הנה אנחנו (HERE WE ARE) 

Watchable. Having attended several Jewish film festivals, I associated Israeli cinema with basically three topics: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the Holocaust and the orthodox community. This one is different. While the subject of taking care of an autistic son would be niche elsewhere, in this case it makes the Israeli movie versatile. And does so very humanely. It shows how a special care person is a clog in the machinery of the social welfare system which is heart-wrenching and disturbing at times. The father and son road trip is beautiful but tear-jerking. All the parts are perfectly acted so the movie tugs on your heartstrings. In spite of a satisfactory ending, it leaves you despondent.

H IS FOR HAPPINESS

Watchable. Enjoyable music, vivid colours, unmistakably Aussie vistas hold together a shambolic plot where kids, however smart, are gullible. That may be psychologically true but a girl trying to mend her extended family relations is both silly and already overused in the world of fiction. Also, it's a set of pieces which are forced to fit the puzzle - they appear so disconnected. A nice little post-credit completes the movie. 

Reviewed from screeners, cinematic reception might differ.

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

Recommended. It follows in the footsteps of "The Hunting Ground" - an acclaimed documentary which failed to make real-life impact. This fictitious tale is looking to break new ground, taking off the heavy tones and turning an authentic issue into a sassy thriller. Music is integral to the "Promising Young Woman"'s appeal. The movie boasts Atmos sound which enriches the music even in an ordinary theatre. Light pop songs in the like of "It's Raining Men" clash with Cassandra's (the protagonist's mythical name's certainly not accidental) peculiar hobby - as it seems at first. Carey Mulligan is fantastic as the lead. Her hairstyles, costumes, make-up play a role too. Speaking of visuals, certain scene makes you wonder if it's blood or sauce on her leg, hand and blouse. This attractive flick, made by women: produced by Margot Robbie, written and directed by Emerald Fennell explicitly demonstrates a number of stereotypes people fall victim of, implicates everyone and turns the tables - it's social psychology served as a saucy dish. There are quite a few surprises along the way and an unconventional final solution. 

My first visit to a cinema since the recent thawing out the economy in Poland was great: most people wore masks properly during the screening but I had also purchased an FFP2 mask which made it easier not to worry about those who obnoxiously disregarded the pandemic precautions. Even in the middle of a week day the cinema was largely filled with an audience so the industry is on the best way to recover. Also, a surrounding 5.1 sound was like a balm on my deprived ears.

A TUBA TO CUBA

Watchable. What it's about isn't clear but it's attractive. A random assembly of professionally shot, colourful views of New Orleans and Cuba, wonderful tap dancing sound effects, conga music, jazz and comments by musicians. Kind of a tribute to instrumentalists paying tribute to their African ancestors and one particular musician's family heritage story. The documentary assumes you have background knowledge of New Orleans jazz and that you can recognize urban shots from both regions - I couldn't, only the language would sometimes indicate to me whether it's Cuba or the south of the US. Pleasant but haywire.

Reviewed online, cinematic reception might differ.

ΜΕΛΑ (APPLES)

Recommended. The Greek production is austere but engaging, something you find in this country's cinema often. The set-up is perversely familiar and relatable. When you hear that there's "no cure" and that "no one has returned to their previous life" it sounds very much like pandemic experiences. But here the disease affecting the whole society - the ill and the healthy alike - is amnesia. The science-fiction set-up is played out as a psychological drama. At some point you realize someone has a secret. The ending reveals the reason for the deception. Smartly scripted. Convincingly acted. Thought-provoking and truly original.

PROSTE RZECZY (SIMPLE THINGS)

Switched off. Why would I watch such boring people living their empty life? Both the family and the makers look scruffy, as if they've never heard of a comb and they have a toddler who is no more disgusting than the neglected adults are. An amateurish production throughout.

SLUZOBNICI (SERVANTS)

Watchable. The Slovak offering tries very hard to imitate the Polish "Zimna wojna" ("Cold War") with an element of "Kler" ("Clergy"). It's high contrast black and white, set during the Cold War and a priest protagonist ran over someone when drunk. The main plot, however, is far from the Polish hits. The Slovak one deals with the Church forced to collaborate with communist authorities. But the movie drags awfully. Never mind meticulous cinematography, e.g. a spiral staircase looking like a fossil snail shell, a white steamy bathroom or an air shot of priests playing footie resembling crows. It's style over substance.

A METAMORFOSE DOS PASSAROS (THE METAMORPHOSIS OF BIRDS)

Switched off. The opening shocks you with a close-up of a face. But what follows are musings in a narrative form which don't translate well to the screen. It's Portuguese and their movies tend to be slow. So that completes the ruin of the picture. 

Reviewed from online screeners but the movies are being released at cinemas today.

BLOOD MACHINES

Recommended. Stunning visuals by writer-producer Seth Ickerman: mind-blowing CGIs, real life acting, including a hot male lead (Anders Heinrichsen), and rotoscoped naked women are complemented by awe-inspiring electro music by Carpenter Brut. Story-wise it's the #metoo rebellion on a cosmic scale. Unusual but mostly worth for the sensual pleasures of this 50-minute sci-fi video clip.

Reviewed from an online screener but I bet it'll be even better on aa big screen with cinema quality sound.

THE LOVE WITCH

Recommended. A totally female-made, entirely late-60s/early-70s-style, 2016-produced, Technicolor imitation. The costumes, make-up, hair-styling, cinematography and music are astonishing in the re-enaction of the bygone era. Skillfully shot, with always enough and never too much nudity. The 1977 version of "Suspiria" came to my mind in visual terms,"Barbarella" (1968) in terms of the female protagonist's provocative feminism sexy adventures. "Midsommar" (2019) appears to have been inspired by the scene where the couple are crowned at a Midsommar festivity which harks back to medieval times but those possible two-way pop culture inspirations and references stay on the margins of this original film. The visual fest, on a deeper level, is about the inability to attain love. And about all sorts of other relationship mishaps. Partly comical, partly criminal, thoroughly mysterious and alluring with the colours and shapes. The movie has enchanted me.

ROBIN'S WISH

Recommended. Touching from early minutes and tear-jerking even if you haven't been that big a fan, informative both about Robin Williams as a person and as an actor and about his disease: Lewy body dementia. The story takes you to and fro over his lifetime in a perfectly lucid way. Expectedly, it's a tribute to the man loved worldwide but also a documentary which puts you right into his disease, inside his paining consciousness. By the end, you've understood the film opening with Robin's disconnected speech about the human mind.

SLALOM

Watchable. Engaging but disturbing - it often feels like watching child porn. Noée Abita, known from "Ava", is now 21 but still looks underage. I just felt disgusted with the film message. The only truly impressive moment was in the end credits mimicking snow blown in one direction as if you were riding down a slope.

Apart from the movie as such, I felt both envious and uplifted seeing that a minor can walk into a pharmacy and get the day-after pill over the counter in France.

Reviewed from online screeners but the movies will be on at cinemas this (Valentine) weekend. Cinema returns with a bang.

SYMETRIA (SYMMETRY) (2003) - ONLINE

Watchable. The most iconic of Konrad Niewolski's films makes for compelling viewing and is superbly performed. Set in prison - consulted with experts so I trust its realism. Unlike his later productions, this one lacks an astonishing twist of action. In fact, it's not clear where the story's going and the film fails to answer many of the questions it poses. There's a thin line between a movie being ambiguous and being incomplete.