Past year's:
THE CANTERVILLE GHOST
Watchable. Hugh Laurie, Imelda Staunton, Toby Jones, Stephen Fry voice the original, nobodies dub the Polish version. At least the dialogues have received a top-notch translation by Bartek Fukiet. In spite of an ambitious music selection, "Eine kleine Nachtmusik" or "The Blue Danube" disappear, even "The Ride of the Valkyries" can be missed. The story is extended ridiculously. At least you get professional CGIs and some cultural tropes, e.g. someone's brother's name is Dorian or they fly in a car against a full moon backdrop. There's a post-credit.
EXTRANA FORMA DE VIDA (STRANGE WAY OF LIFE) AND INTERVIEW WITH PEDRO ALMODOVAR
Watchable. This 30-minute short opens with a fado song performed by Gaetano Veloso - a male singing in falsetto. The rest of the film is utterly gay. Overtalked.
The director, apart from giving a thorough explanation of this short, dwelled on westerns, noticing e.g. recent 3 ones made by women, but boasted of being the first (?!) to shoot a gay western. Has he not seen the Oscar-winning "Brokeback Mountain", for one? He perceives western as the American replacement for mythology so took great care to keep all its elements but tell his own story. Together with his earlier "The Human Voice", he's planning a triptych of shorts.
MOJE OZERNA (MY PLACE OZERNA)
Walked out. It drags. And it's depressing since both the woman who's emigrated to London and the granny in Ukraine feel useless and unsuccessful in life.
SKAD DOKAD (IN THE REARVIEW) ANOTHER Q&A
About 400 people were moved in the van, but they also organised a bigger bus, there are fewer evacuations now but they still go on. Lots of uncertainty accompanied them: are you on the right road? Protagonists have told about their experience in France, Maciek Hamela has been with the movie in the US and in Asia. Foreigners often don't get this neighbourliness. This aid spurt continues till now. In some cinemas viewers have organised fundraising. The film was first funded with their own means, then PISF (Polish Film Institute) joined in the production.
RAPORT PILECKIEGO (THE PILECKI REPORT)
Watchable. Why have they made English subtitles if the plot isn't fully comprehensible unless you're proficient in Polish history? Bizarre cut seriously hinders understanding. The action moves to and fro in time and space, each having its own characters. I just couldn't make out those details. You do learn new facts about Auschwitz. But the rest is chaos. Evocatively shot at times, e.g when Mrs. Pilecka leaves the Security Office astounded or during his torture interrogation. The second half is hard-hitting, easier to understand in spite of continuing chaos in editing, and shows Pilecki's tragedy - his vital report from Auschwitz didn't bring any action thus his sacrifice failed to save lives.
Reviewed from the distributor's screener, cinematic reception might differ.
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