CHICKENHARE AND THE HAMSTER OF DARKNESS
Watchable. This Belgian-French co-production, dubbed into Polish, but with an excellent translation by Bartek Fukiet, isn't as ridiculous as the title implies. The protagonist is cute, his sidekicks turn out to have been as troubled by their identities as he is and the tale teaches children we're all unique for a reason. A run-of-the-mill plot with a quest and a magical object as well as Chickenhare's motivation which drives the story detract from the fun. Brilliant lines and twists of action, with the very well written Lapin are marred by some Balkan-style music in the action scenes. Animation-wise, cracked soil looks realistic. Chickenhare's outfit resembles Indiana Jones's. His evil plotting uncle is as dangerous as Hannibal Lecter and makes a Star Wars joke. Good fun as long as you haven't seen too many cartoons with the same storyline.
KAZDY WIE LEPIEJ (EVERYONE KNOWS BETTER)
Walked out. A comedy cannot drag and this one does. Snail pace, poor acting and the protagonists speaking to the camera directly reality show style mean lame directing by Michał Rogalski. The weird choice of actors means the casting director was equally lame. Writer Krzysztof Rak didn't make much effort either. All gags are awfully straightforward.
FREDDIE MERCURY - THE UNTOLD STORY
Watchable. It's informative: you see where he spent his childhood, you learn he drew a lot at school and, having lived liberally, contracted AIDS in NYC. His lifestyle was typical of homosexuals (he was bisexual but with a stronger attraction to his sex) hence his costume styles. And, even though, he's been immensely popular and the people who knew him dub him a genius, the film doesn't explain where his genius lay or what set him apart. He's presented as a great social mixer - once he became his true self: gay and a performer. The documentary is merely a summary of his lifestyle.
Seen courtesy of Canal +.
FIRE OF LOVE
Recommended. Volcanoes of both types: red (flowing lava of up to 1200 degrees Celsius) and grey ones (the killer ones, the fumes and landslides whose direction and range are harder to predict, like Mt. Unzen, Japan in 1991 or Nevado del Ruiz, Colombia in 1985) up close. Some eruptions, like the Krakatoa one in 1893 were seen as far as Norway, as evident in Munch's painting "Scream" - the red sunset was an effect of that famous phenomenon. The couple of volcanologists forms the axis of the story but the world's powerful tectonic shifts manifested on the surface are the true protagonist. Geological facts and, as if incidental, insight into living your passion. And dying it. I was slightly trembling on the way home.
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