Movie reviews

WARSAW FILM FESTIVAL

НОСОРІГ (RHINO)

Watchable. Well, "Носоріг" ("Rhino") is not too special. From the "Номери" ("Numbers") director I expected better. Set in 1990s and inspired by facts it talks about private and 'professional' life of a brutal gangster. We've seen this plot rehashed so many times it would really need to be a special story to stand out. What you get, however, is a class B movie hoping to attract the audience with violence and sex. It's acted by non-professionals and it shows. Excessive use of close-ups doesn't help. The plot is a bit all over the shop. The "Sated Pig" song pretty much sums up the protagonist's attitude to life. 

The movie was screened with big English subtitles while Polish ones were small and very low, below the screen.

It's Олег Сенцов's (Oleh Sentsov's) first movie after his freeing from 5 years' imprisonment in a Russian penal colony, he had started making it before and finished after. The Ukrainian writer/director says he was released following international public pressure. As for the plot, director Олег Сенцов (Oleh Sentsov) is unrepentant. To him it's a human life story - can a bad man return to doing good? The country was hurt by the USSR and by the 90s after the collapse of the USSR. The type of people he depicts took over the positions of power, ex-president Янукович (Yanukovych) came from such circles. As for actors, 700 candidates took part in the casting, most non-professionals - Олег Сенцов (Oleh Sentsov) in general hires non-pros, many of them had been embroiled in similar events, including the one who acted as Носоріг (Rhino) - he had been a football hooligan, also in a far-right group since that would let youngsters blow off steam and achieve life success, later he was in the war which changed him, now he's become an activist. Nowadays Ukrainian young people have more options to choose from. Олег Сенцов (Oleh Sentsov) stresses he spent 5 years in jail, not in director's school so in those 5 years he learnt a different type of art. He got to understand criminals. He also read a lot and wrote 3 scripts which will become future movies. 

VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE

Watchable. Tom Hardy co-wrote and produced and Andy Serkis directed this frenetic Marvel Comics adaptation devoid of fresh ideas. Just like in the title, expect carnage. Too much is happening to let you feel any tension. The garrulous monster sounds moronic. There's too much of Eddie and Venom's squabbling anyway. References to works of high culture: the quote from Shakespeare and Ray Bradbury: "Something wicked this way comes", a hint at "Natural Born Killers" by Woody Harrelson, Venom pictured as a gargoyle, "Lacrimosa" from Mozart's "Requiem" accompanying a wedding are feeble attempts at elevating the content. The movie boasts Atmos sound. I saw it in ordinary 5.1. It was not excessively loud but the vrooming shook my seat a couple of times so no need for 4DX. The film ends in rough and tumble. The sequel is a bold statement of intent never backed up by a film that, despite numerous attempts, is just not smart enough to be memorable. For hardcore fans only. An astonishing cross-over is announced in the mid-credit. There's no end-credit.

BIGFOOT FAMILY

Recommended. An engaging tale, with fascinating human, half-human and animal characters. Bartek Fukiet has translated it for the Polish dubbing. Some audio effects are perfectly surrounding. 

WARSAW FILM FESTIVAL

EL HOYO EN LA CERCA (THE HOLE IN THE FENCE)

Watchable. Joaquín Del Paso's second movie is like "Lord of the Flies" with added racism, sexism and Catholic religious hypocrisy. The boys constantly hear they're the elite - mind that. It also shows how toxic masculinity is created at an early age. This community was so bizarre I was intrigued enough to keep watching, however tedious it was due to amateurish script, directing and acting. It was meant to hit you hard but the director shies away from showing any direct violence. It's just lots of school boys bullying one another. Overtalked too. 

The topic arose from the screenwriter/director's own memories. He went to both types of school. In the male-only religious school, based on discipline, he witnessed lots of aggression between the boys and from the teachers. Basically, just like in the film, aggression was allowed which results in the boys lacking empathy afterwards. What you see on the screen is management by fear, creating an enemy behind the fence. Child kidnapping and trafficking is a big issue in Mexico which explains some protagonists' reactions. The flag game has no grounds in any historical event but is a loose reference to Aztecs and invaders. The killing, luckily, does not reflect any real case either. The director debuted with "Maquinaria Panamericana" ("Panamerican Machinery") about workers who lock themselves in the factory where they've lost jobs. He appears to like shooting films in enclosed spaces, not much variety.

PENGUIN BLOOM

Recommended. The Blooms wrote and produced a movie based on an autobiographic book about their family. A disabled mum after a spinal cord injury and a sick magpie named Penguin, or Peng for short, are the main protagonists. Sounds sappy, doesn't it? Luckily it's not. Wonderful Australian scenery beautifully shot by Sam Chiplin makes it attractive and the family story is depicted realistically down to the mum's wound, a son's vomit and the bird's poo. But they and their acquaintances are so supportive of each other you can't help but love them all. Happiness is all about attitude, not circumstances. Naomi Watts is perfectly convincing in the difficult role. Peng was acted by 10 or 11 different magpies. The pictures of the authentic Blooms and Penguin accompany the end credits. 

MALIGNANT

Watchable. That James Wan has made a horror with a monster looking like Sloth from "The Goonies, like even the policewoman in the movie describes him, and speaking like Jigsaw from "Saw" is more troubling than whatever the freak is up to. Hot detective Kekoa Shaw (George Young) makes for some light touches. The finale is even feminist which puts a new angle on the story. Joseph Bishara's score and 4 songs are decent. The flick is not scary and the interhuman monster-free parts are better than the hackneyed horror tropes. James Wan would be better off shooting a family drama next. 

OBLOKI SMIERCI - BOLIMOW 1915

Recommended. This documentary with actors' battle scenes charts the history of creation and use of chemical weapon. Its origins are presented through a comprehensible historical background and with a much-helpful map. Everything is lucid even to an ignorant like me. The acted scenes are sepia-toned and grainy but the written and spoken testimonies are sufficient. Some facts are shocking.

Film editor, now director Ireneusz Skruczaj hails from Bolimów and the topic used to be discussed at his home. For the film he used international archives in Europe and the US. It took 5 years to make the documentary. The battles were enacted by non-professional actors, they were all historical reenactors who had done such scenes before and had their own historically accurate, down to every button, uniforms. It was -15 degrees Celsius in the trenches at the time of winter shooting - similarly as a century ago.

FATIMA

Watchable. The cinematography is remarkable - engrossing, you feel as if you were there. A handful of scenes are truly moving. But only the adamantly religious explanation of the events is offered. Also, the apparition told the children it was essential they learn to read but that thread isn't continued.

WARSAW FILM FESTIVAL

VIRGJERESHA SHQIPTARE (THE ALBANIAN VIRGIN)

Recommended. Right when I was beginning to think the festival level had subsided I got to see my first Albanian film ever. My first impression was it looked poor, the village setting didn't entice. Then it seemed to turn to folklore. The society was not religious but patriarchal. That resembled a famous Turkish film so I thought: oh, no, not another "Mustang". But midway through the movie comes the first major twist of action and the plot becomes gripping, with a sequence of events whose outcome is hard to foresee. 3/4 in come a few truly touching moments but without ever turning sappy. Only the finale is heartfelt on the verge of being mawkish. The story brings a novelty in the context of gender roles. Also the make-up aging two of the protagonists is superb: convincing yet not altering the actors. Cinematography makes the best out of the rolling hills and majestic mountains of Albania, sunrises and sunsets. I bet you've never seen a tale like this before.

Reviewed from the distributor's screener, cinematic reception might differ. 

TO MUSI BYC MILOSC

Watchable. The new Polish Christmas comedy is lough-out-loud funny, very well directed, fantastically acted, especially by excellent Iza Sobala as Wiola, particularly entertaining when she trips over - more than once. Witty lines, e.g. "Kim jest Maria?" "O Jezus Maria!" ("Who is Mary?" "Oh Jezus Mary!"), abound. Poland is picture-perfect: a winding road amid a large swathe of forest, fairy-tale towns. Written by Agnieszka Pilaszewska, yet the script has one big downside. Why do two women forgive their partners' unfaithfullness? Just how could a woman script that? That's upkeeping pathology. 

THINK LIKE A DOG

Recommended. A wonderful family comedy with some awesome CGIs, adorable dogs, amiable people, hot Chinese actor Neo Hou and easier to recognize American faces, an engaging and enjoyable modern plot.

UN TRIOMPHE (THE BIG HIT)

Watchable. I never thought a movie about preparing a play could be that interesting, French in that. But it's based on facts - from Sweden, fast-paced, with some twists of action and perfectly acted - just watch them practise speech techniques. Kad Merad steals the show for the remaining part. Luckily the theatre takes relatively little time, prison-type conversations at least carry a meaning and the whole thing is rather crime with a drama of human yearning for freedom and of how freedom manifests itself. The comic potential is obvious but the gags failed to make me laugh. It applies the tried and tested structure: the further in the film the better it gets. 

CAPTAIN MORTEN AND THE SPIDER QUEEN

Watchable. Meticulous puppetry and decoration coupled with wonderfully surrounding sound - albeit with annoying brass music - awe you from the first minute. It's a magical world where a person can turn into a penguin when they feel freezing, consisting of 2 realms: micro and full-size. An overly complicated plot where some characters are downright stupid and the music mar the visual mastery.

THE TRUFFLE HUNTERS

Recommended. Subtle music, soothing forest vistas, dogs - wonderful from the beginning. Equally gently you're introduced to the truffle hunters, their dogs, a truffle broker, but also noses and other merchants. It's incredible how much the men love their dogs. It's also a praise of slow life and natural aromas. The documentary was shot in Alba, San Damiano (Regione Piemonte). Ah, long live Aurelio! (88 years old, still fit and impressively astute)

ALLSEASONS

Recommended. This Polish sports documentary offers awe-inspiring cinematography and matching music, as it presents all kitesurfing styles and an environmental issue down below the surface on which or over which the protagonists glide, jump and fly. Makes you want try it out yourself.

BAYALA - A MAGICAL ADVENTURE

Recommended. This German-Luxembourgish co-production dazzles you with a myriad of colours, all warm, mostly pastel, of elves' eyes, wings and attires, of flowers, dragons - a cute newborn and mosaic-like-scaled adults - as well as cute animals: a raccoon, a wolf, birds. Absolutely fabulous. I want all fairy-tales to look like this. 

MA FAMILLE ET LE LOUP (MY FAMILY AND THE WOLF)

Watchable. Carmen Maura is amiable as granny, though neither does she look 80 years old (she was 74 when the film was released in 2019) nor does it make sense in relation to the rest of the family - she'd have to have given birth at about 50 years old. The sun-drenched French coast and cicadas are irresistible. The plot is silly, with the exception of a touching passing away. The wolf is all fake. So it's not really worth watching but once you start, enjoy the summer. 

WARSAW FILM FESTIVAL

HELL OR CLEAN WATER

Recommended. Sometimes the protagonist makes the movie. This is the case. Diver Shawn Bath has committed himself to cleaning with his own hands the Atlantic off Newfoundland and Labrador coast. The opening images of the amount of trash he finds on the sea bottom are shocking and justly eye-opening. Next I felt tired just from watching his daily toil. Or tyred, should I say. It's not just plastic, turns out decades ago people would even sink old cars off-shore. Sadly, the trash is endless and he's still full-time occupied dragging old tyres from the water. He's so dedicated that he went on for a few years without external funding. In my opinion he should be the Minister of Environment for Canada, were he not so busy down there. Because the flip side of the coin is Shawn Bath stepped in where the governments, both provincial and federal, disgracefully failed through inaction. The man, struggling also because of his stage fright when speaking in public, is a proof perseverance pays off eventually. But as much as it defied belief when he was denied funding before, that much I'm anxious how long it's going to last. We need hundreds of people like him to remove all the trash, all on governmental payroll. Instead it's just him with a small bunch of helpers from Clean Harbours Initiative and some one-off donations. The documentary kept me awake at night as I was mulling over the issue.

Reviewed from the distributor's screener, cinematic reception might differ.