THE COMEBACK TRAIL

Watchable. The comedy is set in Tinseltown so contains inside jokes like: "I've always wanted to kill a producer." or showing how putting an actor in near death situations immediately brings forward his Oscar chances. The vicious plan is predictable but fun, though not original ever since Mel Brooks shot "The Producers" about ones who wanted to flop. Whether the contentious relationship within the family or the menacing gang, the film fails to amuse. I guess it's down to inept direction since the actors are decent, the script rather good although those jokes about frail elderly people? I'm not sure. The mid-credit is a trailer of the "Killer Nuns" mentioned in the opening and is not bad.

CREATION STORIES

Recommended. Co-written by Irvine Welsh, it's fun "Trainspotting" style but largely based on facts. Lots of tunes by Sex Pistols, Oasis and other greats means you rock out to the riveting soundtrack. For me, it was the first time I'd heard David Bowie's "Rebel Rebel" - I had heard covers only before without realising who sang the original. And music does matter. The protagonist is Alan McGee - a legend and the kingpin of the punk music industry but remarkably he produced all those bands just out of love for music, money rarely followed. The movie dazzles you with a myriad of visual effects and ever-changing scenes. You even get to see goosebumps rising on his hand or a primary school teacher jacking up. The story shows how pure luck makes history. I loved every minute of the film. 

Director Nick Moran says Benedict Cumberbatch was offered Malcolm McLaren's part but turned it down because it was going to be just one morning's job. More of the big shots failed to turn up. So Nick ended up performing the role himself. He had met Malcolm McLaren once before so he knew how to act. And he was brilliant. Then he kept directing in the wig for the rest of the day. The director seemed a bit concerned about the vulgar vocabulary used by the characters. He needn't be. Poles are accustomed to swear words. Funnily, the movie's a UK-Polish co-production since the UK producers lacked funds. The Polish co-producer is a long-time friend of the director's. The Polish chap met him in Morocco in 2005 when he was working as a photographer taking stills for some movie and noticed someone bent down walking up a rocky hill - that was Nick Moran looking for his passport. The producer says his first time in London was in gastronomy but the second time he landed at Heathrow he knew where to direct his steps. 

ESCAPE ROOM: TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

Watchable. Starts with a summary of the events from part one. Very handy since the first instalment was so forgettable. This one is better, no longer ludicrous. It is inventive but some room ideas are pervertedly cruel, e.g. acid rain. One of the characters is a copy of Amanda from "Saw" and she even bears the same name. The film's recorded in Atmos but the sound does not stand out in any way. The ending resembles Cronenberg's "eXistenZ". The whole film is a mixture of creativity and derivativity. Clearly part three is on the cards. I'm curious what it's going to bring. Hopefully a solution. I have a feeling the series will wear down if kept on for too long. 

SUPERNOVA

Watchable. The first half drags, only stunning images of lochs, moors and the Highlands in all sorts of lighting kept me watching. Mid-way through you realize a protagonist plans a suicide and the reasoning behind the decision validates the movie more than the initial complaints about the satnav or other silly disputes. From the moment the couple reach the house, you start getting occasional amusing bits, e.g. a hilarious scene where a guy falls from his bed.

THE WAR WITH GRANDPA

Recommended.  A grandpa taking over the boy's room turns the family's life topsy-turvy. "Home Alone" meets "National Lampoon's" in this hilarious - look at the mum's run-ins with the police, for one - family comedy. While Polish cinemas will show the movie only in Polish dubbing, the translation is top-notch, with lots of puns, and for foreigners - a lot of the film is self-explanatory. Fine performances in all roles whether big or small, adult or minor ensure continuous entertainment. Extra materials from the set and deleted scenes can be seen in the mid-credit.

BLACK WIDOW 3D

Recommended. Not only for 3D being even slightly better than 2D, but mostly to catch more details, connections and Easter Eggs. Also parts of the film are no less touching when seen again. The use of music is special - unexpected for the kind of action underscored, but never off. Whistling between the two young women resembles the Mockingjay whistle from "The Hunger Games". The 3D version is superior not just for gimmicks like a blade right in front of your eyes. The three dimensions make it easier to spot visual minutiae e.g. of Taskmaster learning from a video (of Hawkeye and Black Panther fighting in "Captain America: Civil War"). Natasha and Yelena do look like sisters. Also, both of them and Melina all have their hair braided hair at the family reunion - in 3 different styles, also evoking associations with: Russia - braided hair symbolised honour and pride, Ukraine's former Prime Minister oppositionist Yulia Tymoshenko, or Princess Leia from "Star Wars". White costumes, though directly mimicking the "Black Widow: Deadly Origin" comic book, also echo Star Wars troopers - known for their blind obedience. Yelena is wearing a vest on it, bought by herself, rendering her more of a Han Solo character. The Red Room evokes "Shining" where the room meant murder. The Polish translation into "komnata" instead of "pokój" deprives the film of this connotation. As for characters, it was only this time I realized it was Valentina, not Melina in the post-credit. Another thought that occurred to me was that though written and shot before the Covid pandemic, severing the nose nerve carries so much meaning nowadays. The remote system Dreykov applies to "make or break kings" round the globe from Russia is more obvious after the Cambridge Analytica scandal and the shady company's connections with Russia. Also, from the photos outlining the history along with the opening credits, we know he's someone close to Putin. The feminist layer manifests a number of references I overlooked at the first viewing. "Where's an Avenger when you need one?" sounds like a phrase women use saying: "Where's a man when you need one" - spot on, taken most Avengers are male. Dreykov talking of Natasha as of someone he raised brings to mind domestic violence against women, while Red Guardian's behaviour and talk to Yelena signifies the importance of fathers taking care of their children. Lined up little girls with their mascots look just like human trafficking victims we've heard of in real life. "Why the aggression?!" is a common man's reaction when a woman acts the way he does. Finally, Natasha defending her little sister is kind of protecting her younger self. This movie is profound like hardly any other superhero blockbuster. It moves deeply and at the same time plays with numerous social, political and pop culture references.

TRES VEROES (THREE SUMMERS)

Watchable. A typical contemporary Brazilian story of a strong woman among the rich. Madá, acted by Regina Casé, is the highlight of this uplifting tale. She's vivacious and has an amiable manner and it's her that makes the movie worthwhile. The film itself could do with a better pacing, South American way it's unhurried which deprives the plot of much of the amusement and some suspense it could have otherwise. It retains some humour in the boat trip scene, where the guide lists who's in prison and who isn't. A handful of v istas of the majestic coastline are the icing on the cake.

ZUZEL (SPEEDWAY)

Watchable. Tomasz Ziętek as Lowa is superb as an actor and athletic enough to act as a sportsman. Authentic sports people appear in supporting roles. Arthur Reinhart triples as the producer, set designer - decent, especially the rope gives an impression the protagonist is going to kill himself - and cinematographer - the best aspect of the movie, e.g. gradual colour saturation, aquatic optical effects. However, the best ones appear too early and the whole film is in dark hues which makes you weary. Sound effects are top-notch but the speedway ones repeat over and over, only the dog barking in the residential area stands out after a while. The technicalities don't save the trivial plot with natural but banal dialogues. About one hour in, the action livens up, when Lowa has a change of heart, for a while. Showy but weary.

BLITHE SPIRIT

Watchable. Set in 1937 which is well recreated but the whole thing feels theatrical - no wonder, it's based on Noël Coward's play of the same title. The protagonist is a writer haunted by his deceased wife's ghost inadvertently summoned during a seance. He's at his wits' end as the interloper attempts to ruin his marriage. It's all aptly acted, especially by Leslie Mann as the ghost. She's an American, while Isla Fisher, impersonating the living wife, is an Australian. That explains how this British play has lost its Britishness in the acting process. The movie delivers quality visuals, e.g. cards swirling in the air. The twists announced by the apparition do take place. What pervades the movie is sarcasm rather than humour as such. At least that part's definitely British.

THE UNHOLY

Recommended. Based on James Herbert's book "Shrine", this supernatural horror induces fear through some jump scares, though unusual ones, and guarantees suspense. It also offers surrounding sound effects, even though recorded in ordinary Dolby. Music by Joseph Bishara, the composer behind "The Conjuring" and "Insidious" series, gives you the creeps till the very end of the end credits. The sense smuggled in the undertones that behind many priests there's Satan - "Right behind a shrine, the Devil builds a chapel" - renders it quite relevant to the contemporary revelations about the crimes of the Church.

W JAK MORDERSTWO

Recommended. Based on the crime comedy novel by Katarzyna Gacek and scripted by herself, together with director Piotr Mularuk. The opening typography already manifests originality, next comes a perfect character exposition - you effortlessly and effectively learn who is who together with their personality types. Dorota Roqueplo has designed costumes and they are memorable. Magda's outfits look casual but graceful and the police detective wears a macintosh coat resembling that of Columbo's. Magda's clothes even match interiors, also carefully designed. Attention to detail extends to music and sound effects. "Kung Fu Fighting" is used ingeniously. The "Pink Panther Theme" is the accidental sleuth's mobile ringtone. At some point a peacock's shriek is heard on entry to a posh residence, shortly to be repeated as Weronika's. Humour ranges from situation type, e.g. Magda's hiding dancing on stage, to verbal, e.g. "Skontland Yard". You're rewarded for being observant, e.g. spotting ul. Zdrady (Betrayal Street). You can bet on the twists of action. Superb performances on absolutely all parts mean it's excellently directed. The movie's well-paced too. The structure is impeccable. Maybe a perfect crime doesn't exist. But a perfect crime comedy does.

SCIEMA PO POLSKU

Watchable. Kurka Wodna Productions (the company's name could be translated as: 'Blimey Productions') was such a witty name I was immediately hopeful it might be a quality comedy. Far from that. How is it even possible to release a movie that sexist?! It's all about girls being dumb but with big silicon tits which they often show naked or are made to present to the director by deception or violence. The movie he's telling them he's shooting is about a perv. But the true perv is the director himself. At least it's sensibly cut, fast-paced and has a surrounding sound - though some of the dialogue is incomprehensible, even if you speak perfect Polish.

The director, Mariusz Pujszo, is a cinematic case of the Dunning-Kruger effect: the worse the movie, the more confident the director is. At the same time, even though he was so full of himself, he instructed his team and friends to put high notes for the movie on Filmweb. Hapless ordinary viewers will be less inclined to do that. Anyway, don't trust the Filmweb rating too much.

DIE HEINZELS - RUCKKEHR DER HEINZELMANN (THE ELFKINS - BAKING A DIFFERENCE)

Watchable. The tale is engaging, characters distinct and the action is saving a confectionery so all sorts of pastries make the film sweet and yummy. It's all endearing but the storyline - about a vicious developer - is pretty standard. In Poland, it's all dubbed in Polish, unfortunately including songs. Only "Helping Hand" - the final song accompanying the end credits - is in English. To me, the tale was lovely but derivative. But children in the audience loved it.

LUCA 3D

Walked out. The 3D doesn't make much difference. I'm not sure if it's 3D or merely the second viewing that let me see more details, especially of dishes, e.g. basil on pasta. Also, I noticed that Bruno in the picture the boy shows to his companion resembled Gomez Addams from "The Addams Family". The reheated serving doesn't engage that much, though the Italian songs are catchy and blissfully in the original language. 

RETFAERDIGHEDENS RYTTERE (RIDERS OF JUSTICE)

Watchable. The title refers to a gang name but you don't doubt for a minute the actual riders of justice are our four protagonists. It's a brutal revenge story, a crime comedy, and a psychological drama, with an almost fairy-tale ending. While the unpredictability of the action is a forte, this genre combination takes you from one extreme to another and I sometimes had the impression the moviemakers didn't quite know what they wanted to achieve. It's convincingly acted but some of the humour is low-brow. Unfortunately, those bottom-end gags prey on your mind the longest. On a deeper level, the film tackles the role of pure chance in life and, which is psychologically true, how we always try to find sense in random incidents. One scene, where imaginary fire can be seen on Markus' trousers, wonderfully reflects Otto's fear of him. Unsurprisingly, you get another fantastic performance by Mads Mikkelsen, but also by Nikolaj Lie Kaas, Lars Brygmann, Nicolas Bro as the members of this motley crew. The whole thing is original, engaging, entertaining but flawed.

PIXIE 

Watchable. The idea must have come from the changing face of the Emerald Island, traditionally associated with green pastures. This movie sets the record straight about the seemingly peaceful country. It puts together elements of what people know about Ireland and throws in a bunch of wannabe drug dealers (the leads) set against a gang of priests - the Church, after all, has been getting away with a few thousand years of paedophilia - vaguely threatening the rivals on TV when talking about "the Lord". Drug dealing and big-time murder are the core of action which doesn't ring very true. And the movie definitely fails on a few points: cinematography, actors, direction. All that means it does not make for such compelling viewing. And the vexing ending is the straw that breaks the camel's back. Wasted priest gang potential.

Available on Internet platforms.

FRITZI - EINE WENDEWUNDERGESCHICHTE (FRITZI - A REVOLUTIONARY TALE)

Recommended. It's based on the children's book "Fritzi war dabei" but throughout this deeply moving animated tale, I kept analyzing whether it was meant for kids at all. Set in 1989, it tells of a German girl of the same age I was in back then. I also had a foxterrier and I loved going to Sassnitz in Insel Rügen on holidays where I stayed at Kinderferienlager Juri Gagarin. In the film, Fritzi attends Juri Gagarin Schule. So on the one hand, I guess it may appeal to the now-adults who remember those days, on the other, the heavy political subject, which reminded me both of women's protests in Poland not so long ago and of also animated "Persepolis", feels too serious for the little'uns. At the same time, the events are shown through a schoolgirl's eyes and the very animation style is perfectly suitable for all ages. The tale is captivating though woeful most of the time which is softened by the delightful dog, appearing also in the end credits.

THIS IS SHORT

NEW POINT OF VIEW

FLOWERS BLOOMING IN OUR THROATS

Switched off. Shapes and colours change when adults are made to play childish games with their hands. No content. 

LES NOUVEAUX DIEUX (NEW GODS)

Watchable. Top-notch animations and quality music mixed with real footage - as the director claims - about an incel whose loneliness and deprivation of love and sex led him to a terrorist act. Sadly, I can't make out what the guy actually did and whether he died or killed someone or both, making the film form over substance. 

AWARD CEREMONY

These two are, respectively, the 1st and 2nd prize winners. The ceremony was dull blabber. A brief compilation of all 23 contestants was worthwhile. The Audience Award went to "The Problem of the Hydra" which I had reviewed before.

CIOTKA HITLERA (HITLER'S AUNT)

Switched off. Nothing much happens and whatever events are taking place, they create no suspense, it just plods along. Much attention was put into set decoration and costumes for the realism of the time but I doubt a real war was so boring. Run-of-the-mill script, typical for Polish Television historical productions, and direction depriving the film of any potential emotions.

Seen online, cinematic reception might differ.

CUDAK

Watchable. Another Polish movie recreating the reality of the second world war convincingly. The protagonists are musicians and music is integral to "Cudak"'s appeal. The story's plausible therefore engaging. The not very clear ending feels rough-edged.

Seen online, cinematic reception might differ.

BLACK WIDOW

Recommended. A spin-off, occasional links to the main series are thrown in here and there but the focus is on her background and can be easily seen as a separate story. One armed with a smart script. If you're looking for action, there's no shortage. Like the other films in this series, it offers a number of obligatory fights shot at all angles. At the same time, it takes the mickey out of Black Widow's pose - to a hilarious effect. Witty lines are rare but there are some, e.g.: "You're a good friend." "That's what every guy wants to hear." But it's touching a good few times as well. The whole thing is well-constructed: The backstories are explained always at the right time. At some point, masks are pulled off which resembles a "Game of Thrones" scene - the nano mask appears in "Captain America: The Winter Soldier" but in "Black Widow" it's just before a kill. Shot in Norway, Budapest, Morocco, Bahamas (pretending Cuba), it offers a range of vistas. But this blockbuster, though entertaining on the very superficial level, delves into a range of serious topics so gently it doesn't feel forced for a second. What you get is worldwide manipulation and mind control from Russia - via implants and a scattered army of special female agents at the behest of a swine-like fat chap talking of girls as of "free resources". Olga Kurylenko cameos as Dreykov's daughter - the former model acts a character so deformed I didn't recognize her. Anyway, women's stories are different. Ironic, then, that the script has been written by two men and one woman. The women topic entails extremely brutal practices, with relevance to real life but treated so lightly, you don't feel the burden, even when you absorb them on the intellectual level. Women must be obedient or they are killed. Female organs removal takes place which means men take away women's reproductive rights. Women fight each other until they understand they're mind-controlled and they won't fight back because those who control them act like or smell like family. One scene was so suggestive my nose got runny all of a sudden. The "This time of the month?" question is asked too - really, all issues women face are mentioned - skillfully, briefly yet memorably. Women gaining free will is a big issue. The movie boasts Atmos sound but that won't matter. Imax isn't necessary either. It's a superhero flick with a story and profound social undertones even if well camouflaged by action. The scene after the 'pay-roll' makes you wonder if she's dead for real and then you hear sobbing which, subsequently, turns out to have a different cause. The post-credit is a must-see.

THE HITMAN'S WIFE'S BODYGUARD 

Watchable. Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Salma Hayek reprise their roles in the sequel of "The Htman's Bodyguard". The movie was shot in the UK, Bulgaria, Croatia and Italy, as if the action itself wasn't dynamic enough. Having lost his licence, former triple A rated bodyguard Michael Bryce, undergoes a therapy and to try to recover he heads to a holiday spot only to discover that Darius Kincaid needs him again. Just like in the first part, the plot is far-fetched but the actioner's fully enjoyable due to music, twists of action and the protagonists' banter - poorly translated into Polish, some jokes went missing in the subtitles. A funny point in the plot is that a virus spreads from Italy to the rest of Europe, just like it happened during the Covid-19 pandemic over a year ago, though the filming started in 2019 so that's most likely just a coincidence. And in the movie, Italy hosts computer servers instead of harbouring a disease. There's an early mid-credit and a post-credit shot which ends this comedy.

MIDSOMMAR DIRECTOR'S CUT

Watchable. The director has put the main focus on Dani. This version is steeped in psychology - everyone's, especially Dani and Christian's, motives are complex and the villagers are more conniving than in the standard version. I didn't quite get in the mood but that let me analyze ominous signs better: when the plane is touching the ground on landing, it's like an earthquake, next the road is shown upside down and in the village, some buildings have roofs sloping in one direction - the protagonists' world is about to be first shaken, then turned upside down, both because of the villagers' twisted minds. An offering hole in the ground at first seems to be a fresh grave. Seen for the second time though, it's not horrifying and the corpses look fake. There's also less ambiguity in Ari Aster's version through going so deep into the characters so there's less to fear, the film's even touching at times.

TROCHE RAJU (A LITTLE BIT OF PARADISE)

Watchable. It's a documentary so a true Silesian family is portrayed. And it's appalling. Children's privacy is violated - their intimate parts are not concealed. Indoctrination into killing animals takes place. Only cute cats and a puppy dog kept me watching.

The 20-minute film took 3 months to shoot. There were many versions of the film, one had 50 minutes.

MOJ SYN ZAMYKA SIE W LAZIENCE (MY SON LOCKS HIMSELF IN THE BATHROOM)

Watchable. An actors' film on complex family relations - a new form, no new content. Thought-out costumes are the most memorable bit. 

Before finding the location, the director kept seeing his own family home, couldn't escape that image. 

STANCJA (THE LAST ROOM ON THE LEFT)

Recommended. The English title plays on the title of 2009 slasher "The Last House on the Left, the original, Polish one, doesn't evoke such connotations. Nevertheless it's a dark comedy with a wonderful script, actors, with an attention to details such as a sound effect of a creaky door or an awkward wall picture playing cheesy music. The script is extremely creative and the story has lots of twists. On the other hand, I'm impressed with the house owner character who's a strong woman, she's the one who deals with all those weirdos after all. 

Pałac Duchnice near Warsaw made for the interior, while the exterior was of a building in Milanówek. The director didn't accept the locations where he entered and immediately felt some evil inside, as if someone had been murdered there or the like. "Sporo z tego przeżyłem" ("I've been through much of that") - said director Adrian Apanel who had lived in and looked for such places both in Poland and in Scotland. He's a fan of genre cinema. "Obrzydliwe? W porównaniu do niektórych miejsc, jakie widziałem i w jakich mieszkałem to jest OK." ("Disgusting? In comparison to some places I've seen and lived in it's OK.") - kept joking the director. E.g. for 2 weeks he rented from an old lady who by accident let the same room to 2 people and then let both live there to decide who'd be a better tenant. After the 2 weeks he rejected himself. 

TURBO LOVE

Recommended. This 7-minute delight is an actors' film combined with animation to form a fast-paced comedy. It's utterly creative and best enjoyed on a big screen allowing you to read all the lines, e.g. "How to trick people into thinking you're possessed" on the side options of Utube.

The creator, Alicja Jasina, calls it a sharp satire on vlogging. She adds maybe next one will be on unwrapping parcels - those are normally long and boring videos. This short film took about a year to write, not continuously, she would create commercials in the meantime.

The screening of the 4 short films was arranged in a fascinating, contrasting order: poor house - posh house - heavy subject matter- light in style. All four had wonderful actors.

US AGAIN

Recommended. The short film preceding "Raya and the Last Dragon" expresses both longing for youth and joy of life at any age and is bound to tug on your heartstrings. Shown through dance, with the city looking real in the background, it recreates the "Singin' in the Rain" iconic street post scene, though without a song. I felt deeply moved within 7 minutes.

RAYA  AND THE LAST DRAGON

Recommended. This animated blockbuster, made from 400 individual homes, dazzles from the opening with a wide array of visual contexts: pictorial books, Disney fairy-tales, Chinese puppet theatre, Barbie films, realistic backdrops at times. The movie draws on the artistic and musical traditions of the East and the West. Shiny outfits give the impression of silk. People of all shapes and sizes inhabit the realm. The separate lands evoke both China before it was united and "The Game of Thrones" where the peoples also competed and differed both geographically and culturally. Music by James Newton Howard derives from Chinese and Western music and, over the end credits, from African and Native American melodies. Atmos sound quality ensures you don't miss a note. The story is complex but lucid and abounds in adventures. It educates on international co-operation and explains how our attitudes create our world and how we depend on one another. Every evil has its source and our lack of understanding of others' motives leads to disagreement. Facial expressions of humans and dragons attract. A cute beetle is used as a vehicle. There is witty banter, e.g.: "I'm awfully hungry." "Dried seaweed?" "Not that much." but also several touching moments and a tear-jerking finale. Sisu, dubbed in the original by Awkwafina, in Polish is dubbed in much the same voice - I'm impressed with the attention to detail Disney put in it. 

LOKAL ZAMKNIETY - OFFICIAL PREMIERE

Watchable. Energetic drinks were handed in on entry so my first thought was the movie might be hard to survive without one. I was proven wrong. The crime story is engaging. But the comedy is not funny at all, partly due to poor direction, partly because of stereotypical characters. After a year of the pandemic, writer-director Krzysztof Jankowski got even the Covid details wrong, e.g. you hear that someone went to hospital after he had lost his sense of smell - doesn't make sense, does it? What I couldn't help but see all the time was poor lighting used, what's worse never changing through the film. The production company was called Ego Movies and taken the ropey quality of this offering, their egos must be overblown. 

Director's initial idea was to put the protagonist's wife in more than just two scenes, she was to storm into the brothel. The number of shooting days meant cutting it out. So the movie could have been worse and only the low budget saved the remains of grace. Chabior, Damięcki, Solarz didn't turn up at the premiere. They had acted fine, taken the circumstances. As for shooting during the pandemic, the 30-strong film crew was tested a few times and no contagion was found. Sebastian Stankiewicz, whose friends made the movie, won a pizza voucher in the business card prize draw. Marta Długokęcka was offered to act in the film but turned them down because she carefully selects the roles assuming later you are recognizable by them. I didn't recognize her face, nor did I find any film titles in which she acted. Snacks: 1 vegan, 4 vegetarian, 1 with fish were all provided by Zdrówko Restaurant from Legionowo and the 5 I tasted were really good. Better than the movie.