Movie reviews

BRAT (BROTHER) 

It's the working title of the movie being shot in Żyrardów this month. At first I spotted two dogs among the crew, so I asked whether they were acting in the film, to which the producer responded: "Nie, to obrońcy planu." ("No, they are the film set defenders.") The cutest defenders ever. The shooting started on 1 August in Żyrardów, where they've been filming for over 3 weeks and will finish in Gdańsk at the end of the month since the boy actors need to go back to school at the beginning of September. The whole crew, including the supporting staff, is going to move cities, with so few days in Gdańsk there's no point in recruiting a new team. The Garden City or the Polish Capital of Linen, as Żyrardów is dubbed, is a 15-minute one, meaning you can get anywhere by public transport within a quarter of an hour. It took me just 2 hours to walk around the whole city centre - this famously industrial settlement astonished me with its charm, those red brick buildings rich in architectonic detail, the train station seen inside and outside, the churches, the park make Żyrardów a perfect day trip from Warsaw. The director first thought of Żyrardów but looked all over Mazowsze and ended up shooting in Żyrardów anyway. I personally hope the town to look as beautiful in the film as I saw it with my own eyes. Chances are it will, since Jolanta Dylewska is responsible for cinematography. The town's vice-president commented more movies had been shot there only to represent Puck, Sandomierz od Dubai on the screen, though someone would always move to Żyrardów afterwards. The town president has been offered a role of a doctor, having acted as a boxing coach in the past. 

The plot sounds run-of-the-mill: a drama (Polish film makers' favourite genre), where a boy from a criminal background consoles his mother as his father ends up in jail, himself finding a way out of his predicament in sport - judo in this case. The formula's nothing new in world cinema. The scene whose shooting I had a chance to watch was one in a church - another cliche, this one typical for Polish movies. One scene took about 3 hours to shoot. Between the takes there were breaks for nose-blowing, crying on mum's shoulder, powdering the face, hairspray, instructions. Agnieszka Grochowska said her two film sons were more similar to her than her real children, who didn't resemble her a lot. The director's black belt in judo. The actor embodying the coach, Julek Świeżewski, trained it just for a few months before the shooting, but had a few dozen trainings since January 2023. The two boys do judo, only such boys were cast for the discipline and the ability to sense the partner. So the director found it surprisingly simple to work with them, easier than with adults, no ego, just a shared adventure. It's the two boys' debut - as the older one, Filip, said, they were "thrown in at the deep end" because they got the leading roles. They hadn't known each other earlier. Now the two boys want to become actors: Filip Wilkomirski is considering quitting sport, Tytus Szymczuk (the smaller one) is equally interested in acting and in sport.

 

I had been apprehensive about work conditions on such a set. Those proved to be superb. E.g. the toilets, apart from being spotless and with all civilized amenities, had speakers playing gentle music or sounds of nature. I wish public loos were that luxurious. Drinking water was available all the time to ensure everyone stays hydrated. The set catering offered hearty portions of tasty dishes with a decent range of veggie options to be eaten in an air-conditioned trailer or at a table outside. As one of the producers said: "There's no good movie without good food." Now I'm more optimistic about the film quality. And when it's released in February 2024, in the holy communion scene, when the camera shows the gathered guests, watch the second column on the left - I'm well hidden behind it.

TESCIOWIE 2 (THE IN-LAWS 2)

I've just seen it and will post the review on 15th September when it's released.

THE BOY, THE MOLE, THE FOX AND THE HORSE

Watchable. Is the 2023 Oscar-winning short film truly Oscar-worthy? The drawing and the story are quite simple. But adequate even for small children. The fox doesn't walk like a real one but at least is voiced by Idris Elba. It's profound as the fox tells the boy: "You're enough. Just as you are." And the boy concludes we're here "to love and to be loved". The love between the boy and three different animals permeates this quiet, slow-paced but touching film.

Available online. 

BELFER (THE TEACHER) SEASON 1 EP. 4

Recommended. A double shocker in the opening: the PE teacher's car demolished, the stench of rotten meat outside a house. Later the tension keeps growing due to major changes in the course of action. As individual subplots develop, most protagonists end up at a different place than they started.

The first season is available free of charge on Canal+ online all summer.