing everything with her body, oblivious to any potential barriers, e.g. she offers 1 litre of her blood to help out. She ignites both men and women, feeling completely at ease in her "big, dysfunctional family". Her actions appear impestuous and visceral. But she proves to be the best mother ever when you come to realize the whole intrigue. She choreographs everyone around her. Captivating music adds gravity, profundity or passion when needed. The main song "Destino" is in the rhythm of famous "Despacito" shifting the tone to lighter notes for the sake of pure pleasure. And the bit when a song tells part of the story feels almost like Bollywood. The movie has Atmos sound so it had even better be heard in this system where available. From the end credits you learn Gael García Bernal was treated like a star on set but in the picture, he's merely an addition to the magnetic Ema's (marvellous Mariana di Girolamo) flame. As is the town of Valparaiso, Chile where it was shot over 2 summer months by Pablo Larraín who had earlier produced "Una mujer fantástica" ("A Fantastic Woman"). You leave the theatre replaying the music in your head.
I got used to having the mask on at the cinema, barely noticed it this time.
Recommended. "Firestarter" comes to mind first. Later, the book of "I Ching" where the fire sign means it can either provide you with warmth or burn you. Ema is the heat and does she burn! She's a natural dancer, expressing everything with her body, oblivious to any potential barriers, e.g. she offers 1 litre of her blood to help out. She ignites both men and women, feeling completely at ease in her "big, dysfunctional family". Her actions appear impestuous and visceral. But she proves to be the best mother ever when you come to realize the whole intrigue. She choreographs everyone around her. Captivating music adds gravity, profundity or passion when needed. The main song "Destino" is in the rhythm of famous "Despacito" shifting the tone to lighter notes for the sake of pure pleasure. And the bit when a song tells part of the story feels almost like Bollywood. The movie has Atmos sound so it had even better be heard in this system where available. From the end credits you learn Gael García Bernal was treated like a star on set but in the picture, he's merely an addition to the magnetic Ema's (marvellous Mariana di Girolamo) flame. As is the town of Valparaiso, Chile where it was shot over 2 summer months by Pablo Larraín who had earlier produced "Una mujer fantástica" ("A Fantastic Woman"). You leave the theatre replaying the music in your head.
I got used to having the mask on at the cinema, barely noticed it this time.
Thursday 16 July 2020
BABYTEETH
Watchable. I try not to read about a movie before seeing it so I didn't know it was going to be about yet another teenager with cancer. Normally even a thought about this worn, tacky subject makes me sick. However, this candy-coloured Australian caper managed to resist slushiness for long enough to prevent me from walking out. The corny ending ruined it but she finally died - no spoilers here, it's just the rule of the genre. When Moses staggers (attempting to swagger) onto the platform he resembles a drunk British tourist so much it's no surprise the actor (Toby Wallace) is British. His eyes look stoned and his demeanour is so addict-like you have to make sure the actor is not a junkie himself. But Ben Mendelsohn as the girl's father out-acts everyone. This widely experienced actor is the highlight of the picture bringing in humourous tones and lightening the mood. The topic is treated admittedly originally. Still, it appears to applaud drug use - all the four main characters do and even their pregnant neighbour smokes. The whole thing feels weird. And the picture could do without chapter titles - no reason for them.
Watchable. I try not to read about a movie before seeing it so I didn't know it was going to be about yet another teenager with cancer. Normally even a thought about this worn, tacky subject makes me sick. However, this candy-coloured Australian caper managed to resist slushiness for long enough to prevent me from walking out. The corny ending ruined it but she finally died - no spoilers here, it's just the rule of the genre. When Moses staggers (attempting to swagger) onto the platform he resembles a drunk British tourist so much it's no surprise the actor (Toby Wallace) is British. His eyes look stoned and his demeanour is so addict-like you have to make sure the actor is not a junkie himself. But Ben Mendelsohn as the girl's father out-acts everyone. This widely experienced actor is the highlight of the picture bringing in humourous tones and lightening the mood. The topic is treated admittedly originally. Still, it appears to applaud drug use - all the four main characters do and even their pregnant neighbour smokes. The whole thing feels weird. And the picture could do without chapter titles - no reason for them.
Wednesday 15 July 2020
XABO: KSIADZ BONIECKI (XABO: FATHER BONIECKI)
Watchable. It never fails to tug on your heartstrings but... after 3 years of filming the priest, I'd expect better. It looks amateurish, has no structure. Even though the documentary has been translated into English, the film itself does not explain who the priest is or who and why has banned him from publishing - it's not clarified in the film that the Church authorities have - which makes his case a bit hard to comprehend. The titular priest is portrayed as a down to earth, humane, warm-hearted, devoted, extremely hard-working and a paragon of Christianity. The film is clearly meant as an antidote to the venom injected into the society by fundamentalist Catholic officials as well as politicians successfully dividing the nation. Rev. Adam Boniecki proclaims inclusion which, strangely, makes him a religious maverick. He's sage (and old). Large chunks of the film are existentialist which lets him share his gems of wisdom, e.g. in the emotive scene where an adult man tells him he can't come to terms with his mum's death the priest confesses he often asks his late mother for little favours like miraculous finding a parking spot. But the hardest hitting part is when he mentions his own personal sorrow about having to give up on marriage and having children. Is celibacy the root cause of the callousness of the institution of the Church as his deliberation indirectly infers?
Watchable. It never fails to tug on your heartstrings but... after 3 years of filming the priest, I'd expect better. It looks amateurish, has no structure. Even though the documentary has been translated into English, the film itself does not explain who the priest is or who and why has banned him from publishing - it's not clarified in the film that the Church authorities have - which makes his case a bit hard to comprehend. The titular priest is portrayed as a down to earth, humane, warm-hearted, devoted, extremely hard-working and a paragon of Christianity. The film is clearly meant as an antidote to the venom injected into the society by fundamentalist Catholic officials as well as politicians successfully dividing the nation. Rev. Adam Boniecki proclaims inclusion which, strangely, makes him a religious maverick. He's sage (and old). Large chunks of the film are existentialist which lets him share his gems of wisdom, e.g. in the emotive scene where an adult man tells him he can't come to terms with his mum's death the priest confesses he often asks his late mother for little favours like miraculous finding a parking spot. But the hardest hitting part is when he mentions his own personal sorrow about having to give up on marriage and having children. Is celibacy the root cause of the callousness of the institution of the Church as his deliberation indirectly infers?
Monday 6 July 2020
Sunday 5 July 2020
#JESUISLA (#IAMHERE)
Watchable. A pleasant, relaxing picture. Shot in French and Korean - the Polish version subtitles French dialogue only. The 1st third is set in France, the 2nd at picture-perfect Incheon Airport - which is like a small town, the 3rd in the city of Seoul. For a larger part, it's a postcard from South Korea. The French part emphasises everyone's infidelity and even promotes it for some reason. The Asian country is presented as beautiful, touristically attractive, high tech, well-organized, where politeness may conceal hostility but where people also happen to act on the spur of the moment sometimes expressing great friendliness and often indifference and disregard to other's feelings while insisting on observing 눈치 (nunch'i). It's kept light in tone, humourous at times.But from the very first minute till the end it's also a praise of living in the moment in which case it's precisely not bothering with others that makes it possible. A feelgood movie which at face value lacks depth. But isn't enjoying the moment enough?
Reviewed from a distributor's screener so cinematic reception might differ.
Watchable. A pleasant, relaxing picture. Shot in French and Korean - the Polish version subtitles French dialogue only. The 1st third is set in France, the 2nd at picture-perfect Incheon Airport - which is like a small town, the 3rd in the city of Seoul. For a larger part, it's a postcard from South Korea. The French part emphasises everyone's infidelity and even promotes it for some reason. The Asian country is presented as beautiful, touristically attractive, high tech, well-organized, where politeness may conceal hostility but where people also happen to act on the spur of the moment sometimes expressing great friendliness and often indifference and disregard to other's feelings while insisting on observing 눈치 (nunch'i). It's kept light in tone, humourous at times.But from the very first minute till the end it's also a praise of living in the moment in which case it's precisely not bothering with others that makes it possible. A feelgood movie which at face value lacks depth. But isn't enjoying the moment enough?
Reviewed from a distributor's screener so cinematic reception might differ.
Friday 3 July 2020
HOPE GAP
Watchable. White cliffs, lucid, sparkling sea in Sussex (!) and colourful - like the estranged wife's clothes, homey, filled with plants, interior of the house enliven the mentions of historic events and classic poetry the couple specialize in. This use of scenography is evident also later when the husband and his son talk in a little white room with no decor whatsoever, as if there was nothing left in the man's life. The human detail is deftly handled in the story. The couple know each other inside out: not only daily habits like the way each of them takes their tea but even the sound of the partner's breath. A Napoleon's troops example at school deals with how to leave someone to die mercifully. Then you hear: "there is no next life" after a marriage "is murdered" which reflects the historic dilemma. The agony of waking every day after the break-up is staggeringly true. On a lighter (or is it?) note, the woman takes in a dog, calls him her husband's name and the first command she teaches him is "stay". The film is well-intentioned but emotionally distant which is probably down to Bill Nighy and Annette Bening in the cast. At least Jamie (Josh O'Connor) looks like a spitting image of young Bill Nighy, hence plausible as their, especially Edward's (Bill Nighy) son. The title refers to Hope Gap located in Seaford but also the metaphoric meaning of the period of hope right after the beloved person has split up with you.
Mercifully, I got a screener in English but... alas, it was hardly audible. Bad luck.
MIJN BIJZONDER RARE WEEK MET TESS (MY EXTRAORDINARY SUMMER WITH TESS)
Watchable. A summer picture where Dutch views like crabs on the beach and flatlands with bike paths surprisingly smoothly blend with salsa music. The 1 hour 23 minute long movie, however, feels bland and protracted. The action's quite generic and therefore predictable - for adults anyway, children to who the film's directed are more likely not to have seen all that before, copied from several other stories and too simple for the duration of the picture. At least it's all well acted. In Poland, it's dubbed in Polish but in a nice way. The song running over the end credits will have you humming all the way home.
FOUR KIDS AND IT
Recommended. Thoroughly entertaining, lovable, lightweight fantasy which blends live action with CGI animation. Starts with a girl choosing a book in a library. The ones she picks are: "Little Women" and "Spider's Web" - both have their film adaptations. And "Four Kids and It" is based on a novel by Jacqueline Wilson so the director is clearly winking to the readers. Psammead looks authentic and cute. Dialogues sparkle with tart one-liners, e.g. "I'm sorry, I don't understand you at all." "I'm American." "Good to know. I thought you had a speech defect". Adventures are captivating and you never know (or at least I don't, not having read the book) what the next wish is going to be, it's so imaginative. Catering to older children, it has delighted the adult me as well. I wished it lasted longer. Dubbed in Polish for the local market - sounds decently but inaccessible to English-speaking kids. That's it. There's a long scene along with the final credits.
DAS VORSPIEL (THE AUDITION)
Watchable. I've seen it all before. It's a pretty standard psychological drama comprising of generic tropes slapped onto the main storyline once here once there to keep the audience waiting for the conclusion. Lacks novelty. On the other hand, it's a rare occasion to see what violin lessons look like.
All the four reviews are based on distributors' screeners. Cinematic experience might differ.
Watchable. White cliffs, lucid, sparkling sea in Sussex (!) and colourful - like the estranged wife's clothes, homey, filled with plants, interior of the house enliven the mentions of historic events and classic poetry the couple specialize in. This use of scenography is evident also later when the husband and his son talk in a little white room with no decor whatsoever, as if there was nothing left in the man's life. The human detail is deftly handled in the story. The couple know each other inside out: not only daily habits like the way each of them takes their tea but even the sound of the partner's breath. A Napoleon's troops example at school deals with how to leave someone to die mercifully. Then you hear: "there is no next life" after a marriage "is murdered" which reflects the historic dilemma. The agony of waking every day after the break-up is staggeringly true. On a lighter (or is it?) note, the woman takes in a dog, calls him her husband's name and the first command she teaches him is "stay". The film is well-intentioned but emotionally distant which is probably down to Bill Nighy and Annette Bening in the cast. At least Jamie (Josh O'Connor) looks like a spitting image of young Bill Nighy, hence plausible as their, especially Edward's (Bill Nighy) son. The title refers to Hope Gap located in Seaford but also the metaphoric meaning of the period of hope right after the beloved person has split up with you.
Mercifully, I got a screener in English but... alas, it was hardly audible. Bad luck.
MIJN BIJZONDER RARE WEEK MET TESS (MY EXTRAORDINARY SUMMER WITH TESS)
Watchable. A summer picture where Dutch views like crabs on the beach and flatlands with bike paths surprisingly smoothly blend with salsa music. The 1 hour 23 minute long movie, however, feels bland and protracted. The action's quite generic and therefore predictable - for adults anyway, children to who the film's directed are more likely not to have seen all that before, copied from several other stories and too simple for the duration of the picture. At least it's all well acted. In Poland, it's dubbed in Polish but in a nice way. The song running over the end credits will have you humming all the way home.
FOUR KIDS AND IT
Recommended. Thoroughly entertaining, lovable, lightweight fantasy which blends live action with CGI animation. Starts with a girl choosing a book in a library. The ones she picks are: "Little Women" and "Spider's Web" - both have their film adaptations. And "Four Kids and It" is based on a novel by Jacqueline Wilson so the director is clearly winking to the readers. Psammead looks authentic and cute. Dialogues sparkle with tart one-liners, e.g. "I'm sorry, I don't understand you at all." "I'm American." "Good to know. I thought you had a speech defect". Adventures are captivating and you never know (or at least I don't, not having read the book) what the next wish is going to be, it's so imaginative. Catering to older children, it has delighted the adult me as well. I wished it lasted longer. Dubbed in Polish for the local market - sounds decently but inaccessible to English-speaking kids. That's it. There's a long scene along with the final credits.
DAS VORSPIEL (THE AUDITION)
Watchable. I've seen it all before. It's a pretty standard psychological drama comprising of generic tropes slapped onto the main storyline once here once there to keep the audience waiting for the conclusion. Lacks novelty. On the other hand, it's a rare occasion to see what violin lessons look like.
All the four reviews are based on distributors' screeners. Cinematic experience might differ.
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