Movie reviews

ILLUSIONS PERDUES (LOST ILLUSIONS)

Recommended. Based on Honoré de Balzac's play, the movie depicts Paris after the Revoluton. Everything's on sale, there are no friends, flash costumes manifest wealth. Music by Debussy, Vivaldi and the likes illustrates this vanity fair. It's a world living off and prying on intrigue. Hoaxes, buying positive coverage or controversy in the most literal way is beyond whatever contemporary tabloids do. Director (of other movies) Xavier Dolan appears as Nathan d'Anastazio. Benjamin Voisin in the leading role combines naivety and spoil. He resembles Robert Pattinson in his seductive style. His alluring face and attractive body are convincing. At some point, when he bares it all, cash is seen right above his genitals - no illusions for the viewer. His fortune's highs and lows and backstage intrigues are engaging and at some point my eyes welled up. Still, most of all, it's thought-provoking. Unsettling a bit. Morally. For anyone having to earn a living. Or even those who don't. 

NA CHWILE, NA ZAWSZE

Watchable. Only for Paweł Domagała as Borys whose transformation is plausible even if you never associated this actor with such a role before, and for glimpses of life in a rehab and past experiences of alcoholics. But it's Polish filmmakers' favourite genre: drama, especially one about someone terminally ill with cancer - that's the case in this movie as well. The story's far-fetched, about a booze-addicted pop star befriending some underprivileged people she meets in a rehab and falling in love with another alcoholic. One of characters is raped and no one ever mentions how she got pregnant or that the rapist should be held accountable - a huge omission. Filled with pathologies which are treated as normal. Realistic, I guess but gloomy and dull. Ah, last but not least with plenty of pathetic Polish songs - torture.

SEAL TEAM

Watchable. While the tale, based on numerous puns and the main idea taken from Navy Seals, with some humour, e.g. when a singer makes the audience repeat after him and the crowd repeats: "Quinn?!" and "Where have you been?". The action is suitable for children and still fun for adults. The animation shows such transclucent water you crave swimming yourself, the protagonists are fun and colours vary. Top, perfectly matching music illustrates the scenes. Yet the action becomes overly complex, with plenty of characters added in its course and it becomes tiring. The Polish version is voiced in Polish and it doesn't sound too good either. Dolph Lundgren as dolphin Dolph, Seal or J. K. Simmons in the original must be better. While the translation contains a lot of puns, the version differs a lot from the original.

SUPEREROI (SUPERHEROES)

Watchable. The first movie by Paolo Genovese that has disappointed me. I barely understood who was who and when since the film jumps to and fro in time and between characters. It ends sad and both protagonists nearly dying in hospital seems far-fetched anyway. Such a waste of talented actors. I loved the scene with cos players - those actors resemble originals like Johnny Depp or Chris Evans a lot!

THE BLACK PHONE

Watchable. This supernatural thriller is gripping, set in the 70s, using some imagery of "It" and "Stranger Things" but it lacks depth, we have no idea why the Grabber does what he does or why his brother is so involved in deciphering the riddle. The solution is partly supernatural so it cannot possibly ring true. 

PO MILOSC / POUR L'AMOUR (FOR LOVE)

Watchable. A budget film, where two boys and one girl acting episodes in the film share the writer/director's surname - the boys are his sons, and the producer is his wife. Written and directed by a man, Andrzej Mańkowski but thoroughly feminist. All the male protagonists, whether a priest, a duly married husband or lovers, treat the two women instrumentally. Their stories are engaging enough even if predictable. Countryside mentality is aptly depicted and the solution where a woman had better die and be reborn free of all her oppressors is plausible. The biggest problem of the plot, however sensible, is that you've heard it all on various news. On the other hand, the depicted issues: blackmailing with sex tapes, alcoholism and the Church's paternalistic approach are commonplace in real life and rarely movie topics, especially online scams. The film portrays reality as it is, with little of wider context and next to none depth. The repeated scene opening and closing the movie doesn't change the message in any way. 

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

CRIMES OF THE FUTURE

Watchable. David Cronenberg's latest. He's severely aged himself and so is his protagonist - having a relationship and sex with a much younger woman, a typical male fantasy. Are female engineers characters meant to cover up the sexism? All women characters have a specific speech manner, as if through their teeth, for some reason. The film is very visceral, dominated by an unpleasant plum colour but of a plastic shade. The plot is marred by inexplicable motivation behind the assassinations. At the same time, Cronenberg created a complete world where humans' digestive systems have evolved, surgical interventions are safe, painless and so common place they're a form of sex and 'inner beauty' is taken literally.

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

THE BAD GUYS

Recommended. A cartoon heist where the gang comprises of: Wolf, Snake, Tarantula, Shark and Piranha - all walking, talking, wearing clothes. Their banter is top-notch, so are their gestures, facial expressions and, last but not least, tail wagging. Great twists of action, plenty of wit. The music comprises of some hip hop, including "Go" by Chemical Brothers - to give you an example of the rhythm. Only Polish dubbing is available at Polish cinemas, the original is voiced by Sam Rockwell and Awkwafina, among others. Still, the lines are brilliant and the Polish voices non-intrusive. Two songs are kept in English. The mid-credit is important - the ending to the story.

ELVIS

Watchable. It opens with the bling associated with the king even on the Warner Bros logo. It is very good. It charts Elvis Presley's life from birth to death and on, mentioning his lasting legacy. It takes getting used to the modern take on the biopic. Drone views of his neighbourhood, mid-titles or rap music early on - I'm guessing it's part of his legacy since in the scenes towards the end he boards his jet dressed in a blue tracksuit and a golden chain. As for his skill origins, the movie leaves no doubt, mentioning both his teenage years lived in a black area and his trips to Beale Street joints, where he would hang out with B.B. King and other "Negro" talents. The story's told from the point of view of the singer's manager so many tricks of the trade and ebbs and flows of the show business are the main attraction. The shrewd manager is brilliantly played by Tom Hanks. As for the lead actor, and sometimes singer (most songs are Elvis Presley's originals), Austin Butler, he is seductive but through his sexy eyes rather than the (in)famous hip wiggling. That's the biggest problem of the film. He dances with his legs, not his hips. The best parts are where original Elvis is shown, especially at the end. Even fat, he can sing. All in all, the singer's enormous talent gets a tribute. But even the ending is marred by other performers. It's worth waiting till the end of the credits to be thanked for watching the show by Elvis's voice. The whole thing is masterfully written, though the modern direction style takes away the period charm potential - hairdos are not enough - and the lead actor is a doll that can shake, can speak but fails to jerk his hips. 

NOTRE-DAME BRULE (NOTRE-DAME ON FIRE)

Recommended. A precise, chronological account of the fire of the cathedral. It charts all the failures: human errors - justifiable, circumstances, inadvertently also cultural reasons of the  protraction, i.e. formal communication. It also proves how much is down to pure chance.

IRREDUCTIBLE (EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH)

Recommended. Hilarious, original. It opens and closes with the protagonist talking to the viewers. Takes the mickey out of trade unions, civil servants, the welfare state, cultural differences between nations and old good male rivalry - just watch the rival shouting: "my testicles" as an emergency helicopter takes him away only to hit him against a rock next - it was windy. 

THOR 3D

Watchable too. Previously I saw it from a laser projector which guaranteed perfect colours. Hard to decide whether 2D was enough or whether precisely rendered colours made up for the flat picture. No quality difference between the two screenings.

MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU

Watchable. This prequel to "Despicable Me 3" is better than the previous movie. The action makes sense, the Minions, apart from their fast inarticulate speech, do utter some words: mostly in Italian, some in German, French or English. Their antagonists are named in a way mocking combat movie stars, e.g. John Clawed or Nun-Chuck. There's an early mid-credit but also a serious of drawings presenting their pranks.

הַבֶּרֶךְ (AHED'S KNEE)

Switched off. By נדב לפ יד (Nadav Lapid), the director of "Synonymes" ("Synonyms") from which I had walked out before. This film is also overtalked, less weird but about shooting a movie - the topic which never works in actual films. More and more characters and uttered sentences do not bring in anything new to the subject matter of censorship.

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

BULLET TRAIN

Watchable. The whole film is based on American gangster movie style storytelling conversations intertwined with fights and is full of genre stereotypes. The exchanges are humorous, e.g. when the Brad Pitt character advises the vengeful girl to read a book on surviving the borderline syndrom, yet I laughed at none. Carver is mentioned twice, shown once and never again. Cut out in edit? The showdown is over the top and needless in the first place. Music, often joyful, doesn't benefit from Atmos. There are no special sound effects either. An ordinary screen will be fine. The early mid-credit clarifies the finale. Ladybugs seemingly coming out of the screen during the end credits signify it's all about Ladybug. His motto: "You put peace out in the world, you get peace back" ends the credits. No wonder he comes out alive. The whole thing is mediocre at best, in spite of some fun cameos, yet when you analyze some subtle hints, it's anti-gun, anti-violence.

VIENS, JE T'EMMENE (NOBODY'S HERO)

Watchable. A comedy with a few hilarious scenes, e.g. a prostitute's husband finds her in bed with her lover and since she says he hasn't come, he asks her to give him money back. The lover says it's fine but the husband insists and hands him in the money. The story's entertaining, unpredictable, the fun lies in constant surprises. On the other hand, it's the erotic subplot that's so hilarious, the Arab part rather explores French and Arab migrants' attitudes to the other party. 

BIG FESTIVALOWSKI

The new festival took place in Płock in August. The first edition was combined with the opening of the world's second, after Hong Kong, Meme Museum and featured plenty of light, soft entertainment: film-wise that means comedies, meetings, e.g. with the cast of Polish "The Office" after a screening of 3 episodes from the first season. "The Big Lebowski" opened the event, while the closing gala saw Koterski receiving a lifetime achievement award. The films were mostly Polish comical shorts of recent years, some animated, but also Polish and American full-length features, some new but most old, e.g. "The Apartment". Another oldie was Polish "Hydrozagadka" ("Hydro-Riddle") with an alligator from the Płock Zoo. Jurkiewicz offered a masterclass on how to write comedy - something he studied in the US, Chruścielewski on editing, Kosek a workshop on what's true and what's fiction in science fiction. There were concerts with film hits. You were meant to chill out and feel laidback to the extent of being able to wear a bathrobe and slippers.