KINO DZIECI FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE

WIKING TAPPI: MAGICZNA KOLYSKA, AWANTURA Z WODNIKAMI,, CZARY WIEDZMY SKRZYPICHY, PODSTEP JARLA SURKOLA

Watchable. Perfectly appropriate for the 4+ age group. Pleasant and warm. But both the stories and the drawings seem oversimplified.

ELLEVILLE ELFRID (ELLA BELLA BINGO)

Watchable. A delightful, full-bodied animation, with a rich, eventful, detailed plot. The core story's about falling out with a best friend and learning that people mean more than objects. But you also find a rabbit putting a poster in search of a missing carrot and plenty of attractions in an amusement park. You immediately warm to all characters: animals, adults, children. A number of cheerful American pop hits mostly from the 80s.The only element that detracts from this lovely tale is the idea of a circus - much outdated. The bike in the air crossing the face of a moon E.T.-style is also terribly 80s and put together with the circus feels old-fashioned.

TONY HALIK (TONY HALIK. BORN FOR ADVENTURE)

Recommended. Watched on Polish Television for 20 years by 18 million people and unknown numbers on NBC before that he inspired generations of travellers. It's a comprehensive multilingual documentary biography of an unusual man and of the times before mass tourism. A big part of the film is narrated by his son, Ozana Halik, who's childhood resembled "Captain Fantastic". While his approach is on the bitter side, it's the core of what Tony Halik was - a free spirit, both in terms of his 180 000 km journey through the world and his outlook. His yarns mixed truth with fantasy, he was emotionless and fearless, able to manoeuvre all authorities which practically makes him a benevolent psychopath. His carnivorous diet led to a heart failure and his death at 75. He wanted to die travelling but his wife couldn't face it and brought him home. But he lived the way he always wanted to. His incessant love of travel feels infectious even now in the pandemic times. Apart from his life, the documentary depicts historic developments across the world over his lifetime. One in particular shook me up: Solidarity movement times, the fall of communism in Poland and an archbishop says, repeatedly: "now feed off us, we will bill you later". Is this why Polish authorities are still flooding the Church with enormous donations nowadays? On the funny note, Tony tells a hilarious story when the trousers of his borrowed suit ripped with a sound when he was bowing to greet the British Queen - one of a long list of the greats of his time.

Watched from an online screener, cinematic reception might differ.

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7

Recommended. Right in the wake of civilian protests in the US, Belarus, Poland, name it, comes this brilliant courtroom drama about real life activists put on trial in 1969. With a star-studded cast. Not only is it thoroughly engaging which is typical for the genre, it contains also lots of humour, e.g. defendants taking the mickey out of the judge and saying "Overruled" in unison with him. It's fast-paced, forcing you to stay alert all the time not to miss any gem as it sparkles with sharp responses. Perfectly matching music. Pictures from the riots contain inserted black and white footage which is even more brutal than the staged part. It tugs on your heartstrings at particularly one morally frightening point. But most of all it's a brainy puzzle of how to win a set-up case. Based on facts which pretty much says how it ends but even if you're familiar with the case, the movie consists of top-notch performances based on an awesome script.

JAK ZOSTAC GWIAZDA

Recommended. It's all professionally, world-standard shot and recorded, all things technical are excellent here. The film may be tacky, especially music, but, as it's put in the picture, TV is all about tacky. What's more, I couldn't resist enjoying it. It's truly light entertainment, ridiculing the celebrity world. It's constantly tongue-in-cheek. Every line is to the point. It has little undertones of how the show business rollercoaster elevates people and then drops from heights. Fine performances all around, both from comedy veterans and from newbies. Wojciech Solarz, virtually unknown but extremely talented, plays a hapless PE teacher.
The costume designer has also demonstrated a great eye for detail: first the girl wears a check shirt, then her father is seen wearing check trousers, finally the producer appears in a check suit. Lots of amusing scenes along the end credits and one post-credit.

The actors present at the screening were as full of themselves as in the film. They didn't want to cover their wannabe faces behind masks so I stayed away from them.
Tomasz Karolak, who's slimmer in this film that in his previous one, has further lost weight since the shooting and is surprisingly even handsome in real life nowadays.

GO FISH

Watchable. My first impression was enticing - the coral reef with colourful fish looked just lovely. But the impression quickly waned and gave way to annoyance. The film is dedicated to little children. But do the fish have to resemble fat human babies? That's vexingly unnatural and detracts from their initial charm. Silly conversations will be boring for adults. But parents may like the educational value of the film. Children learn a lot about marine life, e.g. a sea cucumber or how sea creatures have their teeth cleaned - all in a way perfectly age-appropriate. Although most fish protagonists have distorted shapes, the shark stood out. She looked perfect and even sent chills down my spine. She also swam away moving her tail the way real sharks do. The Polish version is dubbed which, apart from excluding foreign kids, means you won't be able to hear Mark Hamill voicing Dennis.

Reviewed from an online screener of top quality, however a cinematic reception might differ.

HAP (HOPE)

Watchable. I'm impressed with Norwegian health service - patient and dedicated doctors available 24/7, procedures on the same day. To Polish people it looks like a fable even when you're dying. Having said that, I detest movies about cancer - it's such an exploited topic. This movie luckily is set up in a big, loving family, mostly over a festive period. The family atmosphere and their Christmas spent together were so suggestive, I expected to see snow outside my windows afterwards - silly, it's September and 20 degrees Celsius. The actors cast in the leading roles, as passionate lovers among others, aren't convincing, mostly due to the visibly huge age difference: Andrea Bræin Hovig is 47 and Stellan Skarsgård is 69. And the movie, however warm, is annoyingly slow.

Watched online so cinematic reception might differ.

MULAN 3D

Recommended in this format too. In 3D it's even better. You can marvel at the meticulously created set, including Mulan's home village, now perfectly round, or be amazed by a spider dangling in front of you. Set pieces are shot from a few angles, where especially wall-walking sequences are impressive. But so is the cinematography as such, e.g. dimmed light or snowy mist add to the combination of varying emotions during watching.

SWALLOW

Recommended. Mesmerising from scene one, mostly due to the glossy cinematography showcasing the riches the young woman has married into. Haley Bennett is superb as the "doll" located in the isolated, posh, lavish but emptish house and kept there like decoration. The title is loaded with meanings: from physical ones - and does Hunter swallow stuff and metaphoric. The callousness of the emotionally frigid wealthy for who everything and everyone has to be just right constitutes economic violence. Later an issue from the woman's past overlaps her picture-perfect cold marriage and she swallows all the insults new and old. The story's fictitious but based around a little known disorder, existing in reality. It's solidly rooted in scientific facts behind such cases. And it serves the film well, since the story's so extraordinary, physically and mentally, from the beginning till the end. I had never seen anything like it before. And I watch a few hundred movies per year, mind it. And Haley Bennett deserves an Oscar.

Watched online so cinematic reception might differ.

WARSAW FILM FESTIVAL

Half the usual audience will be able to attend due to the Covid-regime. At the same time there's a long list of very promising movies. "Big Boys Don't Cry", "Unidentified" and "Droneman" seem particularly intriguing - after narrowing down the top-notch cinema options. For technical reasons though, movies won't be shown online (they lack stereo mixing), only at the cinema. I'm not planning on going but I bet that if I did I would find lots of fascinating productions.

THE NEST

Watchable. Well executed in spite of predictability. Clear shots, an even pace, a simple story, Jude Law suitably cast in the successful business operator wannabe role. But you feel from the early minutes all this wealthy lifestyle is phoney and the family unit is going to collapse under the weight of aspirations and the pressure to be always "ravishing". All songs, e.g. "Hold Me Now", "Runaway", "Don't Leave Me This Way", "Smalltown Boy" have been handpicked as commentaries on the story developments. Also, London City looks like a ghost town when the man goes to work at weekends and the area around signifying Bank station is shown every time - both symbolic. So is the horse case when it comes to his wife. It's all exceedingly in your face. Children obviously have or cause their own problems as well. Not a bad psychological drama but the story's nothing new.

25 LAT NIEWINNOSCI. SPRAWA TOMKA KOMENDY (25 YEARS OF INNOCENCE. THE CASE OF TOMEK KOMENDA)

Recommended. Based on a loud case of a wrongfully convicted man exonerated after 18 years in prison. The original story is as shocking as the film depicts. The movie is skillfully cut - it takes you back and forth in time, presenting the case from a few angles, once focusing on the brutally raped girl, once on Tomek, once on the investigator, but maintains clarity all the time. Also, the waking up scene early on is masterfully cut from one time to another. The story's gripping, moving at times, often scary when you realize Tomek's entrapment and hopelessness. Long-time expert Jacek Moczulski consulted on the prison system. And it's harrowing knowing how it works - it's an accumulation of all imaginable pathologies and some I wouldn't have even imagined. Piotr Trojan is utterly convincing as Tomek. Well-known actors, like Bartosz Opania, Zofia Stafiej, Jan Frycz, Magdalena Różczka appear in episodes or cameos. But the most delightful is the cameo of titular Tomasz Komenda in the last scene when Piotr Trojan's Tomek comes up to the real life Tomek to ask for a cigarette. As in any decent biopic, actual Tomek as well as the investigator and the prosecutors who got him freed, stride together in a soothing finale.

다만 악에서 구하소서 (DELIVER US FROM EVIL)

Watchable. Exciting but flawed. The opening is terribly chaotic - like the evil guy admits later on, he doesn't even remember why he's after the good guy. I don't remember either. This thriller is packed with action keeping you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately, it's also packed with visibly fake CGIs and medical nonsense. At least music is decent. And some initial shots, with night in different colours, once purple, another time blue, hint at an artistic eye of the cinematographer. This brutal film occasionally displays subtle shades, e.g. the evil guy would slaughter dogs in the past while a knight in a shiny armour can be recognized in the one who slows down his car to let two stray dogs cross the road. The movie has a handful of well-written characters, especially both local helpers. The finale took me by surprise. 

Reviewed from a screener, cinematic reception might differ.

INTERIOR

Walked out. A typical Polish budget movie which must have got funding just because it's so cheaply made. No plot, just mentions of problems so mundane that my own are more interesting. Nothing else to attract a viewer: poor cinematography, cut and sound engineering. A problem is presented, than the protagonist is driving, next another issue, then he's in the car again. Frequent machine noise comes from the background. No acting - just accidental people appear on the screen.

SKANDAL. EWENEMENT MOLESTY (SCANDAL)

Watchable. A documentary about an obscure Polish hip-hop band from a Warsaw suburb but directed so professionally, world-standard I watched it with full attention. I'm not a fan of gangsta rap and the streetwise guys who formed the band had little musical prowess, especially in comparison to some of American hip-hop performers they imitated, otherwise I'd enjoy it more. But the film explains their background e.g. a low level of education, smoking joints, skiving responsibilities, avoiding commitments and the social and economic changes of the 1990s in the country. I dreaded the period. They enjoyed it. Lots of material from those years as well as current commentary. Contains some references to Proceder - a band depicted in actors' movie "Proceder" (reviewed here in December 2019). Excellent cutting makes for an engaging watching in spite of the poor music of the protagonists.

Reviewed from an online screener with perfect sound but, as always, cinematic reception might differ.

LES BONHEURS DES UNS (A FRIENDLY TALE)

Watchable. An insightful satire on envy. It dissects both people's personalities and the mechanisms of their behaviour in the face of a friend's sudden success. Vincent Cassel in a supporting role excels as a smooth businessman and this part is a nice change after his playing a serious of rougher characters. Still, I didn't laugh out loud even once and the first half of the movie was tedious. Set in the literary world which appears to be successful in France, unlike in Poland - heart-warming.

Reviewed from an online screener, cinematic reception might differ. I hope the light white subtitles will be either more visible on a big screen or of a different type for cinemas.

DA CVEN VICEKVET (AND THEN WE DANCED)

Watchable. Largely predictable both as a dance picture and as a gay movie. With the difference it lacks a happy ending in either layer. I have a soft spot for dancing but these dances - traditional Georgian styles, even if technically nearly impossible, lacked cinema-oriented choreographies and filming mode. Only the finale was both emotive and technically superb - even if the moves didn't constitute a Georgian dance. Made me try the moves myself though.

Reviewed from an online screener, cinematic reception might differ.

ADWOKAT (THE ADVOCATE)

Walked out. It's so amateurish everything in this movie fails. Starts with a several-minute long philosophical speech so monotonous it can lull you to sleep before the action even begins. Hang on, action? What action? You get a terminally ill - with obligatory cancer - lecturer and his young, depressed son who happens to be a lawyer. His job is boring. So are his conversations with others: dull and superficial, with even the head of the legal firm sounding downright unprofessional. But it's not the protagonist who's a failure. The whole film is. It's poorly shot and lit, miserably acted and is it directed and cut at all? It drags unbearably and morose music doesn't ramp up the pace. I feel sorry for those who are still sitting at the cinema and watching.

The film crew at the premiere flouted the pandemic safety rules. Just like they had ignored movie-making principles before.

AFTER WE COLLIDED

Watchable. This sequel, by Roger Kumble, who took over the directing from more subtle Jenny Gage and made me miss her immediately, is so steamy at times you can almost smell cum. No nudity though, it's still aimed at teenagers. It's a peculiar mixture of genuine bits and far-fetched developments. Beautiful, sleek people, all working or having worked for top companies throw tantrums at the tiniest problems encountered in their relationships. Many behaviours and dialogues sound natural for young people, especially Harbin's responses. But the picture-perfect parents who turn out to be deeply troubled at the same time, don't convince. The mid-credit with Tessa's blonde colleague implies a sequel.

TARAPATY 2 (TRIPLE TROUBLE)

Watchable. Julka is played by another girl than in part one. But it's Mia Goti as Felka and Marta Malikowska as her mother who are annoying more than the script requires - they don't suit the comedy genre. It's fantastically directed, by Marta Karwowska again - she clearly feels children's cinema and action as well, the heist is superb. And while the script, with red herrings and an unpredictable ending, is engaging and naturally develops the story from "Tarapaty" ("Double Trouble"), my favourite gang is missing and the storyline lacks originality. There's less humour too, though I loved the policemen chasing the dog: "Stój, policja!" ("Police, stop!"). The best layer of this sequel is music - with songs in Polish and English and outstanding instrumental pieces.

SARLATAN (CHARLATAN)

Watchable. Agnieszka Holland dwells on the past and persecution over and over again. Presents it realistically down to each prop. The film's set in darkness most of the time which makes watching a bit on the difficult side. The eponymous charlatan heals people but cheats on nature doing so as well as deceives others hiding his sexual orientation. Like in Holland's earlier "Pokot" ("Spoor"), the protagonist is ambiguous - he saves and he kills. The director, again, fails to explain why he is the way he is. And why did the assistant sacrifice himself? And did he in fact and did it work? These and other vital questions remain unanswered. The story's based on facts, made into a biopic, but with no poetic licence, not even to provide a backdrop version of their motivations. She just assembled facts and made it into an actors' film instead of a documentary where such information gaps would be justifiable.

LA FAMEUSE INVASION DES OURS EN SICILE (THE BEARS' FAMOUS INVASION OF SICILY)

Watchable. The animation has a warm palette of distinct colours and plays heavily with light and shadow and with perspective. Story-wise, it consists of two equal parts and the second half is less ordinary than the first. Unfortunately the movie lacks lightness in visuals and in the plot or dialogues. It just feels heavy all the time.

Watched online. Cinematic reception might differ.

MULAN

Recommended. A beautifully enacted legend set in exotic China of the Tang dynasty and imbued with Confucian values. Lavish decor, costumes and make-up rich in saturated colours, breath-taking landscapes, natural-looking mythical birds, top-notch martial art choreographies - a visual delight. Add humour, suspense, emotions and it's easy to immerse yourself in Niki Caro's splendid vision. Jet Li is cast as the Emperor and new Zealandese heartthrob Yoson An as Honghui. Hua Mulan and Honghui have a crush on each other so I'm looking forward to a sequel. The end credits are accompanied by probably the same song in 3 languages: first local (Polish here), then English and finally Chinese.

PETLA 

Recommended. Patryk Vega's back on top form so expect sex and violence but also well-paced, involving action and distinct characters. The opening is weird for Patryk Vega's movies. It astonished me with its semblance to the opening of utterly religious biopic "Miłość i miłosierdzie" ("Love and Mercy"). At first you see the titular loop but rather on a cosmic scale, then you hear voices and can't see anything, and then comes a naturalistic picture of birth. Next, you fast forward through the protagonist's life till he reaches adulthood. The difference between "Miłość i miłosierdzie" ("Love and Mercy") and "Pętla" is he's no saint. He's a gangster. Or... police officer. Whatever. Well, his prenatal journey through life seems to serve a double purpose. Firstly, it shows an innocent at first baby can become anyone. Secondly, towards the end, you understand the religious tone of the opening since the story's one of a prodigal son. Yes, a religious story in a gangster form. This time Vega presents his version of the Podkarpacie sex exploits story persuading us Russian intelligence is behind the whole thing. He does it compellingly and I've taken his point. The club in the movie is called Imperium (meaning: empire) which mocks the grandiose names of the original clubs e.g. Olimp (meaning: Olympus) or Prince. The dumb policeman is a recurring character-type in Vega's productions. This time you also get a mockery of "The Ring" and "Grudge" - both in one scene. Parallel to the end credits Patryk Vega poses with the original twin brothers and other photos of the people involved in the scandal are screened - as usual, Mr. Vega is bragging of his successful research. 

JAK NAJDALEJ STAD (I NEVER CRY)

Watchable. A drama about a rough teenager bereaved of her estranged father. Well-paced and clear-cut. With an interesting music piece when the girl gets drunk in Dublin - the song doesn't sound European so no direct relevance to the plot but I loved the sounds. But the core story, however engaging, is bereft of emotions. Typical for Piotr Domalewski's movies. He's finally got the grip of the movie pace and organization but the film feels as empty as his earlier ones, e.g.: "Cicha noc" ("Silent Night"), "Historia Roja" ("The Story of Swarm (roj) Or You Hear Better Underground"), "Demon".

GULLREGN (THE GARDEN)

Recommended. That's one smart movie. Icelandic scriptwriter and director Ragnar Bragason, who had made a movie about children and also one about parents, this time created a feature about child-mother relationships. And sprinkled it with a dash of racism. It's hilarious at times, e.g. when the mother's best friend trips over, usually ironic, at times sad or hard-hitting. Most of all, it's a sharp satire about an overbearing mother who manipulates everyone around her but turning into a profound psychological drama when more family secrets are revealed and you see the light why she is this way. Her shrewd neighbour-friend is another brilliantly written character. A masterpiece of scriptwriting and acting.

Reviewed from a screener. Cinematic reception might differ.


17TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FESTIVAL

This time a real life, held in-cinema, conference on the documentary film festival at which the organizers all the movie makers and most of the media acted as if Covid-19 was fiction. I'm not planning on attending it this year. With so many individuals ignoring the distance and or not wearing masks it's going to be a horror-like experience. Maybe the later online version will be better but... I have no clue if the platform is going to screen the movies with a better quality than they did in the spring when the pictures stuttered and the sound was barely audible. Plenty of new Polish documentaries will be shown this year, hardly any enticing though. "Z wnetrza" ("From Within"), about painter Beksiński, perpetuates his cult in Poland. I've been looking forward to seeing "Blizny" ("Scars") but the cameraman referred to the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist group which mimics the Sri Lankan ruling regime's narration so now I'm apprehensive about the portrayal of the rebels. Dorota Proba, who's been creating the festival trailers for years, now has shot a documentary: "Między nami" ("Between Us") - this trailer hasn't encouraged me though. On the brighter side, TVP Kultura in Poland is going to show earlier festival editions highlights. A film on Tony Halik, famous in communist times traveller who respected all authorities, might be a gem due to the protagonist. Apart from screenings, in-cinema and online Q&As will take place after some films. A foreign documentary worth seeing is:

THE CAPOTE TAPES

Recommended. I've never read any of his books, I don't think I have ever watched "Breakfast at Tiffany's" till the end but loved this biopic. And it's not about his grandiose style either. The documentary is a comprehensive study both of the writer's personality and of "the beautiful people" as the New York elites are called. Turns out the rich are bored silly hence their penchant for extravagant guests. He received la dolce vita and a million-dollar advance on a book, they were entertained. While his veracity has often been contested, the shock at his revealing the jet set party's exploits hints at their truth. The film covers the length of his life and is both inquisitive and enjoyable. 

KINO W TRAMPKACH FILM FESTIVAL - ONLINE

I AM ELEVEN

From what I managed to see it was mediocre: the beginning didn't make sense and I still don't get why the 23-year-old decided to focus on this age. Later the 11-year-olds sounded the way they're bound to be when adult. You could tell their world view was fully formed and could easily picture them the same way as adults. That's profound but I'm not sure the director meant to convey this message since at face value the documentary is quite chaotic.

The streaming on mojeekino.pl, which showed it was going to be available for 48 hours, stuttered so badly the first 50 minutes of the film took nearly 2 hours and then it froze so I had to resign yesterday but thought I'd continue next day. Today I discovered the movie had disappeared from the platform.