WATCH DOCS 2023

A JESLI JUTRO WOJNA SIE SKONCZY (WHAT IF THE WAR ENDS TOMORROW) AND Q&A

Watchable. Chaotic. What isn't in this film? From humiliations, e.g. being made run around the house naked, through stories of who was how successful before the war, to organizations. Additionally, the women's stories are all mixed, as if in accidental editing. Powerful stories of rapes, humiliations, disinformation, but also abducted daughters, nearly disappear in the junk. It jumps from one Ukrainian location to another and none is named.

The women wanted to show their faces. There was no translation during shooting the interviews. Yuliia is from around Donetsk. Russian occupiers took the boys to Moscow. Those authorities are the ones who took her parental rights away. Rapes are effected as soon as children enter orphanages and indoctrination that Russians are the saviours follows. A rape is the cheapest and the most long-term weapon. Perpetrators often say they did what others did. Group, no individual responsibility felt. In Rwanda there were special HIV-infected rapist troops. The same with the attackers of the woman tied to a post: they felt impunity. Someone did it first and then it just went on. Legally a war rape is a crime against humanity, they are tried for it. Some war criminals hide for 20-30 years in a country which hasn't signed the Rome Convention. Polish prosecution collects data on the war crimes for the International Criminal Court. At the end of 2023 Polish judges and prosecutors were training how to collect such statements.

DANGER ZONE AND Q&A WITH POLISH DIRECTOR KAMIL NIEWINSKI

Watchable. Adrenaline, feeling special, playing tough. Rich people pay $12 000 per tour because they want to get out of their golden cages and "superficiality". Locals are watched like in a zoo, children given toys or banknotes. Somalia: the sun, a blue ocean and guns. The tour organizer winds up the clients: "he's got a gun, he may shoot you". Posing for a photo at an execution site, the place which a tourist describes as "poignant". All this resembles "Framing the Other" - another Watch Docs offering from years ago.

In 2012 tourists went to the Golan heights in Israel to watch the shelling of Syria. The director wanted to create an impression we're on a tour. The female director couldn't go to Somalia because the country had constitutionally introduced sharia law so she wouldn't have been able to direct Somali men. 

ALL FUN & GAMES

Walked out. Derivative and moronic. Asa Butterfield is fine enough as a good-natured elder brother but doesn't transform into a bloodthirsty maniac convincingly. Natalia Dyer has a very ugly haircut. Her sister or friend is lesbian for no specific plot reason. Stereotypical characters, props and set-up for a supernatural slasher. Rapid flashes of the past with theatrically looking and acting killers. Annoying. No fun.

PARIS HAS FALLEN SEASON 1 EP. 1

Watchable. Gerard Butler is one of the producers of the series. The initial attack on the British embassy is tedious, with some excessive brutality, but run-of-the-mill on the whole. When you hear an ex Taliban prisoner is waging a private vendetta, it's still standard. But when he coerces the Defense Minister into a suicide threatening to shoot his daughter instead, you become intrigued.

Seen courtesy of Canal +.

노량: 죽음의 바다 (NORYANG: DEADLY SEA)

Switched off. Sadly all the lavish historical costumes and ships and edifices were wasted on me. With no background knowledge of the history of Japan, Korea, their armaments, historical figures, customs I couldn't work out who was who and who fought for what hence I couldn't grasp the scheme.

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

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE WAR OF THE ROHIRRIM

Walked out. Ballistic animation set in realities of the Middle Ages. Wooden lines and stereotypical characters. Fantastical creatures are used in battles and heartbreakingly slaughtered by enemies. No magic.

DIAMANT BRUT

Watchable. Malou Khebizi as Liane is beautiful, sensual, not too smart, immature, callow. She treats her body as gods.

ANORA

Recommended. An original story of a stripper. A beautiful, smart go-go dancer becomes Russian billionaire's son's girlfriend. The first half of the movie is her fairy tale affair, it is and it feels like a constant party, with surrounding music and feeling of frivolousness. The second part dismantles the dream. Perfectly acted, especially by as Ani and   as Ivan, it's all plausible. A romantic tale turns into a crime comedy, finally drama where the rich always get their way.

PARIS HAS FALLEN SEASON 1 EP. 2

Watchable. Lots of chases you don't care about, special agents' private relationships which don't bring anything to the action either, but Pearce's back story is getting stronger and the only thing that keeps you watching is another cliff hanger after he mercilessly and cruelly kills another man, in shocking circumstances again.

EP. 3

Recommended. The plot finally makes full sense and the suspense keeps growing. A true espionage thriller.

EP. 4

Recommended. The action diverts a bit from the previous route, setting ground for the next murderous plan. The two agents' relationship stories become more sensible too. And they eventually meet Pearce face to face. It's impossible not to binge the serial now.

EP. 5

Recommended. New characters, connected to Pearce, are introduced. We know who the rat in intelligence is, the agents don't know it yet. The ending leaves you with the question of whether the bomb is going to go off or not. The whole episode makes you poinder whether it is possible to switch off planes transporders remotely in a hackers' attack. 

EP. 6

Recommended. A few twists of action, a new character in action and one more mention Just for the agent duo - love them. ned by Pearce. The finale leaves the president with an impossible choice. 

EP. 7

Recommended. The clock is ticking as the bomb is going to explode. The finale offers a solution. A subversive one.

EP. 8

Recommended. Pearce is over, others make it alive. One of the agents is quitting but... "bakers die of boredom and obesity". I'll be looking forward to season 2.

Big Polish subtitles in all episodes facilitate watching. 

Seen courtesy of Canal +.