Movie reviews

JAN ENGLERT'S 80TH BIRTHDAY

A handful of stories Jan Englert told the audience:

At the age of 13 he acted in his first movie, "Kanał". He was picked from his primary school for Zefirek's role. Wajda used to say he had seen him riding a bike so cast him in "Kanał" which is not true because Jan Englert bought the bike for the money made from the movie. What followed were nearly 150 films, often for TV, and 200 theatre roles. He was e.g. in "Ojciec królowej", about which the actor says it was the first Polish swashbuckler. 

To Wajda "Katyń" was as if a tribute to his father. That, "Kolumbowie" ("Generation of Columbuses"), "Kanał" gave Jan Englert the roles where he didn't act but could embody people, act like he would have for real. He didn't fly to Katyń because people were divided into 2 planes, he came to the theatre and was greeted as if he'd come back from the grave. 

A British actor asked which actors he admired the most answered: "There are a few of us". 

Jan Englert acted in the times of 100% viewer ratings because there was 1 TV channel. For him though, viewer ratings come second or third in importance. 

Recently on holidays he heard in a restaurant there were no free tables, the manager came to him : "I'm sorry, we have young staff. You know that no one knows you here?" Well, I didn't recognized any of his versatile movie clips myself, to be honest.

He's a strong believer in organic work, skills, he's not "chorobliwy wielbiciel" (obsessed with) "gift". Asked: "Dlaczego jeszcze nie zrobił pan filmu?" ("Why haven't you made a movie yet?") though he was a fly on the wall learning how to direct, he explained: "Jestem bezczelny, ale nie do tego stopnia." ("I'm brazen but to to such extent")

He was cast for "Doktor Judym" because he could do an eye twitch which was later "not once on the screen".

He prefers theatre to movies because he gets a different audience every night in spite of one day of shooting being equal to one month's theatre work with benefits. He's successful but remembers his unsuccessful times. He learnt Silesian for "Sól ziemi czarnej" ("Salt of the Black Earth") - later at a conference in Warsaw: "Mi się najbardziej w tym filmie podobał pan Englert (...) bo tylko jego mogłem zrozumieć." ("I liked Mr Englert the best in the movie (...) "for he was the only one I could understand").

After 80 years he's ready for a new adventure: "oczywiście jestem rozwojowy" ("of course I'm developmental").

He finished off admitting he had fever of 38 degrees but he was adamant he was going to work the following day.

DON'T LOOK AT THE DEMON

Watchable. After a frightening title an ominous opening sends chills down your spine. Malaysian folklore in this horror brings to mind "ร่างทรง" ("The Medium") based in Thailand. And Warrens' cases too, since here the film crew and the medium Jules specifically visit genuinely haunted places only. It doesn't pretend to be any more than a regular, true to the genre horror. But it's truly scarily executed. Simple means, mostly body-contorting, lifting and crucifying possessions, but effective. Half an hour in, the supernatural layer gets the wonderful bartender scene and the down-to-earth storyline a romantic subplot. These, however, end quickly. With numerous possessions the action starts to falter and voice-altering back-arching possessions reach a yawning point. In the final act you repeatedly think it's over but it's then that the director decides to complicate the story, each turn bringing the demonic powers back. When the confusion becomes unbearable, the very last scene hits hard. Horror regulars should be satisfied. But if you expect to be gripped the whole time or find something new you'll be disappointed. 

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

SLAVA UKRAINI - Q&R WITH DIRECTOR BERNARD-HENRI LEVY

He had seen Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki just before. 

This documentary is the second part, the first was "Why Ukraine?" 

Music was being composed specially for the movie live in front of the director for a few days, it "matches the highest possible suffering and the highest possible heroism". 

He sees it as a war between civilisations, two ways of looking at the world. The West never sees: the genocide of Armenians, Spain, Jews in WW2, Berlin 1953, Hungary 1966, Czechoslovakia 1968, it took 4 years to see former Yugoslavia hence one of his movies: "The Will To See". Poland suffered so much in flesh in the past, from totalitarism, also if Ukraine lost, Poland is 2nd in line, hence the quickest reflex. Without Biden's support Ukrainian heroes could have finished like the heroes of the Jewish ghetto. Russian people are like Germany in 1945: sleepwalkers who need to wake up, it'll take time. Only the collapse of the regime will guarantee safe Europe. If Putin or his people are free, the free world will not be free. He takes the risk to predict: "Putin and his entourage will be wiped out." "It can go quick. Ukraine will win. With the bravery of the soldiers and the help of the West." His film was presented in the UN in the first half of May, the screening included the global South. They were shaken with what they saw. Not sure if in one year people of Africa will want to be associated with the loser - Putin inflicting hunger with the grain. In 2007 he wrote a book in which he stated: Russia, Turkey, the Islamic fundamentalism, China will prevail. He's more optimistic now. The new world will emerge out of the defeat of Russia, the UN will be reformed, the transformation will be as big as in 1945, Europe will gain strength, Poland will have more credit within Europe, the US will be back. Kleptocrats like Putin will be more careful. China will think twice before invading Taiwan. 

All images in the film are new, only 1 TV archive was used, 99,9% are his. He was personally there. It's a diary in the real order.