BIGGER THAN US

Recommended. We're swamped under plastic, sea levels are rising, many cultures force girls into marriage or rapes, deprive them of access to education, innocent people are shot at, have to flee their countries or are displaces from land by international corporations worldwide. The film introduces you to young people who've become the change they want to see. The documentary takes you to Indonesia, Malawi, Colorado, Greece, Brazil, Uganda, Lebanon, as you follow activists, often female, usually from underprivileged backgrounds, creating a better, safer, cleaner future. Wonderfully shot, with local melodies, evocatively explained, e.g. smog is a reflection on the sky of what we do down on earth. Heart-wrenching but powerful. 

LA PANTHERE DES NEIGES (THE VELVET QUEEN)

Watchable. It's a marketing miracle when you manage to sell blurred pictures as poetic. Still shots replace a film at times - pathetic again. Some images are crystal clear though and wonderful: a panther or an owl blending into surrounding rocks. Delightfully spatial sound, e.g. when a bird crows flying from the left to the right or a mammal barks from the back. Too much focus on humans as for a nature documentary. On the other hand, staying close to the people, you're as if inside, stalking the animals with them. And it's French therefore philosophical. Obviously. The musings are quite smart but the fact they're there dulls the film.

RED ROCKET

Recommended. A complex road movie set among the "white trash". You can't help but sympathise with the guy, especially in the finale. An unusual life story and outlook.

THE 2022 OSCARS GALA

I watched it all in real time, I'm just posting late, though with a different outlook on the ceremony than most since I wasn't preoccupied with the scandal and focused much more on other trivia.

The streaming from http://freetvstream.in/de/tv/pro7.php worked from the very beginning at 2 a.m. CET. About 2,5 hours in I had to move to brettygood.com. After a quarter there back to Pro7 to avoid the annoying replay of the slapping. The gala ended at 5:30 a.m. CET. 

Beyonce was announced and the ceremony opened with an exuberant performance of the nominated song from "King Richard". Plenty of inside jokes, e.g.: "This year the Academy hired 3 women to host because it's cheaper than hiring 1 man". Lady Gaga and Jared Leto were mentioned for "House of Random Accents". "Look at Timothee Chalamet" - the camera pointed at J.K. Simmons - as the 2 years of the pandemic exhausted everyone. One of the comedians introduced herself: "Amy Schumer or as they know me in Hollywood: Melissa McCarthy said no". "Leonardo Di Caprio made so much effort to fight climate change and leave a cleaner, greener planet for his girlfriends". And it was Amy Schumer's dream to stay until she blacks out. 

Actress in a Supporting Role was won by Ariana DeBose "West Side Story" (I would have much preferred Judi Dench "Belfast"). 

A joke by Regina Hall about Covid tests that got lost started fine but went gross and sexist. 

"Dune" deservedly got the award for Sound. Cinematography also went to Greig Fraser for "Dune" as I hoped.

Documentary Short Subject "The Queen of Basketball".

Visual Effects ("Free Guy", "Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings", "Dune" were my faves) - "Dune".

Next came "60 years of Bond", the nominated song from "Encanto" - "Dos Oruguitas" - probably my fave among the nominees in this category. 

Animated Feature ("Encanto", "Flee", "Raya And The Last Dragon" well all my hopes) - "Encanto" won.

Next came 5 "Most Cheer Worthy Movie Moments" - to me just one: the bullet dodging in "Matrix".

Animated Short Film "The Windshield Wiper" won, I saw none of the 5 nominees.

The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures was presented with "Have you been to Meryl Streep's house? Looks just like this" - a room with Oscar statues all around.

윤여정 (Yuh-Jung Youn) was upset about mispronouncing her name the year before - now she had to pronounce the nominees for Actor in the Supporting Role. I didn't root for anyone. Deaf actor Troy Kotsur from "Coda" won. The actress invited him signing his name. He spoke in sign language and mentioned deaf theatres that had let him play which felt like a scene taken out of "Drive My Car". Apparently a person speaking the language is called 'a signer'. 

International Movie - the Shang-Chi actor joked he came from the community since he came from the exotic country of Canada. I only didn't want ("The Worst Person in the World") to win - "Drive My Car" did. 

Mila Kunis announced another song, with hints at the war in Ukraine. Next followed a minute of Silence for the country with a call to support the nation.

Unfortunately "The Long Goodbye" won Live Action Short Film.

Costume Design - I hoped Jenny Beavan for "Cruella" would and she won. Lupita Nyong'o announced the category wearing a dress sparkling with gold. The winner said she had nearly turned down the job because they had so little time.

The Oscar statue was modelled on a Mexican American actor in 1928 "because the brown don't break down". Song "We Don't Talk About Bruno" from "Encanto" followed, mixed with an inserted piece about the Academy Award - all the singers and dancers dressed in vibrant colours.

A K-pop band commented on how they loved Disney.

The Tammy Faye parody was pathetic. As was Amy Schumer mocking Spider-Man.

Original Screenplay - "Don't Look Up", "King Richard" would be fine with me but at least "Belfast" beat dreadful "Verdens verste menneske" ("The Worst Person in the World").

Adapted Screenplay - I hoped for "Dune", alternatively "Drive My Car" but "Coda" won.

"5 Top Fan Favourite movies" followed - no idea what for.

Original Score - "Dune" beyond any competition also in my opinion.

Rami Malek announced the nominated song from latest James Bond "No Time To Die".

Film Editing - "Dune". Wonderful. The winner remarked an Oscar nomination in the mouth of a 17-year-old is an insult. He had heard one from his daughter.

Chris Rock came with some lame gags. One of them led to a scuffle with Will Smith.

Documentary - I've seen just "Flee" and "Summer of Soul" - both excellent. "Summer of Soul" made it.

A tribute to "Godfather" on its 50th anniversary was followed by the director and the two lead actors appearing on the stage. The director, in turn, paid a tribute to Ukraine. 

Next came In Memoriam. Apparently Ivan Reitman was 10 when his parents took him out of Czechoslovakia fleeing the country. 

Production Design - luckily "Dune" again.

Original Song - Billie Eilish for "No Time To Die".

Director - hoped for "Drive My Car" but Jane Campion won for "The Power of the Dog".

A "Pulp Fiction" reunion took place, the director with the two leads who danced on stage. The movie briefcase was opened to announce Actor in a Leading Role: I rooted for Will Smith in "King Richard" but, to be honest, didn't see any other nominee - Will Smith won and commented his character was a fierce defender of his family. Denzel Washington had warned him that when he's the highest that's when the devil comes for you. Next he apologized to the Academy. 

Makeup and Hairstyling - I liked all the nominees. "The Eyes of Tammy Faye" won.

Amy Schumer reappeared saying she had been getting out of the Spider-Man costume and asked if she had missed anything. Next she joked about seat-fillers asking an actor's wife out to go to the bathroom.

Lead Actress: Jessica Chastain for "The Eyes of Tammy Faye", Penelope Cruz for "Parallel Mothers", I didn't see Nicole Kidman's flick, Kristen Stewart for "Spencer" were my hopes, especially Kristen - Jessica Chastain won. Fine. She said they were living the time of isolation during the pandemic, mentioned suicide being the leading cause of death in the US and that it had affected her family. Her dress looked like cellophane.

Lady Gaga entered with Liza Minelli in a wheelchair as she celebrated the 50th anniversary of "Cabaret" and announced Best Picture. I rooted for: "Dune", "Don't Look Up", "Drive My Car" and "King Richard" but - unseen by me - "CODA" won. 

The three female comedians bade farewell to everyone in pyjamas.

DRGANIA SWIETLIKOW (FLICKERING FIREFLIES)

Watchable. Shot over 10 years. While the choice of the protagonist seems accidental, it's a very warm story about an actor, aged, with spine problems and bipolar disorder, who has a humble dream of creating a little wood theatre. It becomes a tale about acting, about artistic needs surpassing material ones. About being needed in life. And about how poor an artist can be. Lacking interested actors, he performs himself - skillfully yet with disappearing audience.  "Acting is the only profession in which you cut your mentality. All those roles live in us." Quite sad, yet engaging. Beautiful, loud but non-intrusive piano music. Very professionally produced, with superb sound and visual effects. Poetic passages in between the realistic depictions of his life are highlights. Director (and an actress herself) Hanna Brulińska clearly shares her protagonist's sensitivity. 

Q&A WITH ANDRZEJ GOLEJEWSKI

The "Drgania świetlików" ("Flickering Fireflies") protagonist acts because he finds the audience's reaction unpredictable so he's hooked on it and sees it worth acting for such little human circles. 

 ร่างทรง (THE MEDIUM)

Recommended. The opening presents a village similar to the one in recent Polish thriller "Holiday". The difference is the Polish one was set in Indonesia, this horror is set in Thailand and purports to be an ethnographic documentary. Unusually long for a horror - two hours, even more unusually long for the documentary genre it mimicks. Ominous signs starting early on and evenly spread throughout the first hour are typical for western horrors. Yet the mix of cultures: urban and country ones and religions: shamanistic and Christian is typical for a reportage. It maintains tension as you sympathise with the young girl experiencing weird pains and other bodily symptoms which lead to her problems at work. The second hour is pure horror. Amazingly acted by ญดา นริลญา กุลมงคลเพชร (Narilya Gulmongkolpech) as (Mink). So chilling I certainly don't want to see it again. Frightening as hell for the whole hour.

Reviewed from the distributor's screener. Cinematic reception might differ.

MEMORIA

Watchable. Suspended in time and growingly mysterious. Off-screen sounds play the main role in this weird story. It's so slow it's hard not to doze off, yet after an intriguing opening, experiencing pieces of Columbian culture and, from mid-film, verdant landscapes, you just follow. The last hour is the most perplexing. My own intepretation is it's an altered chronology hence it's up to the viewer to put the events, extraterrestial even, in their own order and discover who is who since everyone's identities are ambiguous too. The title, as well as Hernan Bedoya's words, imply memories, individuals' and communities', affect our perception of the world so every viewer will draw their own meaning. The Atmos-recorded sound effects extend till the end of the credits.

FESTIWAL FILMOW FRANKOFONSKICH NA NINATECE

DOUA LOZURI (TWO LOTTERY TICKETS)

Watchable. A pleasant Romanian comedy about 3 losers - literally, since they won 6 million euro and than lost the lottery ticket. Most of it is engaging while not really funny, you feel rather sorry for the guys. But the very ending, with a smaller win, where the coupon stuck onto the fridge won't come off, is hilarious.

LA DEESSE DES MOUCHES A FEU (GODDESS OF THE FIREFLIES)

Recommended. The Canadian offering about teenage drug addiction was written and directed by someone who understands 16-year-olds very well. Perfectly, plausibly acted by everyone - regardless of age. Realistic, engaging, an excellent depiction of the mechanisms. 

KEEPER

Switched off. The Belgian movie is slow, banal, about immaturity of teenage parents. 

White subtitles hindered reading, good volume made up for it if you understood the language.

MONSTER FAMILY 2

Watchable. An awfully run-of-the-mill animation, combining futuristic science fiction with legendary monsters, to appeal to modern child audience. The consistent plot centres round teenage yearning for appreciation. As for the Atmos system, just once the sound impressively surrounds you. An early mid-credit announces a sequel. Unfortunately.

THE BUNKER GAME

Watchable. The opening LARP definition is easy to forget as a mockumentary charts a history in which the Nazis win the war and form the Fourth Reich, next bomb the US with nuclear weapons and in retaliation are destroyed themselves in a similar manner. Survivors perpetuate the Nazi ideology inhabiting a bunker. That itself is a great set-up. The illusion is broken when you're reminded of the game. What follows is a slasher with ghost interventions and a handful of jump scares. While, at some point, you're made aware darkness mixed with fear leads to our minds playing their own games, this promise is never fulfilled. Subsequent events are literal, whether supernatural or criminal. Some tropes remind you of "Halloween" and other movie references may be traced but they're just props, never truly playing with the genre. An upside down shot implies turning over the protagonists' lives but apart form most of them getting killed off, only one transformation takes place and it's a derivative one. The final scene implies transporting you to a different reality, as if it weren't a game at all. The problem is, it makes no sense since it serves no purpose for any character. Wasted potential.

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE

Watchable. On a large screen to catch backdrop scenes. Various periods of history and culture from all over the world are mentioned but too crazily to let you muse over those associations. Stephanie Hsu shows off her acting chops. Atmos is applied but no special effects can be heard in an ordinary screening room. As for speech clarity, that's tricky since Chinese mixes with English. The main message seems to be: "We are all useless alone". Jamie Lee Curtis is unrecognisable as a civil servant. However bizarre the picture is, it will appeal to anyone who's dreamed of punching an IRS agent.

BURBISZKI

Walked out. One village and, mostly, its surroundings filmed for over two years. This nature documentary with classical music lacks order. There's nothing to look forward to, no story. Instead timelapse overload. The colours didn't look well at Kultura cinema Rejs room either.

Too much loud music makes the viewing exhausting and uncomfortable..

FESTIWAL FILMOW FRANKOFONSKICH NA NINATECE (FRANCOPHONE FILM FESTIVAL AT NINATEKA)

EILEEN GRAY - EINLADUNG ZUR REISE (EILEEN GRAY - INVITATION TO A VOYAGE)

Recommended. This documentary is incredible and puts famous Le Corbusier in the shadow. Funny how this envious male reacted to Eileen Gray's architectural design he had actually become infatuated with. She was admirable and used her 98 years of life magnificently. Never heard of her before but the film is explicit as to the reasons. At the same time you can't help but marvel at the functionality of her creations, e.g. a little table which can be transformed into a ladder. I could definitely do with one. She well deserved a biopic.

It's good it was online because I had to go back many times to catch all the details both of the narrative and of the designs presented visually. Unfortunately white subtitles made it hard to read even up close.

UNCHARTED

Watchable. Based on a Playstation game and a skewed history of geographic discoveries. The plot is far-fetched and the film lacks humour. Scottish accent is one funny bit. But it offers lots of adventure for intrepid armchair travellers. There's a quest with numerous puzzles and clues, most contained in a book - a textbook adventure flick. Elliptical narrative. Lots of twists of action. You can't get bored for a minute. Although it opens with the tackiest visual effects, they get better later. Well-matching Ramin Jawadi's music but also "Hype" by Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris add to the entertainment. Techno in the club is top notch. The Atmos system it's recorded in guarantees clear audio but no special sound effects are used. The lead role is very well acted by Tom Holland, Mark Wahlberg pulls it off too. Tom Holland, said to have trained as a barman to prepare for the part, does know how to toss bottles in the air. He shows off how fit he is - something he didn't have a chance to do as Spidey. And, in spite of his alcohol serving skills and impressive fitness, he still looks adorably boyish. He's perfectly cast. I didn't like the lead female characters lacking finesse. The girls look too cruel. But are just as fit. Antonio Banderas resembles Rowan Atkinson - doesn't age well and is wearing his type of attire. Still, I'm impressed with Tom Holland, Sophia Ali and Tati Gabrielle's muscles. Sophia Ali is too dark for a Spaniard though. There are two early mid-credits. No end credit. Fun, I'll look forward to a sequel, knowing from the mid-credits that my favourite characters will return to face new adversaries. 

MILOSC, SEKS & PANDEMIA (LOVE, SEX & PANDEMIC)

Watchable. Lots of sex, some nudity and violence, including psychological this time, outrageous acts - typical Patryk Vega. As long as sex goes, it's exciting but when the four protagonists suddenly go to church and all four have a revelation, after a long, boring sermon, it goes from silly to ludicrous. Mixing love, sex and spirituality is worse than mixing alcohols. Not for the viewer though, scandals, even imagined ones, are totally engaging. And the film ridicules some of Poles' pandemic behaviours.

MYSI PATRI DO NEBE / NAWET MYSZY IDA DO NIE

Watchable. A complex animal puppets tale. A sad opening leads to a rich creation of the heaven which, in my view, often resembles hell. It conveys the message that everyone fights their inner demons. 

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

MARRY ME

Watchable. J. Lo and Maluma (Bastian), who was actually good in the duet version, outperform Owen Wilson. This romantic comedy about a pop star offers a few forgettable songs, Hispanic style. The first stage performance looks like a send-up of Madonna: Kat's wearing a cross-shaped sexy outfit and her dancers are dressed like nuns but their hotpants. I shed a tear hear and there - J. Lo acts convincingly. I laughed out twice: once when the teacher pal nearly puked after a mock kiss and once when Kat got into the back seat of a car and asked to be driven to the airport - "This is not our car!" Still, the film's a bit protracted at times. The couples along the end credits sound just like the simplistic plot.

BELFAST

Watchable. Opens and closes with full-colour modern Belfast - picture-perfect. The largest part however is black and white, with just one scene of brownish colour. The grandparents' characters are wonderful. Jamie Dornan looks hot. Van Morrison's country music musical and "Everlasting Love" by Love Affair feature in the soundtrack. The movie's a bit protracted at times. 

SONATA

Recommended. An unusual true story. Vivid characters. Beautiful classical music. Top-notch sound, including a perfectly surrounding fragment when Grzegorz is first overwhelmed by the phenomenon of hearing in the hospital. Entertaining, with some scenes tear-jerking, many intense, yet well-paced and cheerful on the whole. Also a down to earth portrayal of a disability. Wonderfully acted - by everyone. The end credits roll in complete silence. The movie's nothing short of phenomenal.

MOONFALL

Watchable. Just like "Don't Look Up", it's also a parody. But with a shoddy plot and spectacular tacky CGIs - typical Emmerich. At least Atmos offers surrounding sound. The ending indicates a sequel coming.

MOJ DLUG

Watchable. Reminiscenses from imprisonment range from numerous brutal acts of violence to romantic memories from freedom. Surrounding sound means you hear the door slammed at the back. You get to know relationships between prisoners and with the guards. Will put you off jail should you ever consider ending up there. What did he try doing before? Why was he pardoned? Narrative chaos hinders understanding. The makers assume you're familiar with the story. Philosophical but shallow. 

CALAMITY, UNE ENFANCE DE MARTHA JANE CANNARY (CALAMITY, A CHILDHOOD OF MARTHA JANE CANNARY)

Watchable. It's a very feminist tale set in a hostile, crime-ridden world. This French animation uses large single-colour swathes of paint, yet a carcass or a bone look naturalistic - too much for a children's cartoon, a bit like old-time Disney with added morbidity. 

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

竜とそばかすの姫 (BELLE)

Recommended. Animation for teenagers, reflecting the digital age of Second Life and Internet identities. There are some funny situations when the boy's embarrassed but the plot, which is gripping, is rather tear-jerking, I was sobbing for the most part, though the message is that in the virtual world your opportunities aren't limited by where you live. Stunning visuals: detailed pictures in the animation depicting U and translucent waters of the river in the real life part, surrounding sound, especially music, kawaii songs in Japanese all make it a viewer's delight and merit the big screen and cinema sound quality.

NEBENAN (NEXT DOOR)

Watchable. Modern music in the opening and closing is great, but the movie's a bit theatrical and banal, full of cliches, though it mentions my own pet hate: poor coffee in Berlin. The axis of the story though is puzzling: whose script is he enacting? 

ZA DUZY NA BAJKI (TOO OLD FOR FAIRY TALES)

Recommended. Based on the book by Agnieszka Dąbrowska. Brilliant, witty dialogues and Waldek's monologue, e.g. "Wyjdę za nią" ("I'll get married to her") when struck by love at first sight. The issues tackled are also adults from children's perspective, a parent's disease, new chores, friendship. All fun and with realistic teenagers' speech. The skydiving aunt character proves adults aren't boring either. A truly funny family comedy with serious undertones. 

DOG

Recommended. A war veteran and a dog meant to be put down. Touching. A series of adventures on the way with the unruly dog and people alike. Channing Tatum is utterly convincing. The people he encounters are not all smitten with veterans. Violence freaks them out and warfare isn't seen as glorious by peaceful and/or leftish folks who refer to him as a GI Joe. A must for all dog lovers with a twist to the veteran trope in the background.

WOLF 

Watchable. George MacKay is muscled, Lily-Rose Depp pretty which makes sense in this movie about our primeval instincts on the one hand and people's attitude to animals on the other. Captivating acting and one weird script make for an engaging performance. Partly "Nightmare Alley"-like but out of free will - or is it free? The protagonist is at some point depicted like Hannibal Lecter in his cell. Powerful yet brutal and disturbing. 

TURNING RED

Watchable. This animation for teenagers is about body changes, personal freedom, the pains of being 13 and not allowed to see a gig. It also reminds viewers of the existence of Chinese culture in Toronto. In fact it peddles Chinese culture, though not all of it is different from Christian one - the ritual resembles an exorcism, yet differences are highlighted and the Asian culture promoted as superior and ensuring prosperity. The soundtrack comprises of typical boy band songs. Atmos sound is poorly used, no advantage of the advanced system. As for the animation, a jumper looks knitted, a rug plaited, the rest mediocre. A teacher's mug says: "math counts" - the pun's great but don't count on anything funny in the film. The story's predictable. Even though the film's not for young children, it's available only dubbed in Polish. There's a brief post-credit.

KRIME STORY. LOVE STORY

Watchable. Most of all, I enjoyed the humour, e.g. "Niech pan nie idzie w stronę światła! Niech pan w ogóle nigdzie nie idzie! Żyjemy, żyjemy!" ("Don't go toward the light!" Don't go anywhere at all! We live, we live!"). Kamila is beautiful, "Krime" is well cast too. Costumes, make-up and hairstyling are superb, acting much in the style of a gangster flick. Only the plot is far-fetched. The soundtrack consists of lots of Polish hip-hop with language mistakes. The movie is good fun even if unsophisticated.

TRE PIANI (THREE FLOORS)

Recommended. It begins with a bang and then the tension, though subtle, not always palpable, keeps growing. The saga of three families inhabiting one building is engaging from the start and moving towards the end. The film deals with integrity in a very humane way. Their stories are consistent but never predictable - like life itself. 

GIEREK

Recommended. Where documentary "1970" ends, "Gierek" takes off. It's a gripping political thriller. Famous actors, the reality of the 70s in Poland, a tear-jerking Christmas Eve scene all make for an exciting watching. Last but not least, it's comprehensible to outsiders.

8 RZECZY, KTORYCH NIE WIECIE O FACETACH (8 THINGS YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT MEN)

Recommended. Dodgy paramedics, a false priest who kicks thugs off a bus wishing them "z Bogiem!" ("God be with you!") or is proud of "mój syn!" ("my son!"), a guy falls on a truck to which the drivers react: "E! Mamy imigranta na pace!" ("Hey! We've got an immigrant on the back!") and a handful of situation gags. Hilarious, unsophisticated, crazy. I was laughing out loud. And I wasn't the only one. 

SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME

Watchable. The string theory, however vague it is, is the quasi-scientific basis for the plot. Other than that, Spider-Man buffs will be caught into the web of the franchise memoirs and potentials, e.g. Jamie Foxx considers the possibility of a black Spider-Man. Tom Holland is superb in the leading role, J.K. Simmons brilliant as a journalist. Willem Dafoe excellent as Green Goblin. Wong makes a cameo. There's a hilarious bit when Peter Parker's pal accidentally calls three Peter Parkers together. Quality visual effects but monster and adventure overload. The touching and wonderful finale is the best part. The mid-credit shows Venom on holidays in Mexico. Much more promising is the end-credit teasing you with the Multiverse and superb CGIs.

THE LONG GOODBYE

Watchable. Riz Ahmed's Oscar-winning short film. He acts in it unfortunately and he's such a bad actor that when his character is gunned down you feel relief. Not for long though, since it's then that he starts rhyming an essay about origins. Itself an insightful piece of literature but it needs to be recited, not uttered by Riz Ahmed whose emotions are undecipherable and who sounds as if he had a speech defect. What a waste! Not that the script makes much sense - if it's supposed to be Britain, then armed skinheads are off place. 

Seen online.

PIOSENKI O MILOSCI (SONGS ABOUT LOVE)

Watchable. When it opens in black and white and you know the title you expect an attempt at "Zimna wojna" ("Cold War"). Far from that quality. I barely sat through this protracted tale with average music. It's a typical Polish drama, with typical Polish songs. The couple have some annoyingly silly conversations for fun and can't communicate in vital matters. I stayed just because I was curious how their career would develop. But it's so snail-paced and fake and forced, the protagonists' motivations inexplicable, especially Alicja's, it's was a gruelling experience.

LES AMOURS D'ANAIS (ANAIS IN LOVE)

Recommended. The original title reflects the plot better: Anais's loves. Beautiful and wonderful actresses Anaïs Demoustier and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi shine in this film filled with joie de vivre. Both are sensual, Anaïs Demoustier appears naked but she looks so natural, so pleased. This happy-go-lucky attitude to life is inspiring. The film's filled also with southern sunshine even though it's based in Bretagne.

MILOSC JEST BLISKO (LOVE IS NEARBY)

Watchable. After I had thought Wojciech Solarz deserved to act the male lead in a romantic comedy he was finally offered such a part. Another comedy talent Janusz Chabior appears in it too. Both are failed by this family drama about two single parents with just one hilarious scene in which a man is telling his love he decides not to be jealous right when the chap he was suspicious about is hiding under her bed. The rest isn't funny in the slightest. In fact, it's dull. It's basically about what jerks men are. Awful Polish music by Sekcja Muzyczna Kołłątajowskiej Kuźni Prawdziwych Mężczyzn further mars the film. Directed by Radek Dunaszewski, scripted by 4 different people: 2 men, 2 women - six cooks spoil the food. At least Góry Stołowe provide decent landscapes. Still. best to keep away from this faulty drama pretending to be a comedy.

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