WATCH DOCS 2022

ASK, MARK VE OLUM (LOVE, DEUTSCHMARKS AND DEATH)

Watchable. History of work migrants in Germany since the 1950s, with an emphasis on musicians. The tunes aren't very pleasant, most are mono and sound old-fashioned. The stories showcase social and economic changes and are more engaging: from money pinned onto musicians and champagne set on fire to children of the street and arsons. There's a post-credit taking the chronicle into the future and one final music piece.

WIJ PRATEN NIET (WE DON'T TALK)

Watchable. The film consists of conversations of sexually exploited teenagers with their therapists. It shows how unsuccessful or even traumatic therapy can be and how devastating the normalisation of rapes in their minds is. Director Marjolein Busstra provides no context so little do you find out how the children got themselves into this, usually, line of work. You realise that most one-off rapes won't ever be reported because an examination is needed and includes taking pictures of the victims naked. Film-wise though, with protagonists shot only from behind and their names given just once at the beginning, it's easy to confuse the stories. I was taken aback reading end credits which said there were only 4 of them. The worst problem, however, is the lack of a wider context. Talking about emotions renders the film shallow.

TIGRE GENTE

Recommended. A fascinating investigative documentary taking you from Bolivia to China and an African market as well. The beauty of living jaguars and the heartbreaking count of illegal trophies. "Wherever the Chinese come, they bring evil" sounds shockingly true. Wildlife death, endangered species hunted down to extinction so that the Chinese take their tradition-sanctified but never proven to work medicine from rhino horns, ivory, tiger fangs, jaguar skulls, seahorses, name it. Penalties are low, prisoners able to run, the poached goods openly available in shops in China, search for illegal products openly advertised by willing buyers on the radio in Bolivia. More tigers are bred for their fangs than live in the wild. But the director delves deeper - into the prevalence of these treatments in her home country, massive denial by the users, the whole culture in need of change. Comprehensive and unsettling.

TROND GISKE - MAKTA RAR (NAME OF THE GAME) AND Q&A WITH DIRECTOR HAVARD BUSTNES

Watchable. The sexual harassment cases are so trivial from a non-Norwegian point of view, it's only worth watching with admiration of how seriously the country and its people treat such revelations. And for the two-sided view at the issue. No bias in this documentary. Also for occasional glimpses of beautiful nature outside. 

The director says Trond Giske is so popular in the North because that region is more traditional and more backwards in term of their attitudes to sexual harassment. 

FREE MONEY

Watchable. The idea of universal basic income is put to the test in 11 countries where small communities are to receive it for 12 years and be compared with control groups. You learn this from the parts shot in the US and the office in Kenya. The film limits itself to a Kenyan village with interesting approaches of Kenyans skeptical to the idea and suspecting the handouts to be evil. Once the fear of black magic is put aside, they enjoy new opportunities. The experiment is to run till 2023 and no clear outcome is seen as yet. No comparison is presented other than envy. You do see it empowers girls not to be duped into sex by boys giving them rides and the villagers with money get better service because vendors know they are able to pay. On the other hand, a boy quits school to which he was able to go with the money and a girl who didn't qualify does go to one. So the true results are yet to be seen.

BRIGITTE BARDOT CUDOWNA (BRIGITTE BARDOT FOREVER)

Watchable. The first half is set in communist Poland of the 1960s and is largely realistic and quite engaging, especially with the mystery behind the boy's father's disappearance and inexplicable visits of Bezpieka, the oppressive state security agents. Next the teenager's fantasies transport him to another world, populated by megastars of the time. This creation is visually alluring. Produced, written and directed by Lech Majewski, who was also responsible for sound engineering, the movie's technically immaculate. Joanna Opozda is stunning as Brigitte Bardot. It's only the mix of these two worlds being odd and the unconcluded search for the father that don't quite work in the plot. The creator of "Dolina Bogów" ("Valley of the Gods") and "Młyn i krzyż" ("The Mill and the Cross") fails to mesmerise this time. 

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

POLY

Recommended. Very pleasant dubbing in Polish. Translated by Bartek Fukiet, it's all appropriate for children. The story, though set in France of the 1960s, promotes vegetarianism and animal welfare. Light colour costumes, especially of the mum, with plenty of yellow, sunny weather, adventure - really fun. Still, surprisingly, it's the Polish voices, mild and with that special warm quality, that matter the most.

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

WATCH DOCS 2022

ARMOTONTA MENOA (RUTHLESS TIMES - SONGS OF CARE)

Watchable. Finland clearly hasn't heard of elderly care houses scandals like in Poland. Here the nurses mean well, they are just thrown into the clogs of corporate machinery. The vocals sound wonderful. The instrumental music is awful and vexing. Much of the film is overtalked, with some details which only obscure the bigger picture and will matter only to the community in question. For the rest of the world it's sheer bureaucracy. 

MARCIA SU ROMA (THE MARCH ON ROME)

Recommended. From Mussolini to Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin but mostly 1922 and the immediate aftermath. All about the theatricality of fascism, fascination with it among dictators willing to get up from the knees and where it invariably leads. An in-depth film analysis of "A noi", plenty of shots of Benito Mussolini - those remind the character from "Loro" a lot, who, on turn, was modelled on Silvio Berlusconi which leads me to think Berlusconi may have modelled his image on Mussolini's. Terrifying how history likes to repeat itself. 

THE OIL MACHINE

Recommended. What starts off telling the viewer our everyday objects, the world economy and everyone's wealth is built on oil, changes the narrative. Whaling industry provided lamp oil 150 years ago. And just as it's gone, now fossil fuels must. Two sides of the equation are extensively quoted. But even economy tells us to go green. Oil company shares have lost in value considerably, at the same time the cost of solar panels has fallen by 80%. Forcing further fossil fuel use will not only increase the global temperatures by 3.5% instead of 1.5%, it will ruin the world's financial system by mid-century. And if only Greenlandic ice melts, it'll increase sea levels by 7.5 meters, enough to sink 80% of Bangladesh, 90% of Vietnam, 30-100 million climate refugees will flood the few inhabitable places, where the temperature will be below 45 degrees Celsius. 

THE FABELMANS

Recommended. Inspired by facts, directed by Steven Spielberg, with Janusz Kamiński's cinematography and John Williams' music. Director David Lynch makes a cameo as director John Ford. An evocative movie about what cinema is and about the vocation. The title is meaningful.

A PLEIN TEMPS (FULL TIME)

Recommended. A thriller everyone can easily relate to, seeing familiar everyday life scenes in a new light. A team leader of maids in a 5 star hotel is looking for a new job, matching her qualifications better. A general transport strike hinders getting to work, especially from outside Paris. She's running against the clock to manage everything in time. Gripping.

SUBUK (BACKWARDS)

Watchable. A typical Polish social drama about a disabled child. 112 minutes of moral preaching and far-fetched piled-up family issues. The bright parts are music by Hania Rani - especially the opening "Letter to Glass" and humour when Kuba reacts: "No i zajebiście" ("Fucking awesome"). The rest is sappy. Leaves you despondent.

THIS IS GOING TO HURT EP. 1

Recommended. The opening is shocking and hilarious.I bet you've never heard of such a case. Well, unless you've read Adam Kay's book it's based on. The episode, especially the first half, is so fast-paced I had to go back several times to catch all details. What you learn of clinical gynaecology is eye-opening: blood, guts, medical mistakes on a daily basis. It's all gripping and entertaining, with a few hilarious bits - the medics' banter is superb. Perfect editing and Ben Whishaw's acting reflect the reality of a hospital ward.

Seen courtesy of Canal +.

STRANGE WORLD

Watchable. The idea of a plant producing electricity and a society built round it is wonderful. The animation peddles reversed genderism where women are stronger than men and lead while dancing. The son falls for a boy and it doesn't freak out his love object. The fantastical world is purplish with pink thrown in, similarly to recent "Mia and Me: The Hero of Centopia" which doesn't look pretty, although it may be justified by it being the inside of a living organism. At least the creatures are ingenious. And ice has a wonderfully translucent texture - sadly it appears only in the opening. The shape of the globe reflects the ancient myth of a turtle. The environmental message of abandoning fossil fuels, however much we profit from them now, is sound and the comic book cover in the very last scene says: "The team that fought corruption from the inside" - spot on, that really nails the problem of our world. In Poland it's available only dubbed into Polish, including songs.

TICKET TO PARADISE

Watchable. Filmed in Queensland (Palm Bay Resort in Hamilton Island) and Bali. It's the sunny vistas and the holiday feel that make this predictable romantic comedy bearable. It regurgitates the make-up while trying to break-up formula. Every bit of the story is nicked from earlier movies of the genre, e.g. being bitten by a dolphin from "Failure to Launch" of 2006. Amusing it isn't. Well, maybe one nose crash, to some extent. It's rather a bit sappy and maudlin love story, hardly a comedy. Early end credits are accompanied by shooting blunders - also not funny but give the impression of what the set looked like. 

TADEO JONES 3. LA TABLA ESMERALDA (TAD, THE LOST EXPLORER AND THE EMERALD TABLE)

Watchable. I was 3 minutes late to the screening but didn't feel like I missed anything. The story, with an admittedly lucid plot but awfully predictable, is fuelled by how badly most characters hanker for recognition and admiration. The quest, the legend of ancient artefacts giving immense power - we've seen it all before. The mummy is annoying as it acts out like a hyperactive kid. Constant body changes are in line with recent quirky ideas of a chickenhare and the like and manifest how bereft of fresh ideas this story is. Distinct characters, e.g. the lecturer who was using a brush for cleaning brushes to clean the brush for cleaning dust is endearing in her passion for the mundane. When Tadeo (Tad) is running away, a "100 Ways To Die" book lands on his face but the animation is so densely packed with action, humour can't get in edgeways. Paris looks realistic. The rest of the animation is pretty regular. Some songs ar fun. 

RIMINI

Watchable. While it starts with an old people's home and a funeral, the plot is surprisingly exciting. The washed-out singer is a male prostitute satisfying old lady fans. All songs are meaningful but elderly people's style. Richie Bravo's plot to get the money is predictable. The immigrants' subplot is over the top

BLACK ADAM

Watchable. An international corporation depleting a country's mineral resources or a king enslaving his own population are just a pretext for two hours of firing electrical charges, explosions and hovering high in the air. There's some ancient legend and magic and the spellword activating or deactivating Black Adam's superpowers is... Shazam. On one occasion Black Adam pushes a plane Superman-way and, in the mid-credit (there's no post-credit) Amanda Waller warns Black Adam if he crosses the country border, she'll call superheroes from outside the planet and then Superman arrives. This movie is bad and it looks like it's going to worse.  

SAGAN OM KARL-BERTIL JONSSONS JULAFTON (A CHRISTMAS TALE)

Recommended. Distinct characters with their foibles, each wonderfully acted, and the Christmas atmosphere permeate the movie. With a lucid plot, it's all children appropriate. All characters are gentle. 

NA TWOIM MIEJSCU 

Watchable. The music, by film music regular Łukasz Targosz, is so banal, you want to skip the whole film at its opening, even if some of the tunes are quite spatial. Especially that the opening scene is psychotherapy - a cliche. What's worse, it's shot in a mockumentary style, where both protagonists first speak frontally to the camera. The plot is no better. Awfully derivative therefore 100% predictable. No fresh thought whatsoever. The women workplace discrimination part is all spoken out, straight in your face - where's a movie? The put-upon wife, on the other hand, is confusing - those food making scenes indicate rather there must have been chore equality before. And where's comedy? OK, I did laugh loud a few times but not enough taken the 1 hour 50-minute duration. And some jokes are a bit gross. At least the storyline is consistent. And you wonder if the marriage is unstuck for good. No surprises here either. 

MEDJUGORJE, LA PELICULA (MEDJUGORJE) 

Watchable. It's the first time I've come across such a detailed description of the revelation where Virgin Mary was hovering about a metre above the ground, on a cloud, similarly hovering on a cloud was her crown. She was beautiful because she radiated love and when the daily apparitions stopped, the children suffered withdrawal symptoms. As you keep watching, you learn more and more about subsequent revelations and the wider social and political context. E.g. I never heard of the fasting recommendation having been given in the revelation. The protagonists' incredible urge to travel to Medjugorje amazes. The Serbian-Spanish love story is gripping. The subsequent testimony of an "angry agnostic", as another woman called herself, is truly moving and tear-jerking. The film is comprehensive. Yet what hinders following the history of the place and individual testimonials is the fact the documentary is based on talking heads. What's more, each person speaks at their heart's will, with probably nothing cut out. It's blabber for 2 hours. Exhausting. It tests your faith in the documentary genre. But... it leaves you curious if you may be able to experience such a deep shift if you venture out to Medjugorje. In spite of the somewhat forceful invitation at the end.

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

ELLA  AND THE LITTLE SORCERER

Watchable. The story is a quest to save Prince Alex trapped in the body of a mouse and goes from one separate adventure to another - though various characters return in the finale a bit "Hobbit" style. Good translation by Piotr Cieński - in Poland the movie was dubbed apart from the song in English, superbly rendered varying textures, all 3 rodents cute and fun, e.g. trying to reach for the stone, other fairy-tale references, witty dialogue. An original story with great attention to detail. All age appropriate. On the other hand, it indoctrinates girls to save boys and offers too many fights. The end-credits are accompanied by pictures showing what happened next. 

MOONAGE DAYDREAM

Recommended. Magnificently spatial music, a splendid selection of excerpts from interviews, concerts - or shows rather, videos, not only his but also classic SF movies like "Metropolis", "Blade Runner" and many other - none of which I detected consciously in the ever-changing kaleidoscope of sounds and pictures. It's a journey through the internal universe of a strikingly versatile artist: writer, singer, scriptwriter, painter, sculptor, designer for whom his own physicality was a canvas. He confesses he doesn't have his own personality. But his thoughts are deep. You just plunge with him into the riot of colours, ideas, means of expression. He lived his days fully. His bold imagination and incredible talent were reflected by a massive following. The fans, as he claims, saw a reflection of themselves in him. This documentary, by Brett Morgen, pushes you to make the best of each single day and love life itself. A goodbye by David Bowie at the very end of the final credits is unmissable and stylish.

CHRZCINY (THE CHRISTENING)

Watchable. A typical Polish drama: a family reunion in the face of a family rift. This one is set in communist times - presented as gray, austere and the society split. Persuasive acting, the recreation of 1981, a cat not to be let out of the bag and errors of identity convinced me to stay and see how it develops. Sadly, it leads to an over-the-top finale and a completely implausible postscript.

GAESTERNE (SPEAK NO EVIL)

Recommended. This thriller is set in Dutch Friesland countryside - original, an obscure area no one knows much about. Nothing indicates the startling brutality. The finale is so chilling it's unspeakable. Keeps preying on your mind a few hours later.

THE HARBINGER

Watchable. Americans are haunted by ghosts of their past: claiming natives' lands and sacred places, the prohibition, Ponzi schemes more recently. It's not truly frightening other than one jump scare. The devil wearing black furry trousers is such a folk cliche. On the other hand, the dapper, suited father by Will Klipstine is cast spot on. Secrets and the puzzle of who is or are the evil ones keep you following the story. The finale is a pile of nonsense but these twists and revelations engage you nevertheless.

THE WHALE

Watchable. A personal drama and an occasionally appearing ocean - Aronofsky has done it before. Here the protagonist is truly original, I've never seen this subject tackled by cinema before. But it's based on a theatrical play and does look like theatre, staged. And why is Brendan Fraser wearing prosthetics instead of letting a truly morbidly obese person appear? Not a bad movie but not the best Aronofsky.

ANIA

Recommended. A documentary about late Anna Przybylska, an actress and a model so insignificant that it was only during the film that I realized I had seen her in some obscure movie and in a commercial. Yet she's presented as a superstar. She was beautiful and the camera loved her. As did many people. Superbly selected material comprising of family, friends, actors and directors' testimonials, home videos, movie excerpts and glamorous model photos, perfectly edited, engulf you even if you're as ignorant as I was. It's touching towards the end as you hear that she knew of the coming death. Also an insight into her mind at the time when she turned religious and thought of her children a lot - though she always did. 

PETERSCHENS MONDFAHRT (MOONBOUND)

Watchable. The plot is so haywire, not only I couldn't focus. Kids were running to and fro during the film. Technically the animation is correct, though its varying styles are a bit hard on the eye. Nightfairy's coat and the wings of the butterflies pulling the space sleigh look wonderful. The Shooting Stars sound lovely speaking in unison.

헤어질 결심 (DECISION TO LEAVE)

Recommended. A love thriller which keeps you glued to the screen till the end credits when the full version of the song is played. Meticulously shot hands, especially, partly emulate "Drive My Car". And yes, cars are there too. Yet it's words that matter the most. But fear not, lines are reminded with recordings so it's easy to keep up as the plot becomes denser and denser. 박해일 (Park Hae-il) give a top performance as the policeman. The finale's unique. 

UKRAINA! FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE

ТЕРИКОНИ (TERYKONY)

Switched off. Actually after half an hour I fast forwarded the rest. People eke out an existence in a poverty-stricken region. Children play roaming their town and adjacent areas with the only difference that a theatre or a former house have been destroyed in the war waged since 2014 and a girl mourns her father on the first anniversary of his death, while for others "it's normal". Childhood in a war zone is dull, often joyful, sometimes sombre. Not much to watch for.

SHORT FILMS SET 3

Прапор

Марія

Зона комфорту

Черевички неношені

Юля

Маеstro

ПРАПОР (FLAG)

Watchable. Produced by Warsaw Film School, with Mateusz Pacewicz as the script consultant, it's a very simple, cheap, one-location story set in 1991, when Ukraine became an independent state. Family history forms a backdrop. 

МАРІЯ (MARY)

Watchable. About a girl pimped by her own father therefore highly disturbing. Unfortunately the sex and murder scenes look theatrical. The religious finale, combined with the title, gets you thinking. Was Jezus' mother raped by Archangel?

ЗОНА КОМФОРТУ (ZONE OF COMFORT)

Watchable. An engaging story, even if disturbing at some points, though poorly shot - it often looks like theatre rather than film - and poorly cut - purely technically. Music pieces by Tchaikovsky, Mozart, Verdi are pleasant but few and silence in the main part of the film detracts from the experience.

ЧЕРЕВИЧКИ НЕНОШЕНІ

Recommended. Wonderfully told, hilarious at some point, professionally filmed and fantastically acted, with a shocking finale. 

ЮЛЯ

Watchable. The school graduates' dilemma of whether to stay in their small town or leave, mostly for abroad, is tedious. What's worse, the ponderings are interspersed with singing and dancing. But one thought is worth considering: "It's not a place that makes a person but a person that makes a place."

MAESTRO

Watchable. Medical torture - an operation shot up close. 

CAT DADDIES

Recommended. Diverse life stories of humans and felines. While I'm more of a dog person myself, the stories in this American documentary are touching, revealing how much people need cats and cats need people for mutual support. A secondary message coming out of the film is not to overdo cancer treatment since it can leave you less fit than before. The Polish translations of the cat names - needless in the first place - are weird and wrong language-wise. There are two hilarious scenes, one of them is a guy playing on cats.

HALLOWEEN ENDS

Watchable. The opening is fine. Especially with pop music. Later, through the narration of remembering past events and hole-in-the-large-pipe images like in "It", it gets ridiculous. But the two lead protagonists are likeable and form a lovely couple. The masked man incident and ominous conversations are far-fetched - even for the "Halloween" franchise. It has never been much of a horror or meaningful. Early versions were annoyingly slow-paced. This one, just like the previous, is fast, with good pop music, which eases the swallow of the nonsensical plot. The last 20 minutes or so nonsense piles up unbearably. I considered walking out at the finale. I wish it were really the end.

MIA AND ME: THE HERO OF CENTOPIA

Watchable. I was two minutes late so can't comment on the very beginning. The actors' opening and closing sequences make sense when you bear in mind the movie's Australian. Still, it's mostly animated, with plenty of singing and dancing. Colours and pop music make it easy though lots of purple in the backgrounds of Centopia isn't pretty. Floating rocks and blue people with weapons are a "Avatar" rip-off. The plot is run-of-the-mill. Some scenes are ridiculously feminist as if women were physically just as strong as men. 

BROS

Watchable. A beautiful love story even if one guy is neurotic and the other a Channing Tatum-looking gay. Amy Schumer makes a cameo as Eleanor Roosevelt. I didn't understand many other references to real life persons. Even the US culture codes were often hard to comprehend. But I'd love such a creative museum. There's some humour, e.g.: "I'm in the middle of a divorce and you didn't even ask once" "OK. How is your divorce?" "I don't want to talk about it." The movie has a Christmas feel.

SONDA (THE PROBE)

Watchable. A totally amateurish short film. Tongue-in-cheek, e.g. a university Department of Astronomy and Astrology. The story is rooted in scientific predictions of rising sea levels and the reactions to the threat are realistic. The catastrophic and post-apocalyptic ending is totally crazy. The whole thing, sadly, is poorly shot, the visual effects seem made by an elementary school pupil, so are the props and costumes.

UKRAINA! FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE

БУДИНОК «СЛОВО» ("SLOVO" HOUSE. UNFINISHED NOVEL)

Watchable. Black and white, set in Soviet times. The film is quietly paced, taking time to play with light and shadow every now and then. The first half is a bit on the slow side but mid-way through the film things take a dramatic turn. It bears some semblance to "Leben der Anderen" ("The Lives of Others") but he listens about himself. It's shocking how Акімов (Akimov) changes once given a fraction of power. Next you become aware of the astonishing context. A moral tale about a careerist.

SHORT FILMS SET 2

Якщо сильно заплющити очі

Сім’я – то назавжди

Інша Ніч

Фаза

Чому плачуть діти

Бульмастиф

ЯКЩО СИЛЬНО ЗАПЛЮЩИТИ ОЧІ

Watchable. A short and simple tale about a family that comes unstuck. I'm not sure if the scenes along the end credits are preceding the plot or showing the after-the party. The whole thing is quite ordinary.

СІМ'Я - ТО НАЗАВЖДИ (FAMILY IS FOREVER)

Recommended. An amusing mockery of a family in which one person turns vegetarian. Wonderfully depicted.

ІНША НІЧ

Recommended. About the propaganda machine before the war, the onset of the war itself and evacuation. Astonishing to hear that writing "діти" ("children") on buildings seemed to prompt shellings. Strongly touching when you see people fleeing with their dogs.

ФАЗА (PHASE)

Watchable. An intriguing crime mystery told in an original way. The ending either is a bit inconsistent or I didn't get it - did the boys not see the woman in question?

ЧОМУ ПЛАЧУТЬ ДІТИ

Watchable. An endearing animation about a baby cockroach's dreams. The human message, especially in the final song isn't clear.

БУЛЬМАСТИФ (BULLMASTIFF)

Recommended. A beautiful story of a war veteran and a dog. The story's complex but totally comprehensible. Wondefully acted by everyone, including the dog. Based on facts.

ЦЕНЗОРКА (107 MOTHERS)

Watchable. Half-naked pregnant women - the film was written and directed by men - at a medical check-up unsettle you at first, next comes a revolting birth-giving scene. It looks almost documentary at times. Rightly so, since it's inspired by true stories of four imprisoned women. The drama is engaging. On the one hand, you witness their daily lives - I'm amazed how well the issue of having babies in prison is tackled in Ukraine, on the other, you see the women's dreams and plans being hindered by the circumstances.

МАТИ АПОСТОЛІВ (MOTHER OF APOSTLES)

Recommended. A gripping war thriller dealing with issues of loyalties and integrity. The complexity of the 2014 situation in the occupied Eastern Ukraine is the basis for twists of action. The uncompromising cruelty of Russians shocks. The story's engaging on the human level as well for parents lose their sons. Very Ukrainian in style, social culture and music tradition.

B. СИЛЬВЕСТРОВ (V. SILVESTROV)

Switched off. 2 hours 22 minutes of a slow-paced documentary where the elderly composer makes sure every note is sung just right, sings himself in his much aged voice, accidental yet prolonged glimpses of Kyiv are shown, he browses a calendar - the scene keeps you looking at him for no reason for ages, expresses his thoughts on his interpretation of music and then, after the final credits of the first part, when you feel relieved, the second part commences - it's about the past so everything's as tedious as part one but more historical. The film could do with some serious cutting.

THE MENU

Recommended. The experience consists of carefully sourced cast and the script cooks up first-class food for thought. Does gourmet cuisine deprive us of the joy of eating? Are posh diners served or do they serve celebrity chefs? How do you act when your own situation doesn't bear thinking about? Riveting twists of action and the sheer creativity of the menu - the expected dishes and the unexpected servings - keep you glued to the screen. Consummately crafted.

BELLE ET SEBASTIEN, NOUVELLE GENERATION (BELLE AND SEBASTIEN: THE NEW GENERATION)

Watchable. A thoroughly modern version. It opens with a skatepark scene but neither that trope, nor the bully watched by the boys plot is continued. The scene, as well as the journey to the mountains is accompanied by great pop tunes. The Pyrenees look like pretty average mountains. The three actresses and the two lead actors - the mixed-race Robinson Mensah Rouanet as Sébastien and Syrus Shahidi as Gas look good. The animals are wonderful: birds of prey, dogs, sheep, including a newborn, wolves. It's all worth it when we reach one heartfelt scene where cute wolf puppies appear. The film's very well cut. The story, though, is so run-of-the-mill only children may be interested. It's mentioned that a lake drainage could lead to a wider drought issue but the makers don't delve into it.

NITRAM

Recommended. The protagonist is a severely disturbed person. But you don't need to be one to fly off the handle. Mum telling you to get dressed properly, being not needed when you ask around for a job, witnessing your father treated unfairly, being outbought by someone else, seeing your dream girl kiss someone else, being called a bad name are everyone's experiences. Luckily not everyone is as aggressive as to kill 35 people and wound 23 others in a mass shooting. The shooting isn't even shown, yet what you read in the final notes is shocking - there are more guns in Australia now than in 1996. And mind the ease with which he could acquire them all. 

BEJBIS

Walked out. Contrived dialogues - no one speaks like that in real life, with lots of foul language, drugs at middle aged people's parties, every few minutes the protagonists talk directly to the camera as if relating the story to someone, at some point a theatre-like choir or late saints appear - plain ludicrous. 

SYNDROM HAMLETA (THE HAMLET SYNDROME)

Watchable. Excellent for its informative value on the war. You hear a lot about the mind games separatists play in order to torture prisoners and to deprive them of humanity. Also about Ukraine itself where being gay required heroism even at the time of peace. And how parents can't sleep at night having children off at war. Neither can the soldiers in combat sleep - because of nightmares. Yet the nightmares of war get diluted through some abstract blabber of the actors analysing themselves in the context of "Hamlet". Especially their squabbles are hard to understand. The war talk is more tangible. And their acting skills aren't always up to scratch. So basically theatre gets in the way of an otherwise good film.

Reviewed from the distributor's screener, a quality one, still cinematic reception might differ.

ORZEL. OSTATNI PATROL (BELOW THE SURFACE)

Watchable. Jola Dylewska's cinematography renders it immediately different than all other submarine movies to date. The inside and outside light conditions, frequent behind glass shots together with a range of sound effects: well-like human voices, marine vessel or sea noises, reflect what the crew must have seen and heard. The guys ar amiable. The downsides are: the set limited to one location, the mentioned warships and other vessels nowhere to be seen, incomprehensible communication and the lack of ending.

BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER AT IMAX 3D

Recommended. They've moved away from part one. With a great effect. First they kill off Black Panther, following actor Chadwick Boseman's death. Later you're introduced to a water world. The movie is a complete story, with deep and clever war negotiations. Martin Freeman is fantastic - his character offers humorous bits. The girl genius is amusing too, especially when she tells how she built a quantum computer to break her own password. Sisterhood is big in the plot. The set decor and costumes are rooted in African cultures, even the Princess's talking AI is called Griot. Wakandans speak Xhosa. Sound is channelled surroundingly, usually with conversations at the front and music at the back, some coming from all over. There's an open ending as Jabari wants to become king. Only a mid-credit, no post-credit.

LAIR

Recommended. London setting, wonderful cast. Sound effects are surrounding - voices can be heard on the sides.The spooks aren't really frightening. But the quite original idea is disturbing and the final scene startling. The concept is admirably refreshing.

CINEMAFORUM

1 UKRAINIAN SHORT FILM

У ПОЛІ (IN THE FIELD)

Recommended. A seemingly simple story which holds a few surprises. In a war setting which is spine-tingling in its own right.

OBERHAUSEN INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM FESTIVAL RETROSPECTIVE

HOMESICK

Watchable. Talking about the pandemic lockdown using lines from end-time movies is a fascinating idea but here it's filmed theatre which is visible in overdone make-up, stage-like set decoration, chorus repetitions of quotes and the manner of speaking facing directly the viewer. Not much of a film.

WEATHERING HEIGHTS

Walked out. Poorly shot, with no extra light, ordinary countryside life and naked children - gross.

1 INTERNATIONAL FILM

TRIA

Walked out. First you're informed of a law by which once four children are born one of them has to be killed with girls going first - no justification or explanation of this peculiar set-up. Then the girls date boys and dance as if nothing was going to happen - ludicrous.

BAFTA 2022

DO NOT FEED THE PIGEONS

Watchable. Doll animation with flat pieces of fabric as people. Little of a story and it's ambiguous. On the other hand, artsy and with a profound message.

THREE MEETINGS OF THE EXTRAORDINARY COMMITTEE

Watchable. Black and white, artsy, smart though overtalked, with a profound message, but a disappointing finale. Leaves you sympathetic yet frustrated by the ending.

NIGHT OF THE LIVING DREAD

Watchable. Artsy, with a profound message, wise psychologically but disturbing. The dolls move in a natural way.

FEMME

Watchable. An engaging gangster flick with a trans person central to the plot and with a profound message.

STUFFED AND Q&A WITH DIRECTOR THEO RHYS AND COMPOSER JOSS HOLDEN-REA

Watchable. As if the macabre idea of taxidermizing a human wasn't crazy enough, it's a musical. The film's artsy, with a profound message.

"Everyone in the UK hates musicals. Apart from us". They're perceived as tacky. Their idea is that people sing when they can't express themselves. Also "love transcends normal talking." "Sweeney Todd", "A Little Shop of Horrors" inspired it. A musical on stage is incredibly expensive so many are never made. The actor only existed in a local theatre, the woman lead was found on a casting website. They like diegetic musicals - the story from within, this one is  not diegetic because you see the source of music. The actor felt uneasy dragged across the floor and stripped naked in front of 21 people. True fact: a German cannibal posted an ad for someone who wanted to be eaten - the Cannibal Gate was a fetishist site but it was serious for him. "Once you take away the macabre and horrendousness of the story, they fulfill each others' needs (...) That was the starting point." The house was abandoned for 13 years so it was petrifying for the crew to enter, cobwebs etc. Health and safety-wise it was scary too - they could be put in jail for it.

FINAL CEREMONY

The award ceremony was hilarious, with great music and an Oscar-like form, even with some tears of joy .

MUSIC VIDEOS

With such a fantastic selection of short films from all over the world, why are all music videos Polish (or Ukrainian), mostly poor visually and always pathetic musically?! And screened with a delay.

The whole festival offered plenty of quality short films from all over, the interpreter at Q&As was excellent, the catalogue comprehensive but the schedules, both in print and online, weren't chronological. The festival director himself seemed to lack organizational knowledge so it was hard to obtain info. It doesn't change the fact I'm looking forward to the next edition.

ROOM 203

Watchable. The movie, based on the book "Room 203" by Nanami Kamon's novel, purports to have been shot in a truly haunted house. I felt like switching it off before even the opening credits - the boy's nicking a necklace from the building only to give it to his crush was silly and the freaky suicide looked awfully tacky. The main plot though, of two female students, both likeable, is pleasant. You feel sympathetic something is bound to happen to them. Frequent mentions of dying or getting killed seriously or in jest are fun anticipation for the viewer. The second half is creepy, though not exactly horrifying. The landlord character is masterfully played by Scott Gremillion. Ian, Kim's boyfriend, by Eric Wiegand is a truly nice guy. Francesca Xuereb as Kim and Viktoria Vinyarska as Izzy manifest sisterhood. The finale leaves a sequel potential.

Available on online platforms.

CINEMAFORUM

7 INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILMS:

AUGUST SKY

Recommended. I was a bit late so can't comment on the beginning. The pregnant woman's unidentified concerns are well presented both by the actress and the circumstances. It all tones in: severely mentally troubled people in the church, fires raging in the country. The orange sky and the glow it casts on the city look amazing.

NIE MA SPOKOJU (THERE IS NO PEACE OF MIND) AND Q&A WITH KAROL ULMAN

Recommended. An atmospheric science fiction film with a fascinating concept of turning people into trees. A sterile-looking clinic, contract signing, an interview by a doctor all tone in.

The interviewer joked, "Mamy taką zasadę, że Q&A trwa dłużej niż film" ("We have a rule that a Q&A lasts longer than the film."). The director wanted the perspective as if the trees watched them too. It was a school film - the actor found it funny to be offered 500 zl per day. The film was shot in Park Skaryszewski and Polin in Warsaw. At the time of the event, Karol Ulman's next film "Duchy" was in pre-production.

CHAPERONE

Recommended. Mysterious.

ورشة (WARSHA)

Recommended. Worth seeing for breathtaking acrobatics and local customs at work.

LE CENSEUR DES REVES (CENSOR OF DREAMS)

Watchable. Looks a bit amateurish. I expected it to be more high-tech.

غداََ يأتي الحبّ (TRUMPETS IN THE SKY)

Watchable. This ethnographic short film shows one day which starts with daily work and ends at dawn on the next day. Wedding reception dancers are wonderfully shot.

PIEKNA LAKA KWIETNA (A BEAUTIFUL WILDFLOWER MEADOW) AND Q&A WITH CREATORS

Recommended again. To catch more detail. And for the jokes, e.g.:"Kto to panu tak spartolił?" "No chyba pan." ("Who botched it like that?" "Must have been you."). Eminently rewatchable.

The director discussed her interests. She likes US indie films, which are different from European, arthouse, she sees there's a trend in films about neurotics. The cinematography is sharp in order to emphasize the mayhem. The film has a modern look but she likes tape - used for commercials and music clips in Poland. They couldn't meet in the pandemic so wrote on the phone. They started with the protagonist - he drove the story. She often feels like the protagonist, though he's based on her dad. The script was written fast. No treatment, no back story. An active protagonist here and now. They would just write scene 1 and continue. The action goes fast and the actor's only here and there the meadow stops him and adds depth. The backpacker is the only free person in the film - no car. Actor Andrzej Kłak suffers from leucoderma, "bo cholerycy mają" ("because hotheads have it"). He's charismatic. They were writing a full-length film, with a similar hero, original, about family.

5 AMERICAN SHORT FILMS:

HOUSE COMES WITH A BIRD

Watchable. Stylish. Little meaning behind it. 

WORK

Watchable. About lesbians lapdancing for men. Doesn't express much, some food for thought rather.

FUCK'EM RIGHT BACK

Watchable. A queer flick about drugs which are legal in Baltimore - weird but fun, especially their nails, hair, costumes. 

MY SUMMER VACATION

Watchable. An interesting idea but in the form of a child play.

TRIGGERED AND Q&A WITH ACTRESS/DIRECTOR TARA WESTWOOD

Watchable. Quite static and based on conversation but the idea is great: "we'll kill your child, Senator." Shouldn't the people who lost their children to gun violence exact revenge on pro-gun politicians?

 

Tara Westwood's directorial debut was a play before it became a film. Shew grew up at a farm in Canada where guns were present. Now that she's living in NYC she's shocked by how much gun violence there is. Canadians are happier: healthcare, marriage for everyone, everyone can get help. In the US, people don't get their basic needs met. On FB marketplace people often wanted to barter guns for the car the producer tried to sell. Not computer games - they have them too so they are not to blame. "There's a mass shooting in America every single day" where 'mass' means 4 people wounded. So people numb themselves. Confiscating guns like in Australia is not a concept in America. The US has the 2nd Amendment so people would feel disempowered, as if their rights were taken away. Most states carry no register of guns. 

PRZYTUL MNIE, POSZUKIWACZE MIODU (HUG ME - THE MOVIE) AND Q&A WITH CREATORS

Normally the production of a cartoon takes 8-10, even 15 years, this one was made in 4. 100-150 people worked on it. It will be distributed at least in France and China. The series from Finland was in 30 countries, from Finland to Mexico. 

Recommended. Perfect in all respects. The preceding Christmas episode of the series, scripted by Bartosz Wierzbięta, is touching and tells both the truth and the fairy tale regarding the existence of Santa Claus. Smart. The movie itself is even better. The storyline's consistent, engaging for children and adults alike. The conversations are so life-like the kid sitting next to me kept agreeing aloud. The tale is more than suitable for 4-year-olds - it's pedagogically just spot on. The bears look and sound cute - Iwo Rajski as the little 'un is amazing. A girl voices the English version. Their adventures and the animals they meet on the way vary but are all warm-hearted and well-meaning. So are the people. The whole tale is humorous. The backgrounds are pleasant and charming. The two songs in Polish are balmy. You just want to cuddle everyone. A sweet movie about a trip to find honey. 

UKRAINA! FILM FESTIVAL

ВІЛЬНА ЛЮДИНА. ПРОЩА (FREE MAN. PILGRIMAGE)

Watchable. The documentary highlights the recent language issues of using Russian versus Ukrainian. Валері Маркус (Valerii Markus) is admittedly a really tough guy. But the film is overtalked. A few people say the same and once they've said it, they continue re-wording the same for a few minutes, especially the green hat guy does. 

ЯК У ВАС ПОЧАЛОСЯ 24 ЛЮТОГО?

Watchable. Another overtalked documentary. But it impresses with positive energy, they even cook vegan meals.

ПАМФІР (PAMFIR)

Watchable. Not all of the plot is clear, though the main storyline is engaging. It's a very macho gang flick, with the difference it's set in a Ukrainian village. The pictures lack clarity too: all in dimmed light or fog, brownish.

The festival had an excellent bilingual (Polish-Ukrainian) catalogue on paper and a separate handy program brochure. The white background of the catalogue, blue of the program and the paper quality allowed for taking notes easily.

THE INVITATION

Watchable. First whispers, then thunders surround you  - even though it's recorded in regular Dolby - already at the opening credits. Feminist message. Female-created: written by Blair Butler, directed by Jessica M. Thompson. Hungarian names aplenty on the crew indicate the shooting locations. Race, class, gender issues are tackled in an engaging and sensible way. At the same time it's predictable being post-"Twilight", post-"Hostel" etc. It imitates "Twilight" where a cut finger attracts a bloodsucker and where the girl meets the vampire social stratosphere. In a "Hostel"-like setting because they're in a spa next to an enticingly blue pool. It resembles "Midsommar" since a stranger whisks her off to the English countryside for a celebration. Mixed with "Get Out" since she's the only black. Not original, yet the combo is refreshing. Not very scary, spine-tingling rather. With a happy ending and a jolly song accompanying the end credits. I wouldn't mind a sequel. 

SMILE

Recommended. As for the plot, the trailer says it all. While the first half is quite formulaic - it follows the "It Follows" concept and storyline, with three upside-down shots when she's in the car and her life's going to turn around, like in "Midsommar", with occasional jump scares and a killed cat, the second half is growingly creepy, with a monster in a derelict building and the finale scares the hell out of you, the very last scene and its meaning doesn't bear thinking about. It also leaves a sequel potential. Though I, personally, don't want to see any more of this. Spooky music in Atmos clarity extends till the end of the final credits.

AFRYKAMERA ONLINE

SPACE IS THE PLACE (1974)

Switched off. An Afrofuturistic musical about visitors from the outer space with no rhyme or reason but with revolting sexism.

PREY FOR THE DEVIL

Watchable. Nothing new in terms of horror, its imagery and exorcism plot. It's moderately frightening, jump scares are magnified by music, tormented bodies of those inflicted are contorted, darkened, covered in blood, on one occasion worms crawl out of stigmas, Sister Ann's teeth turn dark grey and suddenly have braces when she's possessed. The underlying reality of the Church is an interesting social issue though. While most of the data in the film is fictitious, an unsettling phenomenon of the worldwide rise in the number of demon expelling rites is a fact. It's also true those are performed by men only. Disturbingly true is the fact that some victims of the practice die having been mutilated in the course and/or starved while detained. Many of them mentally ill. The film promotes the faith in the supernatural but at least on the edges questions the ritual. It also tells stories of women who "let the demon in" in result of the guilt Catholics may experience after an abortion or giving up a baby - interestingly this is induced by nuns themselves. It states clearly it's the most pious ones that are at the greatest risk of possession which, rationally, confirms the burden of religion on the faithful.

MILOSC NA PIERWSZA STRONE (LOVE ON THE FIRST PAGE)

Watchable. A typical Polish romantic comedy: it's pleasant on the whole, slightly amusing, a child is terminally ill, protagonists sometimes use coarse language. It's medically ludicrous - gene therapy in long Covid. On the other hand, Warsaw looks fabulous and rich, as do the protagonists. As the lecturer in film states in the movie, it's not real life. The characters talk about films a lot, quote lines, some Polish and even I didn't see the films, still that part is fun. As is the "Indiana Jones" Easter egg or "Supereksces" ("Super Carrying-on") newspaper.

PAHANHAUTOJA (HATCHING)

Recommended. Just like Icelandic "Dýrið" ("Lamb") explored our ambivalent relationship with animals and played with ideas of family, the same issues reverberate in this Finnish horror. As does the idea of the duality of human nature from "The Portrait of Dorian Gray", here combined with child upbringing. Top performances, regardless of age. Siiri Solalinna (the girl actress) is so delicate, all supporting cast also perfectly match personality types. Realistic visual and sound effects. The script smartly builds on bird behaviours. While the monster is not for the faint-hearted, what's truly terrifying is the tale of humans, especially mothers. The movie's a genre re-invention. 

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

GDZIE DIABEL NIE MOZE TAM BABY POSLE (WHERE THE DEVIL CAN'T GO, HE SENDS A WOMAN)

Watchable. Wonderfully reenacted 80s: the music theme, fashion, glass Coke bottles put on the table to have a luxurious dinner. The plot, however, is hard to comprehend: what was legal, what wasn't, why was the army intelligence involved, were the protagonists based on real life figures and who was who. The action is fast and it's a cheerful view of bigtime con artists. No idea why such a title - the women never get to play the first fiddle in this film or in the part 2 trailer. I'll gladly see the bold scammers again though.

CINEMAFORUM 

Last year again I saw part of the program

2 POLISH SHORT FILMS:

MARTWE MALZENSTWO (A DEAD MARRIAGE)

Watchable. Comedy actor Sebastian Stankiewicz in a drama. However tongue-in-cheek the set-up is - a couple meets when playing dead, it's a sombre story of meeting the one. 

MOJ BRAT RYBAK (BROTHER THE FISHERMAN)

Watchable. Two brothers are looking for their alcoholic father. One of the boys is a pothead with a black eye. and is popular with girls - hardly convincing. Only his sudden rant live on the radio is funny - as I recall: "Mojego taty nie ma od trzech dni, mamy długi. Na chuja mi suszarka?!" ("My dad's been missing for three days, we're in debt. What the fuck would I need a hairdryer for?!")

ONE PIECE FILM: RED

Walked out. This anime attacks your eyes with fast flashing, rapidly cut images, animation styles varying even within one image and assaults your ears with noise: everyone yells, regardless of age and the 'songs' are further noise without any musical value.

UKRAINA! FILM FESTIVAL

БАЧЕННЯ МЕТЕЛИКА (BUTTERFLY VISION)

Watchable. A rape + a pregnancy + the rape is a war crime. This combination of these, and the protagonist's PTSD, is the main storyline. Beside it is the political situation in Eastern Ukraine, where Ukrainian nationalists, Russian speaking separatists and Russian occupiers are at play and patriotism questioned easily. The drama is slow-paced and kept very realistic, mundane even - more like watching someone's lives rather than a film.

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

MRS. HARRIS GOES TO PARIS

Recommended. Beautiful, touching but warmly fairy-tale with endearing Lesley Manville as Ada Harris. Class divide, class struggle and gender gap are shown with warmth and tenderness.

IM WESTEN NICHTS NEUES (ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT)

Recommended. There's no more powerful anti-war message than witnessing a war itself. This movie makes you watch WW1. For nearly 2.5 hours. The opening assails your ears and immediately afterwards your eyes. And it keeps doing so. Relentlessly. Squalor, weekly deaths of 40 000 soldiers, rats, cold, weapons, wounds, carnage, shattered lives. Repeatedly. In between the images of fighting negotiations take place. As the invaders observe at capitulation, the truce needs to be just in order to last. As soldiers observe, a war is like a disease - no one wants it. The German Oscar candidate brings analogies with the ongoing war in Ukraine - unwanted by both sides but the crazed commander. Also, a little mention indicates Jews fought in WW1 alongside German troops. The images and sounds of the war dominate the movie. Yet occasional tones of modern music, always when the troops march out with enthusiasm, are wonderful pieces in their own right. The plot is gripping as you follow one young man from conscription to the very end of the war.

LA SANTA PICCOLA  (THE MIRACLE CHILD)

Watchable. A bit on the slow side. With some hot sex scenes including one good-looking guy (Francesco Pellegrino). It's a tongue-in-cheek view of Italians and their piety. Tricky because the blessed girl fulfills a woman's wish to abort

Reviewed online from Outfilm where the movie was too quiet and froze a few times, cinematic reception might differ.

LES CINQ DIABLES (THE FIVE DEVILS)

Watchable. Barely. "Total Eclipse of the Heart" indicates a lame attempt at repeating the magic of "Deserto Particular" ("Private Desert") - this time in a lesbian version. And without the magic. The song and tripping to mum's real past while unconscious don't make it. Once you discover the secret of Julia's criminal past, it's a soppy melodrama. The beginning where the girl's healthy sense of smell scares her mum is ludicrous. And there's no chemistry whatsoever in this homo-hetero-black-white triangle. 

MANTO DE GEMAS (ROBE OF GEMS)

Walked out. Amateurish. People just go round their daily matters and talk about others. Poorly shot too. For the first 35 minutes I couldn't make out what the movie was about. Then I left.

PIEKNA LAKA KWIETNA (A BEAUTIFUL WILDFLOWER MEADOW)

Recommended. This short film is a damn smart situation comedy with a top performance by Andrzej Kłak.

A policeman consulted on the film so the depicted intervention is quick, as it should be. Director Emi Buchwald says Polish films are rarely shot on tapes, only commercials are. Americans often use tape. Hers is obviously on tape. As for comedy, there was some humour in the director's earlier "Heimat" and "Nauka" ("Education") too. This one is fully a comedy as intended.

KONIKI NA BIEGUNACH (THE ROCKING HORSES)

Watchable. This short film is pure chaos, I couldn't make out the point.

The director explained the disease in the documentary is childhood meningitis, later a mental disease appeared too, the protagonist's mum suffers ftom it too, the director doesn't know what "em zety" ("MZs") mentioned in the film are. There's no solution even though both women have been precisely diagnosed. Ewa saw the film and realised she's happier in the nursing home than at her own home. The beds of her design are truly comfortable.

SEN WUJKA VAKHO (UNCLE VAKHO'S DREAM)

Watchable. Not quite clear what this documentary short film is about but how he takes care of the goat baby is amazing. 

Shot in Georgia. According to the director, the little goat crying desperately refers to his difficult past. 

UCZTA KONESERA

Watchable. This short film is chaotic, at least the music is good.

No wonder the film is chaotic, so is director Sławomir Shuty. But he's not concerned, he "has also seen lots of movies he didn't get". The script alone took 5-6 years, a few editing versions on top of that and filming time extra. A number of women worked on it. The director dreams of making a horror, he's a fan of camp. He's seen all Polish horrors of the break of 80/90s. He's been obsessing about cannibalism for 30 years. 

PRZYTUL MNIE. POSZUKIWACZE MIODU (HUG ME - THE MOVIE)

It's the third full-length movie by Animoon, the producers of "Myši patří do nebe" ("Even Mice Belong in Heaven") and "Muumipapan urotyöt - Erään nuoren Muumin seikkailut"/"Pamiętniki Tatusia Muminka" ("The Exploits of Moominpappa"). This time by two Polish female scriptwriters, produced in 4 years which is fast for an animation. It's cheap (American cartoons have budgets 100 higher), with co-financing from China. Based on a 52-episode series available on Netflix and TV Puls which, in turn, is based on a book which has sold over 100 000 copies. The trailer and the song video I've seen are endearing. Polish Independence Day on 11th November saw this cartoon and other Polish films at special cinema screenings.

PROROK (PROPHET) AND Q&A WITH DIRECTOR/PRODUCER MICHAL KONDRAT, PRODUCER MAREK TROJAK AND ACTORS 

Recommended. This biopic, covering the years 1956-1971, follows in the footsteps of "Wyszyński - zemsta czy przebaczenie" ("Wyszynski - Revenge or Forgiveness") and precedes the events of "1970" and "Gierek". It's engaging and a bit amusing, e.g. the anecdotes about a dotterel or the moon reflected in a well. All protagonists are made to look like the historic figures. Night shots are visible owing to the use of orange or blue light. Occasional modern music sounds superb. A thoroughly modern political thriller.

Michał Kondrat was going to correct 3 effects having seen the preview so I guess it wasn't quite as perfect as it seemed to me. Historian Prof. Paweł Skibiński had consulted on the movie. Authentic events and dialogues from stenograms were adopted. Even fictitious characters were compiled out of real stories. Maria represents real Maria Okońska. Magda, Janek, Kazia are fictitious. Sławomir Grzymkowski in the leading role looks like real-life Wyszyński. The actor learnt from the cardinal's opponents that he had used to be "twardy, nieprzejednany" ("tough, implacable") - he acted him more gently. Tomasz Matraszek who's worked with Spielberg in the past was responsible for make-up. Talks with Cyrankiewicz and Gomułka were 1:1 from the records. For Marcin Troński (Cyrankiewicz) "it was simple to act a son of the bitch." Cyrankiewicz was extravagant, liked his cabinet posh so they recreated the decor. Costumes for lead protagonists were tailor-made, lighters, cigarettes, glasses meticulously prepared. A historical reenactment group acted alongside stuntmen. It's an expensive movie - 2 years collecting the monies, 3 years production. The pacification of the shipyard workers took 2 days of shooting: the first day was for wide plans, the second for close-ups. Michał Kondrat wanted it commercial too hence stunts, CGIs, music modern at times - by Bartosz Chajdecki. It was the director's idea to contrast with modern music. A rehearsal before the protests scene took place at Skra Stadium over 2 days. The steel line scene was scary for Michał Meyer (Janek). On 15&17th Nov. 600-800 cinemas showed the move in the US. The film had shows also in the UK and Ireland last year, this year in France, Spain, Mexico, South America had regular distribution - the same version, maybe modified. The war episode actor was different - they hadn't thought of hiring the one from "Wyszyński - zemsta czy przebaczenie" ("Wyszynski - Revenge or Forgiveness"). That period in history was free so they filled the gap.

미드나이트 (MIDNIGHT)

Recommended. Ted Bundy-style a young handsome guy with a van asks for help. With the well-known result. A deaf and dumb girl proves smart and tough at work. You know you're in for a cinematic duel. The girl's predicament and the serial killer's manipulative tactics ensure a gripping thriller. The well-known concept of a murderer playing cat and mouse with his victim gets a riveting twist.

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