Movie reviews

UBERFLIEGEL - DAS GEHEIMNIS DES GROSSEN JUWELS (RICHARD THE STORK AND THE MYSTERY OF THE GREAT JEWEL)

Watchable. Bartek Fukiet's translation - only Polish dubbing is available in Poland - renders the lines better than in the original. Surround sound effects and music help digest the convoluted plot. At least songs are in English.

NO HARD FEELINGS

Recommended. Jennifer Lawrence as 32-year-old Maddie and Andrew Barth Feldman as 19-year-old Percy lead this warm coming-of-age tale. Jennifer Lawrence appears stark naked in one scene and actually looks good, unlike in "Red Sparrow" before. Andrew Barth Feldman is all cuteness. At some point their outfits match colours: her shorts with his top and vice versa to emphasise how great a couple they are. Matthew Broderick makes a cameo as Laird. The underlying issue is class division, that permeates the story. But mostly it's uplifting. 

LASSIE - EIN NEUES ABENTEUER (LASSIE - A NEW ADVENTURE)

Watchable. Offering coffee to dogs?! Even if it was the owner's joke, it gives the impression this drink may be safe for them which is utterly wrong, especially in a kids flick. This Lassie tale is lame. Even if all the people characters are perfect for the target audience, the dogs are made act awfully unnatural hence it's the human characters that are more appealing in this pooch story.

Reviewed from the distributor's German original, English-subtitled screener, cinematic reception might differ.

RUBY GILLMAN, TEENAGE KRAKEN

Watchable. It starts with some Canadian jokes which are spot on in the Kraken context. All high school and growing up in a family woes come to the fore magnified by bodily changes in this sensible yet stereotypical story. Who to trust is vital and drives the plot. Toni Collette voices Agatha Gillman and Jane Fonda does Grandmamah in the original which can't be heard in Poland where it's dubbed in Polish, only the end credits song is in the English original.

KARTKA Z POWSTANIA (A NOTE FROM THE UPRISING) VR

Recommended. Puts you right in the middle of the Warsaw Uprising. The first shots of the ruined city take you aback. The fighters' reality is utterly engaging, with brilliant dialogues, the action's a bit sappy but truly touching. Fully 360-degree.

MS PILSUDSKI - PODWODNA MISJA (MS PILSUDSKI) VR

Recommended. Two parallel stories, both with tongue-in-cheek banter, show the same ship at the time of its grandiosity and as a wreck. Wonderful 360-degree recreation.

KINO (PLEOGRAPH) VR

Recommended. If it hadn't been for the equipment and movie gone missing in WW2, Poles might be recognised as the film creators preceding the Lumière brothers' invention. It's also the only film about shooting one that's actually entertaining. Full 360-degree shots, including the sky. 

All these VR films can be seen free of charge at the Ministry of Culture gallery. Each is relatively long, up to 30 minutes.

AFTER WORK

Recommended. It's not really about the future with no work. It's about global class divisions at present. It's about the present where growing numbers, e.g. 30% of youngsters in Italy form the upper class since 400K euros are deemed sufficient and possible with 1.2-1.5 child born into a family. It's also an assembly of bizarre developments from around the world that indicate how time in history and place in the world render work voluntary or necessary. The lower class are treated like robots. Too much, too little or unloved work frustrates, only 15% people feel involved in their job out of about 1 billion who work. The latter number is vexing too - how come only 1 bn out of over 8 bn people in the world work?! Most don't? Which is the privilege: to work or not to work? How much fulfillment does it give? On the margin it shows how nightclubs or Netflix benefit from these economic changes. Even though I knew about some of it before, it's thought-provoking. 

MON CRIME (THE CRIME IS MINE)

Watchable. Engaging, funny a few times but mostly you admire the smart intrigue where you can never be sure which way the story will turn and who will say what. Wonderfully acted. Just not amusing enough for a comedy.

BARBIE

Recommended. Starts with the Warner Bros logo turned pink. Shortly after, I was taken aback at how profound and serious this pink movie was. From Greta Gerwig I expected an anodyne, maybe subtlety, but it's direct, explicit, complex. Every line is so smart, e.g. the one about putting masks on to preserve patriarchy. Margot Robbie amazes. She's made look but, even more importantly, moves like a doll. How could they have ever considered casting anyone else?! She gives a truly Oscar-worthy performance.