Movie reviews

RADIOSTORY

The Warsaw premiere took place on the director's birthday 13 June. He had said once it would be fun to have Piotr Głowacki over for his birthday, to which his friend had responded: "You'd have to make a movie". So he's made one with the actor. No special effects were used. Writer/director Maciej Hydr oversaw everything, whether music or costumes or decorations. 

Recommended. Vibrantly recreated 1991 in Poland and gripping rivalry between the protagonists. All inspired by true events. The movie faithfully renders the Polish mentality and ridicules it, you can also infer subtle references to our contemporary times. Brilliant lines, often snappy, always to the point, abound. Several comical scenes, especially with Bogdan Kalus as the "red" radio station director and a French Bulldog as his dog. The dog scenes are funny and delightful. Spot-on costumes are often dowdy outfits, remembering communist times, but also checked shirts in different shades of red and two shades of blue jeans in one scene - the couple are a match. Wonderful aerial shots of the coastal area complete the picture. Spacious sound, combined with great international pop hits of 1991 and later ones, from 1999, like "Mambo No.5" or "Freestyler" mean this rocks. Big time. Witty, dynamic, true to the social-political background as well as the set decor. Consummately crafted.  

THE LITTLE MERMAID

Watchable when seen again. It's a rare case where the Polish dubbing is better than the English original, especially that the original version has the music too loud and the dialogues too quiet at times. And the songs, nearly the same, drag. I spotted some more details this time round, but most of all, it felt too long. Also, the first time I saw it from a laser projector and then it looked better than on a regular screen. Although, Ariel's send-off looked beautiful and the final, danceable "Under the Sea" song kept playing in my head long after leaving the cinema.  

ABOUT MY FATHER

Recommended. Not just for Kim Cattrall or Robert de Niro. In spite of typical American humour - on the irreverent side, it's just hilarious, whether "I'll cut you some lemon. I have a knife." "He's got a knife!" or someone's trunks falling down, I was laughing out loud. The serious undertones are: the ethos of work versus living off financial investments, how our parents shape us, varying lifestyles, different perception of various groups of immigrants. And smart  class remarks, e.g.: "The dog went to better schools than I did." 

EMIGRACJA XD EP. 1

Switched off. An off-screen commentary was upsetting from minute one. The rest is Polish 90s-style comedy - outdated form, unfunny. 

Seen courtesy of Canal +. 

MARIE ANTOINETTE EP. 1

Switched off. Marie Antoinette cracks under pressure. Constant pressure so cracks repeatedly. Next she regains mental strength but is ridiculed by others. Then she has nightmares. A peculiar depiction of the future queen. It appears to follow in the footsteps of "Corsage" in its presentation of a queen as a weak person, forced to obey others. In this serial so is the future king. Disturbing. And the whole thing is slow and reflexive

Seen courtesy of Canal +. 

INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY

Recommended. Harrison Ford v. Mads Mikkelsen i.e. Indy v. his arch enemy Mr. Schmidt aka Voller. Shot partly in Morocco and Sicily but mostly in and on a train, a plane, cars, motorcycles, a horse, a boat and underwater. Atmos provides surrounding ear-splitting sound effects of the machinery. John Williams' music complements the effects. But it's all fun 80s style, very much following the pattern of the first movie but with stronger females, the female lead co-solves riddles and doesn't complain about a broken nail. There's a boy kid too and Indy nearly dies. Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies and Antonio Banderas make cameos. A modern take on costumes means Wombat's Moroccan outfit was made from upcycled materials by Stella McCartney. Adventures aplenty, expertly crafted action sequences and a treasure-searching quest glue you to the screen. Famous historical events mark the storyline. Best of all, they travel even in time at some point and it's all consistent with the quasi-scientific plot. A triumphant return. 

BELFER III (THE TEACHER III) EP. 1,2 .

I've seen the first two episodes already but, due to a publication ban, will only be able to post their review on 5th September. In the meantime the first season is available on Canal + online free of charge all summer.

Maciej Stuhr commented on his role: "Zacząłem uczyć akurat jak zaczynałem ten serial. Czasem rozpoznaje kogoś: o, tego uczyłem! A nie, grałem, że go uczyłem!" ("The time when I started teaching coincided with when I began the seral. I sometimes recognize someone: oh, I used to teach him! Ah, no, I acted teaching him!")

ALIBI.COM 2

Recommended. A crazy comedy of errors where errors pile up. It follows in the footsteps of "Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu?" ("Serial (Bad) Weddings") and "À bras ouverts" ("With Open Arms") with some tropes. Though it's absolutely irreverent, with some nudity. But mostly with plenty of hilarious gags. Btw, I just loved the fake mother "bereft of charisma".

LE OTTO MONTAGNE (THE EIGHT MOUNTAINS)

Recommended. You know from the start it's going to be on the value of friendship. I also loved the notion that reading enriches vocabulary - even though one of the protagonists has no education, he values it. Slow cinema but deeply touching. 

THE LITTLE MERMAID 3D

Recommended. Having seen the Polish-dubbed version once again I only got more certainty it's a rare case where the Polish translation and voice actors sound funnier than the original. The songs sound better too. The original takes care to provide a variety of accents, the Polish version is about language and voice styles. I also spotted more details in the movie itself, e.g. "His Deepesty" Triton's cloak is made of a shoal of fish. Decent 3D.

PRZEGLAD NOWEGO KINA RUMUNSKIEGO (NEW ROMANIAN CINEMA SCREENING)

The screening covered directors of all generations. I had reviewed "R.M.N." by Cristian Mungiu from an older generation before. This time I saw the two of the younger directors' movies: "Imaculat" ("Immaculate") by Monica Stan and George Chiper-Lillemark and "Omcaine' ("Man and Dog") by Stefan Constantinescu.

IMACULAT (IMMACULATE)

Watchable. Opens slow, the whole movie puts emphasis on Daria's face, which is tedious at times. It's a budget drama taking place all in one location but dense with the feeling of oppression and being cornered. Is she a victim or is she playing everyone around? Unsettling but gripping. It takes time to realise she may have manipulated them, not the other way round, so subtle it is, her being so fragile and looking innocent and naive. Puzzling. It does not end before the final credits. She leaves, then early end credits run, and next you see scenes of her life outside. Again, is it after or before the therapy?

OMCAINE (MAN AND DOG)

Watchable. The man stalks like a dog and abandons the canine tied to a tree in a wood when he drops his investigation himself. While I see the analogy, whoever does it to a dog?! There's little chemistry between the lead actor and the dog or the woman, little chemistry in general. Worst of all it drags awfully. Pleasant, Romanian 80s style music from time to time is the film's saving grace. 

SLAVA UKRAINI

Watchable. The documentary footage of this wartime tour of East Ukraine reliably portrays both the destruction and the people's spirit. The graves in the woods of Bucha resemble similar images from Katyn a lot. But the nation is peaceful and unbelievably resilient. No doubt about that. At the same time it's a propaganda piece conveying the message Ukraine is going to win. The director's optimism is substantiated by numerous victories and Russian troops occasionally switching sides. Yet you feel it's propaganda, especially in hindsight - while Kherson is presented right after liberation, I was watching the film days after it was flooded by Russians. Having seen this documentary I believe in victory, but it won't be an easy one or immediate. The director taps into French values to persuade his own nation into the change of stance. The final direct appeal to the French to support the military efforts of Ukrainians makes it even clearer.

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