Movie reviews

Still clearing some of last year's backlog:

UKRAINA! FILM FESTIVAL

БАТЬКО (THE FATHER)

Watchable. "Левиафан" ("Leviathan")-like atmosphere, locations, scenes. The topic: conversations about the past and reminiscences which form a convoluted plot. It drags. 

SKAD DOKAD (IN THE REARVIEW) AND Q&A

Recommended. A 5-year-old girl asks: "Mom, when you were little, was there also a war?" Some abandon a cow and dogs, others travel with their cats. The elderly tend to stay in Ukraine, families with children travel en masse. A pregnant surrogate gives insight into her motivation. On the roadside, tanks are transported by rail, blocks of flats and bridges are often destroyed, cars wrecked. The people cry but often dream of travelling through Europe since life has thrown them into it. Death, tortures, fear, bombings are a given, everyday humiliation is a norm. Many people are charged exorbitant sums for transport. It's heart-wrenching when children are passing by the sea and make their mum promise to go there together after the war. 

There's no need to transport people now, just from a point to a point. At the beginning few knew where they were heading. What was mentioned in the film was marginal behaviour: Ukrainians were charged exorbitant prices to be taken from far away. Fuel was scarce therefore expensive. 

He'd first tell them by phone he'd film. After the journey they'd give consent so as not to "blackmail" them if they had been asked before. They were filming March-September, had 450 hours of material, which took 1 year of editing by 3 people May to May.  

The film opens the eyes of people in other countries, e.g. Switzerland. 

The crew slept in an army base. Maciek Hamela once fell to the ground hearing a shelling. Locals laughed out, smoking, because 50-100 m away was "far". At blockposts, Maciek would forget all the languages he knew and speak only Polish. But most soldiers had families in Poland. He also had a stamp with a cross from Baptists. Both methods helped him skip queues. There were often 30 blockposts daily so e.g. Kyiv would take half a day.

Men often weren't evacuated. Some blacks were pushed out of trains. A lot of people in Poland were reluctant to take in Roma people. Sifa, the Congolese woman, has undergone 16 operations. 

When 180 000 turned up on the Polish border, there was no way to control the influx. Many boys tried to leave but were turned away from the border. In March-April people would come even without documents because they were lost. The Ukrainian side turned them away. 

LEK

Watchable. Sofia skips an article in English grammar which doesn't make sense because all Swiss languages have articles so such a mistake is unlikely. But that's the smallest problem with this typical Polish drama about cancer, dying, vomiting, with needless nudity and pervert actions. It's only in the last half an hour that you learn where the women's journey and the plot itself is heading. Their unusual behaviours are rarely justified or timely. It's numerous lateral characters that are far more interesting. Both Magdalena Cielecka and Marta Nieradkiewicz act unnaturally. At least this whole thing is beautifully shot. The lake in Switzerland is breathtaking. Excellent cinematography and interesting lateral characters compensate for the wooden and derivative leading subject. 

MY BIG FAT GREEK WEDDING 3

Watchable. It opens with Γιώργος Αλκαίος's (Giorgos Alkaios's) hit "Opa" so you want to go dancing right away. Other catchy tunes appear too, though not as danceable as the first one. It's sometimes funny, e.g.: "Greek aunties are better than dating apps", often gross, e.g. the boobs apron or shaving at the breakfast table, but the whole thing conveys camaraderie and the notion we survive as a community, extended families being essential. A Syrian joins the clan so, with all the Athens and Corfu vistas - shot on location, it changes the tone a bit - literally, into Syrian debka music. Cheerful but forgettable.

UKRAINA! FILM FESTIVAL

ЛЯ ПАЛІСІАДА (LA PALISIADA)

The movie won the main actors' film award and got a special mention for cinematography at the festival. But the jury's 2 votes came form Joanna Kos-Krauze - a very poor director, whose "Ptaki śpiewają w Kigali" ("Birds Are Singing In Kigali") I reviewed a few years ago and 1 vote from Jowita Budnik - a mediocre actress. 

Walked out. It's awfully staged and stilted. It looks like a series of theatrical scenes shot through a smudge on the camera lens. No conversation makes sense or is engaging. Total rubbish. Poorly acted too.