KING ARTHUR: LEGEND OF THE SWORD

Watchable. Guy Ritchie should stick to the gangster genre. His King Arthur is a bandit, a liar and probably a pimp too, with an ultra-modern hair-cut and a beard giving him a hipster look. The film has got great music but so modern that, apart from the main song, it's completely incongruous with the story located in Londinium of the 4th or 5th century AD. Curiously, the term graffiti is used and while it gives a present-day feel, it's in fact ancient. Also, a Chinese teaching kung fu may seem out of place, yet it has some grounds in facts. As recently as in 2016, Chinese skeletons from Roman times were discovered on the site of Londinium. While no one knows what the Chinese were doing there, it gives a wide field for interpretation and triggers imagination. The movie got its release in 2017 so the discovery must have come up during research for the production.

BAYWATCH

Watchable. Good fun for this time of year, beautifully shot. Plenty of summer and enough entertainment to forgive its flaws. I love Priyanka Chopra and I've stated many times she's the most beautiful Bollywood actress. However, now at the age of 34 and starring in Hollywood, she's had botox injected in her face - you just can't mistake this disfigurement with anything else. Most of humour is of primitive variety, like somebody's balls getting stuck in a deck-chair or someone else throwing up. Well, I know vomiting in water is realistic as I've heard it from a professional diver who had done it. Still, it doesn't amuse me. Luckily, a number of jokes are based on references to the previous "Baywatch" series as well as to other movies. So there are David Hasselhoff' and Pamela Anderson's cameos, busty girls run in slow motion and the bustier the girl, the slower mo it is and Mitch calls a new recruit, by Zach Effron, "Hey, High School Musical!" Matt Brady is pretty and as daft as a brush. Great summer music by the Americanoes, With the Quickness and plenty of others.

The "Blade Runner 2049" trailer looks superb - I can't wait to see the movie.

TUBELIGHT

Recommended. Looks like the version shown in Poland is half an hour shorter than the original. Anyway, it was just over two hours, nothing close to three. From the credits I can see that digital de-aging has inevitably reached Bollywood too. Better this than botox. The movie is family type but with lots of action, you just never get bored. Salman Khan in a comedy role playing also with his image - you never know if he has a superpower or just believes to have: "Is he going to stir up another earthquake? Hold on to the railing!" Very uplifting, full of warmth but touches your heart as well. True, first-class Bollywood.

The last two movies in super-comfy seats of Cinema City. Luckily, apart from one screen in Arkadia, other Warsaw cinemas of the chain have retained their comfort I like so much.

개를 훔치는 완벽한 방법 (HOW TO STEAL A DOG)

Recommended. The children are disarmingly silly. There's a crime plot, dogs, obviously, plenty of family warmth, serious undertones about families falling apart for different reasons and on various lines, seeking fulfillment in life, personal freedom, whether money brings happiness or just fills a void, funny police pursuit scenes and scheming to steal a living animal. Both funny and sad. I just wished it lasted longer. The one mid-credit completing the story didn't quench my thirst for more.

OLD FASHIONED

Watchable. It's not so much about chastity as it is about disillusionment with earlier relationships with sex which ended badly. Well, which ended. And while Clay "doesn't want dating", this is exactly what they both end up doing. Boring and predictable. Not very religious. About paralysis by analysis and fear of failure.

摇滚藏獒 (ROCK DOG)

Watchable. Made in Hong Kong. Based on the graphic novel "Tibetan Rock Dog" created by Chinese rock star Zheng Jun from Xi'an on the mainland. With music by Foo Fighters and several others. So predictable only children will buy it. And they will - some were dancing after the movie. To adults the Chinese wolves controlling the mountainous village will be a clear reference to the Chinese occupation of Tibet. And that's all there is on the serious part. The only part I liked was the rock star's house and garden with a hedge that could be moved underground or a doormat litterally throwing unwanted visitors out of the residence.

VOLTA

Watchable. Intelligent, based on Polish politics, language and craze for historical treasures. Plenty of references to the Polish currently ruling party will be adorable to the left of the political scene. The heist is smart as well so this part will be comprehensible even to foreigners. I didn't laugh at this crime comedy though. Lack of comedians in the cast.

In the trailer Luc Besson's new SF flick "Valerian" looks like it's going to be another "Fifth Element" - good visuals, a standard (alien invasion here) plot.

CHOPIN - THE SPACE CONCERT

Recommended. "From space I saw no borders" comes at the beginning of an astronaut's commentary. Chopin's music forming the soundtrack will be probably handed in to Donald Trump during a visit. Views from space and the cabin like I've never seen before. It's these views that merit watching it, on a big screen if possible.

JOUR J (WEDDING UNPLANNED)

Watchable. "Thanks for hosting me, guys" - to the police when leaving a custody is one of few instances when the (Polish at least) translation is better than the original. Some gags are hilarious. The rom-com plot is standard. Deleted scenes are shown over the credits, a group photograph is shown at the very end.

THE LADY VANISHES (1938)

Recommended this time. Watching it for the second time I found it so delightfully witty at first and gripping in the second half, I managed to stand the nightmarish Polish voiceover it was screened with. Hitchcock was truly the master of suspense.

STAGE FRIGHT (1950)

Watchable. All of the above applies. With even more dress-ups. Very Agatha Christie-like. So fails to make the same impact.

LAST MEN IN ALEPPO

Recommended. Assad's regime's and Russian bombings are everyday, literally everyday reality for the 250 000 people still living in Aleppo and 1 million living in other places of the ongoing war. You see them up close excavating people, living or dead, from the ruins. The bodies and body parts are not shown which doesn't lessen the impact in the least. For survivors there are 3 ways to live: right there, safe but still far from normal life in Turkey or in Germany (other countries don't even come up in the film - only a regret that other muslim states have abandoned them). Several of the men who appeared in the film are already dead. It's almost post-apocalyptic there.

50% of the children living in the war-torn territories were born during the armed conflict. They don't know life other than the war. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs finances only aid in Ukraine. The UN is the greatest funder of humanitarian aid organizations working on reconstruction, providing water and electricity supply.

GOSFORD PARK (2001)

Walked out. So many characters that half-way through the movie I still hardly understood who was who. A murder didn't help understand the plot.

A BRAS OUVERTS (WITH OPEN ARMS)

Watchable again. The second time I actually liked it better. I picked out some nuances, e.g.first Babik kicks his cousin, then, when he has "assimilated", he swats another cousin with... a baguette. The dress-up party is no coincidence: while the Romani teenage girl is trying to get some personal freedom, her father drags her out of a club in which she's wearing a... Wonder Woman costume. The movie hits upon not only international differences but also the clash between the higher middle class and the lowest class lifestyles and values: "I'm an intellectual. I don't fight, unless with a pen." "So you take a pen, I take a hammer." Ary Abittan, even in a suit, looks nothing like his earlier impersonation in "Qu'est-ce qu'on a fait au Bon Dieu?" ("Serial (Bad) Weddings"). Christian Clavier, for a change, is suited and booted in the role opposite to the one from "Les Visiteurs" ("The Visitors"). Both of them in the main roles as well as Armen Georgian as the Indian servant Ravi act suitably exaggeratedly. The movie still isn't hilarious, most of humour unfortunately stays lower-class.

UNLOCKED

Watchable. The script is trite but fun: an action movie made by the book, with a few red herrings and and an obligatory cliff-hanger towards the end. I didn't get the logic behind mistaking flats, found the burgler being a war veteran implausible and the final explanation of motives of the terrorist attacks too far-fetched. Still, the suspense and twists of action worked the trick. Noomi Rapace was unrecognizable from her earlier part of Lisbeth Salander in "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo".

ROCK'N ROLL

Watchable. The film's about dealing with aging but the few scenes that made me laugh were rather standard situation humour: "Have you taken anything else?" "Yes, cocaine." or gags like falling over a fence. I have an impression it just went too far. The caricature got distorted out of proportion. The soundtrack is a mix of French and English-language songs with significant titles including: "Enola Gay", "Lady Wacko", "Don't Dream It's Over", "You Can Do It", "Ma gueule" ("My mouth"), "Pour qua tu m'aimes encore" ("So that you still love me"), "That's Not My Name", "Take Me Out", "Promesse" ("Promise"), "Forever Young", "Ca Plane Pour Moi" ("It's plain sailing for me") or "Go On Forever". Apparently there's also my beloved "You Spin Me Round" by Dead or Alive but... I only saw it in the credits having missed the bit in the movie.

PRÓBA (THE TEST)

Watchable. Three would-be monks walk for one and a half weeks having to beg for food and shelter. The film has less direction than the pilgrimage but their utterances "Jakie to szczęście mieć żonę i dzieci. Ja nie dam rady." ("What happiness it is to have a wife and children. I won't manage.") or about living in celibate: "Przecież to normalni mężczyźni są." ("They're normal men after all") inadvertently reveal that nature will always imbue actions contradictory to its laws.

In the meeting after the screening it struck me that two of the monks were totally hot! How is that possible that so many women in the world are single and the hottest guys are... in the Jesuit order?!

"La Tortue Rouge" ("The Red Turtle") has just been released. It's this year's Scope 100 winner in Poland. I wonder how it's going to score in the box office. My review can be found via the search engine on the right.

CHINESE CIRCLES OF ART IN POLAND

XIZAO (SHOWER) (1999)

Recommended. A beautiful, often moving and sometimes cheerful story about moral duties towards your closest relatives, about community and facing irreversible life changes. Funny, endearing characters, e.g. playing with their crickets in a public bath, singing only in the shower or working fastidiously in spite of a disability. Very well acted.

HEI PAO SHI JIAN (THE BLACK CANNON INCIDENT) (1985)

Watchable. A comedy? Far from that: a bureaucratic drama on the one hand, on the other it presents the inefficiency of group decision-making where everyone means well but is tied up in the problem resolution where just one piece is missing. Lost in German-Chinese translation in the depth of communism. I felt like pressing fast forward several times.

BEI JING YU SHANG XI YA TU (FINDING MR. RIGHT) (2013)

Recommended. Sometimes babies are illegal. This love story could be made by the Chinese only. It's a tear-jerking tale full of twists and turns. Beautifully shot. Money compensates for the lack of love but the emptiness of frivolity catches up with Jiajia and she's swayed.


BABY DRIVER

Watchable. "Drive" for a younger generation. Lots of music and driving guaranteed, as well as crime action. Just with a younger protagonist and clearly aimed at a younger audience.

EVERYTHING, EVERYTHING

Watchable. Really cheesy. A beautiful girl suffering from SCID (severe combined immunodeficiency) is bound to make you sob. Lines sound hackneyed. There are some inaccuracies in the plot, e.g.: how does she breathe in an air-tight house with no plants, how can her mum first sit next to her and then go to open the door without a risk of getting her robe contaminated, why does the girl swim if she doesn't know how? Luckily everything and everyone is pleasing to the eye. Most of the plot is predictable, with one twist towards the end but it's tacky as well.

PARIS CAN WAIT

Recommended. A real feel-good movie about getting the most out of your life. Leaves you loving everyone and enjoying life even more. After all, a problem will be always where you left it, so you can step aside and have a good time.

LADY MACBETH

Recommended. Shockingly brutal: there's physical violence, sexual violence, emotional violence. In all directions and it's all psychologically justified: exposure to violence and being held against the wall generating it further. The movie's tense and intense. It's as brutal as if it were Korean.

LA REINA DE ESPANA (THE QUEEN OF SPAIN)

Watchable. Movies about making movies have never tickled my fancy. Too chaotic. This one is like a cross between "Their Finest" and "Ocho apellidos vascos" ("Spanish Affair"). A few vivid characters and just a few scenes that made me laugh, e.g. a drowsy director saying "Action!" through his sleep, are not enough for a comedy.

LOU

Watchable. A short film preceding "Cars 3". About school bullying. Stereotypical but it all ends well.

CARS 3

Watchable. I hadn't followed the series and the beginning seemed to me to be something for car crazy Americans: lots of roaring and car talk. Then I saw beautiful landscapes of different terrain with the cartoon cars superimposed on them. Alongside that action started making sense. It tackles age discrimination and the glass ceiling for women racers. Psychological put-downs are shown competently. The Polish translation is very good.

At that movie I discovered that not all Cinema City has comfy seats any more. At least one of the screens in Warsaw's Arkadia doesn't have them any longer.



CHINESE CIRCLES OF ART IN POLAND

PASSING ON BUDDHA KASAYA (2017)

Walked out. I don't like theatre and Chinese musical theatre is no exception, especially a play about a Buddhist monk, even if shot in real life locations.

A BRAS OUVERTS (WITH OPEN ARMS)

Watchable. Interesting but not funny. If the creators wanted to ridicule stereotyping immigrants, they didn't succeed - the Romani here are primitives, thieves, beggars and parasites. The whole film resembles "Borat" without the vulgarity. The movie shows that sharing is an empty slogan - we don't want to resign from our standard of living to raise theirs.

I left the cinema with some free food samples, a gratuitous cup of tea, collected a free magazine on the way and generally feeling happy to live in the better part of the world.

MA VIE DE COURGETTE (MY LIFE AS A COURGETTE)

Watchable. Deeply sad. While it seems to be an accurate depiction of life of children from troubled families who end up in orphanages or foster care, it's so doleful, sombre and heavy, it just feels like a social commercial imposing a guilt trip to collect money for a noble cause. The movie will be comprehensible to adults and children alike, even if on different levels.

Children from such families were present at the screening with their foster parents were surprisingly quiet and well-behaved. How come they are better-behaved than kids from regular families?

WONDER WOMAN

Recommended. Great fun for all superhero fans, pure entertainment made according to all blockbuster rules: I laughed a lot and nearly cried a few times too: "You let this little thing rule your life?!" (about a watch, obviously) Most of the humour is based on gender stereotypes but they cheerfully re-work all the usual hero gimmicks as well: "Is he likely to follow my instructions?" "No, I honestly don't think so, no." Fantastical landscapes filmed in Camerota, Salerno and Campania in Italy, additionally inspired by Chinese mountains and enhanced with a plethora of CGI waterfalls. London at war time all covered in soot.  Chris Pine looks fattish but the best scenes are where he acts with his face and makes all viewers burst out laughing.  I loved Wonder Woman speaking all languages, especially the scene with the Turkish polyglot. Most of the Amazons are wrinkly but beautiful and inspiring at the same time. Ah, Wonder Woman here is, like in about the oldest of the comic books, of Greek gods' descent but takes on the disguise of Diana Prince, like in the ones from the 60s. During the battle the mythical characters hover in the air or cast strikes like Storm and Magneto in the X-Men series. There's no mid- or post-credit scene!

12TH AFRYKAMERA FESTIVAL

SEARCHING - SHORTS

THE BIRTHMARK MAN

Watchable. About the trauma of having a discoloured face. Well acted which makes it bearable to watch even if you're lucky not to have this problem.

LAND OF MEN

Recommended. An insightful shortie showcasing Libya in ruin and torn in conflicts while loudly denying women their rights. On the one hand you witness women's frustration with the status quo imposed on them in spite of the revolution. On the other you see how this social order has devastated the country and how men, remaining blind to the fact, are reasserting their power where they still can, i.e. over women. All that in just 4 minutes. Made by a man (Kelly Ali).

LOVE, HATE & KETCHUP

Watchable. Supposed to be comical, John Ukpe and Omobola Akinde's acting looks silly rather. It's tongue-in-cheek movie-wise as ketchup is used as blood.

IN MY FATHER'S VILLAGE

Watchable. Enigmatic and about a local feud but the ostracism creates mystery.

UN COUP DE BALAI SUR LE PONT (UPRISING ON A BRIDGE)

Would have walked out if it hadn't been so short. Shoddy animation about an obscure (for Europeans) event in Burkina Faso.

COLOURISM

Watchable. About albinism as if it was a fad of fashion. Quite an issue in African culture but the doc is full of talking heads.

EDEM (SAVED ME)

Watchable. Beautiful, colourful animation with very good music. The story is barely sketched.

HYMENEE

Watchable. Exaggerated acting suggests a comedy yet the topic of an arranged marriage and losing virginity with a stranger is barely funny. At the same time it's a rare occasion for a glimpse behind the veil of that Moroccan tradition.

DEM DEM!

Watchable. Attractive views of a white sandy beach and blue skies don't really compensate for a lack of a plot. It's a short film made by 3 or 4 directors from 2 countries: Senegal and Belgium. Too many cooks spoil the broth.


KEMTIYU, CHEIKH ANTA

Watchable. Senegalese Cheikh Anta Diop, who died 30 years ago, in his lifetime conducted research which led him to two history-shattering conclusions: ancient Egyptians were black and the Sphinx had an African nose, the white man only appeared 20 thousand years ago. However fascinating his revelations were, the documentary goes through his biography step by step tediously. Well, it's partly French and certainly French in style. At least the presented scientists wear beautiful African outfits.

THE CURSED ONES

Watchable. Very African in climate and subject - about witchcraft accusations. Could be acted better so as to evoke some emotions, other than that it's very good. I liked the plot.

Sadly its reception in the part of rural Ghana where it was shot showed a lack of understanding, in cities the belief in magic is less prevalent apparently as it was received better.

KATI KATI

Recommended. Very mysterious and puzzling - about the afterlife. With good suspense: Is it the final stage? Who will disappear when? Are they dying... more? Great cinematography.

A UNITED KINGDOM

Recommended. A piece of the history of Botswana and its arduous struggle for independence from Britain. An excellent political thriller written by life. Top-notch lines, twists of action defying belief.

12TH AFRYKAMERA FESTIVAL

CHILDREN OF AFRICA - SHORTS

SAMEDI CINEMA

Watchable. Interesting civilization-wise - little boys in Senegal earn money writing letters for adults. The story, however, leads to nowhere.

THE SENTINEL

Recommended. A hard-hitting animated tale of child soldiers and the circle of violence.

KHALLINA HAKKA KHIR (WE ARE JUST FINE LIKE THIS)

Recommended. An endearing short film about family ties.

TALES OF NAZIR

Watchable. An educational video where an animated virus teaches what it doesn't like. Well made but about a local problem the notion of which, in addition, is salient in Europe.

BEHIND THE WALL

Watchable. I couldn't really make out what it was about but it was well shot and I hoped I would finally see what was behind the wall.

MARABOUT

Watchable. Shows the mechanism: a marabout has child slave-disciples who steal for him. The policeman could be less stereotypical: he moves and dresses like in film noir which is just over the top.

ዕቅድ ሐ (PLAN C)

Watchable. A heart-warming tale of a girl fighting a bully with her knowledge and making friends with him. Straight in your face but pleasant.

AYA WAL BAHR (AYA GOES TO THE BEACH)

Recommended. A 10-year-old girl working as a servant is shocking enough. It's just heart-wrenching when she's not allowed to go and visit her mum.

MAMAN(S)

Recommended. Legal bigamy through the eyes of a child. An intimate portrayal of a family pattern unknown in Europe.


KIMPA VITA: THE MOTHER OF THE AFRICAN REVOLUTION

Watchable. A history of the Congo in which too many detailed facts mix with the legend. Also a bleak picture of the Catholic Church.

CHILDREN OF THE MOUNTAIN

Recommended. Many times the film selection felt like a festival of sexual violence. It's one of several movies of Afrykamera in which it's eminently present. It's like the reversal of recent German "24 Wochen" ("24 Weeks"). In the Ghanaian film the woman gives birth and there's more superstition than knowledge around its disability. The story's powerful all the same. Picturesque landscapes and many beautiful dresses make the story vivid rather than bleak.

COMBOIO DE SAL E ACUCAR (THE TRAIN OF SALT AND SUGAR)

Watchable. I didn't quite get the ins and outs of the political and economic situation background. The people story is straightforward, grim with a light of hope but with a tacky ending, very African however so their audience should like it.

NOEM MY SKOLLIE (CALL ME THIEF)

Watchable. A gangster and prison story so not my favourite. Awfully brutal but, supposedly, inspired by a true story - John W. Fredericks's autobiography. For a bigger part I waited for him to get his back on the guy who'd raped him. That didn't happen. Instead more brutality, with and without rapes, followed.

12TH AFRYKAMERA FESTIVAL

LES DEUX VISAGES D'UNE FEMME BAMILEKE (THE TWO FACES OF A BAMILEKE WOMAN)

Watchable. It reminded me a lot of what I learnt in the course of African studies. Now it's just disturbing to me to hear how women are treated in that part of the world. From the film you get the impression the only thing African men do is fertilize women. The documentary would be harder-hitting without the philosphical intrusions.

12TH AFRYKAMERA FESTIVAL

AL-FEEL AL-AZRAQ (THE BLUE ELEPHANT)

Watchable. Too many protracted scenes. Khaled El Sawy ineptly cast as Sherif. Amazing post-narcotic visions in the second part of the movie.

12TH AFRYKAMERA FESTIVAL

AKOUNAK TEDALAT TAHA TAZOUGHAI (RAIN THE COLOUR OF BLUE WITH A LITTLE RED IN IT)

Walked out. Nothing much happens, the music is the same all the time and I'm not a fan of the guitar in the first place.

MALOYA

Watchable. Another film with monotonous music but with a warmer rhythm. Gives some info about cultural changes in Reunion.

I SHOT BI KIDUDE

Walked out. About a singer but with hardly any music. Investigating what's happened to the money of somebody I've never heard of was no fun.

TO CATCH A DREAM

Watchable. A short film preceding "The Traveller". Imperfect technologically yet very mystical and very African - a short film about ghosts.

THE TRAVELLER

Watchable. A fun film with good music, inspiring dancing and bewitching festive outfits - at the Blues Du Fleuve Festival in Senegal. I should go one day. Nothing particularly insightful in the film
though, more like a reportage.

LE GANG DES ANTILLAIS (THE GANG OF FRENCH CARIBBEAN - IN THE UK, GANG OF THE FRENCH CARIBBEAN - IN THE US, THE GANG OF THE CARIBBEAN - IN SA)

Watchable. Quite fun. Inspired by a true story. Evokes memories of living as an immigrant. A bit chaotic.

SUDANESE NIGHT

SUDANIA

Watchable. A brief (5'), nice yet forgettable, impression of Sudan.

NYERKUK

Would have walked out if it hadn't been a short film. About a small boy in the realm of a mafia. Depressing, unclear, with no storyline.

ONE WEEK, TWO DAYS

Would have walked out if it hadn't been a short film. Checking one's own pregnancy test makes more sense than the film.

YALLA KHARTOUM

Walked out. About a local meeting place for artists, showing random people talking about nothing in particular. Boring for anyone who's not an artist based in Khartoum.

Finally posting, got a bit behind, no time even to copy my notes...

DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY

VIRTUAL REALITY 7 SHORT FILMS

INSIDE AUSCHWITZ

Watchable. Shot from the air a bit above the ground which makes it less realistic, but presenting the camp throughout. You enter through the gate, listen to survivors' tales and get to see how enormous the area was - the expanse of the camp was something I hadn't realised before.

ENFANT PREMATURE (PRETERM BABYor whatever the title was since they showed a different film than they were supposed to)

Watchable. The only one shot from below. You see parents and doctors from a baby's hospital bed. Being an infant isn't fascinating, especially a premature one, in hospital but good-looking parents and VR soften the watching.

CLOUDS OVER SIDRA

Watchable. Life in a refugee camp looks like in ordinary documentaries but is shown from the point of view of a girl living and going to school in such a place.

PIERWSZY DZIEN W PRACY

Watchable. A unique chance to get inside a mind of a person with Asperger's syndrome, the story ends well and contains an interesting mathematical task but is just a day in the office.

NOTES TO MY FATHER

Watchable. Shown from above which detracts from realism. Contains one terrifying scene when you're surrounded by men leering at you, all that right after you've heard the teenage sex slave's harrowing story.

AFRIPEDIA

Watchable. Contrary to a popular belief Africans aren't good dancers. They just tend to slack. The film is shown from a bit above so you don't really face the dancers either. But it's short and musical.

NOTES ON BLINDNESS - INTO DARKNESS

Recommended. The only interactive one. With beautiful bluish shades on black background. A fascinating focus on sounds and recognising your surroundings with them.


BLACK CODE

Recommended. Subveillance (citizens filming riots) and hacktivism are the most efficient weapons against regimes. When all your phone calls can be tapped, emails read, online chats intercepted, the safest thing to do is to stay high-profile. When invisibility is no longer feasible, visibility becomes a weapon.



THEIR FINEST

Watchable. Not very appealing at first: set during the second world war among scriptwriters of a propaganda war movie, it gains in meaning and quality as you get to know and like the characters. It's British so sarcasm is quality stuff, e.g. to an actor training his voice singing about a kettle: "If I hear about that kettle one more time, I'll find one and shove it up your ass! Sideways!" The serious tones tackle defiance in the face of loved ones' death and the fragility of life, but also age and sex discrimination and how you must take an opportunity when given one. Constant script adjustments are one look behind the curtain of film-making, which looks exactly how Olivia Hetreed once described her work so that's certainly realistic.



12TH AFRYKAMERA FESTIVAL

BANGAOLOGIA - THE SCIENCE OF STYLE

Recommended. Rich in colour and music. Teaches you how much of contemporary western fashion comes from Africa. I wonder if patterned tights and leggins do. They look so. It's also about how Angolans take pride in their look. "African women don't run" so they wear very high heels to strut. African men have their own style too and take great pride in their appearance. Fun to watch.

(L'AFRICAIN QUI VOULAIT VOLER) THE AFRICAN WHO WANTED TO FLY

Recommended. The first picture you see is of a Chinese temple and as the camera lowers you see black men practising kung fu. A Luc Bendza, training them, is the first African wushu master. The movie tells his incredible story of teenage fascination with Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan's movies which led to a sports championship and moving to China. It also tells you how to deal with racial abuse: Luc came up to such a guy and told him in Chinese he was a disgrace to his country. The African became so popular, Gabonese press made jokes about him, e.g. there was a comic strip showing the... Chinese-Gabonese border. With Luc placed on the Chinese side. And the border guard saying: "We can train our own karatekas without your help."

GILBERTE'S WORLD

Walked out. An extremeley talented artist's day-to-day and nearly minute-after-minute struggle with a disease?! Her paintings and her flower garden are beautiful. the rest of the film is boring and frustrating.



FAI BEI SOGNI (SWEET DREAMS)

Recommended. First comes a mystery, then a tragedy happens. And you have to deal with the burden for the rest of your life. The movie's deeply sad but it moved me to the core. It has a heavy, dark atmosphere about which you know it veils a secret. On a happier note, it's about "se" ("if") meaning a failure and a "nonostante" ("in spite of") propelling you in life.

DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY

Other meetings and debates were less productive. Samira Elagoz, who looked normal, turned out to be weird. Her privacy border is set differently to most people. Showing herself having sex, with a stranger, in a film didn't cross her intimacy barrier, showing some conversations did. The "free lunch" was also peculiar - Polish economists didn't get what unconditional basic income was supposed to mean. They associated it with a social programme similar to the current 500+. Pathetic.

I'm about a week behind with posts but it's coming, after the weekend.

DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY

FALLEN FLOWERS THICK LEAVES

Watchable. About Chinese women discovering their sexuality. In more communist times in China all individualism was forbidden, including caring for one's own sexual pleasure. Now, whether young or old women, they have to learn it. There's little about their relationships here, though it strikes how rational the choices are for both parties each time. The camera just follows the ladies. Not much background is given.

TAHQIQ FEL DJENNA (INVESTIGATING PARADISE)

Watchable. With some humour it shows how the 72 houris awaiting men in paradise, which are mentioned neither in the Quran nor the Sunna, are used to dupe men into submission to tyranny. I personally most liked the male feminist who observed that there's no freedom without women's rights. If women are expected to be submissive, there's no freedom in the society as well. The overlong documentary leaves the viewer with a rumour that the Wahhabis got it wrong: "There are no 72 houris. There's one. She's 72."

DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY

Meeting with Cicciolina

Cicciolina came in a bright red fishtail dress with sequins, a wreath on her head and a teddy bear. The room was so packed she was answering questions standing. She talked about her plight for safe love-making in parks and for animal rights. She let a few guys from the audience kiss her. She was quite fat, with some minor lines on her face, heavily made up. When I asked about plastic surgeries, she only told me about her tits and about how proud of them she was. A girl studying at the Academy of Fine Arts and "shown tits all the time" asked Cicciolina to show hers. She replied it was prohibited, to which the girl exclaimed: "But it always was!" Then the star agreed to show them outside. We waited till she was leaving and... yes, she did! I admit her surgeon had done an amazing job creating large breasts with small, light-colour, delicate nipples. I have to say I expected the porn star to be more scandalizing. Instead, she turned out to be warm-hearted, open and cuddly.

DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY

PRE-CRIME

Watchable. The future of policing is prevention and faster, more effective investigation. The documentary involves like a thriller. The algorithms whose work it presents are imperfect (but are humans any better?) and seen as victimizing. The edge of the film lies not in questioning them but showing how it works and what is feasible. It's a proof that science fiction is becoming our reality. It shows our very likely future of 5-10 years to come.


TERAZ I W GODZINE SMIERCI

Recommended. About the power of prayer throughout recent history: from post-war Austria, overthrowing President Marcos in the Philippines, through the US war in Afghanistan, the Ukrainian revolution in Maidan, the Rwandan war, Boko Haram terror in Nigeria to a Brussels terrorist attack - not in such order or chronology but such a scope. The documentary is staunchly Catholic. The only explanation of some lucky escapes given here is the power of the Rosary. I see it in more secular terms, as the power of faith and religious experience. What struck me was a Rwandan war survivor's testimony in which she says how, in the moment of religious ecstasy, the tiny bathroom she and a few other women had been hiding in for 3 months suddently started smelling beautifully. It's very similar to what a Polish jihadist said in "Insha Allah. Krew meczennikow" ("Insha Allah. Blood of the Martyrs") about an ISIS martyr's blood. To me it's a proof that our imagination can overwhelm our senses. The Boko Haram terrorist who let a pious Catholic woman free was no miracle either. Christians and Muslims are both People of the Book and true, peaceful Muslims understand that. The notion that it's secularism that's the threat, not terrorism is some food for thought. The film has power, regardless of your interpretation.

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: SALAZAR'S REVENGE AKA DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES AT IMAX 3D

Recommended. 2 hours 33 minutes of pure fun. "I'm not looking for any trouble." "What a horrid life it is!" Two new charming actors: Kaya Scodelario and Brenton Thwaites and Paul McCartney as Uncle Jack accompany the old good ones. Johnny Depp as Jack Sparrow of course is the star here. He feels like an old buddy with his drunkenness, specific humour, advice on women and several lucky escapes. Fantastic 3D CGIs  immerse you in the Caribbean Sea (Australian Gold Coast plays the part). Brilliant music, including the theme re-worked a number of times and sounding over the credits at the very end of which you get rewarded with one scene extra. All pirates, board this ship!

ALIEN: COVENANT

Watchable. It's a sequel of a prequel. While I remember "Prometheus" as outstanding, "Alien: Covenant" is just a time gap filler, just like "Alien" was ground-breaking and "Aliens" were no match. When you see the title on the screen, there's no semi-colon so that implies an "alien covenant" - an agreement between non-humans and the subsequent plot is quite in line with this interpretation. It starts with "I am your father" and after the conversation comes the hard SF of the spacecraft. The middle is some mumbo jumbo on the planet where the escapees the Prometheus crash site (doctor Elisabeth Shaw and android David) landed in the Engineers' spaceship. Shot in New South Wales, Australia and totally deprived of the beautiful Icelandic landscapes and the atmosphere of "Prometheus". The highlight is the personality/software clash between the two androids. The movie reveals plot elements too fast, giving no time to feel any tension. The intrigue in the very ending is really good.  All in all, it's just a filling, lacks the force of the real tooth.

MISS SLOANE

Recommended. An excellent political thriller. "Lobbying is a nice word for what?", as a character in the movie asks. The trailer announces a few surprises, including one after the trump card's been drawn. It fulfills the promise. A surpise follows another, the tension never releases and there are twists and turns you can't foresee. Jake Lacy memorably features as Forde.


NIGHT FILM MARATHON - MARATHON WITH ALIEN WITH PREMIERE

PROMETHEUS

Watchable. While I no longer felt the admiration, the awe or the tension I did the first time, I'm still impressed with the completeness of the created world.

ALIEN: COVENANT

Watchable. In the ending of "Prometheus" doctor Shaw and the android take off to the planet the Engineers came from. This film leaves a gap again. The events take place 10 years after the escape, leaving the mystery of the missing time period. While David, the immortal android, recounts the landing or the crash, we know he's a lying beast so the puzzle remains. The film makes perfect sense filling the story but it's little more than a missing link.

Still, these two, recent instalments, are at least eventful and well-paced in comparison to the old ones:

ALIEN - DIRECTOR'S CUT

Watchable. Feels archaic and lacks the tension of the regular, theatrical release. While blood dripping onto Parker from the ventilation shaft is a nice addition, several scenes have been changed which somehow interferes with the dynamics of the movie. It may also be just me having seen so much more modern space opera since that now it makes no impression on me.

ALIENS - DIRECTOR'S CUT

Watchable. The hearing at the beginning of the film is an interesting dramatic edition. Ripley daughter's death is played too sentimentally. The colony view is run-of-the-mill with the children played too sentimentally again, completely needlessly added. The troopers' introduction is exaggeratedly rough. The conversation about having children, relaccing Ripley daughter's death is tacky.
The movie's mostly interesting in the term of technological advancements between the 1979 "Alien" and 21st century "Prometheus" and "Alien: Covenant". The fight part of the film is as boring as in the original.

No post-credits scenes in either of the two series.


PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: SALAZAR'S REVENGE

I've seen it already. But, due to the publication ban, my review will appear on 22nd May.

TELLE MERE, TELLE FILLE

Watchable for the second time. Remarkably well acted, not only by the leads but also by featured extras, e.g. the woman at a bus stop. Cheerful music, humour, e.g. the scene where the mother and the daughter sleep together in weird positions, light-hearted, smart and very pleasant. Maybe it would be funnier with more surprising situations but the way it is it's still a real feel-good movie.

GWIAZDY

Watchable. A letdown. Hiring a Playboy model (Karolina Szymczak) to show her tits doesn't make a movie. Neither does dyeing Sebastian Fabijanski blonde to make him hot. I loathe the recent Polish obsession with making everything historic on the verge of political. A commentary is usually annoying too. I only enjoyed the film being in Silesian accent. Well imitated by non-Silesians.

GET OUT

Recommended. Full of mystery. For a larger part you're not sure if it's just the black guy feeling out of place in a posh white house or whether something's wrong for real. Everything you hear takes on a new, sinister meaning once you learn what's going on. Are Oscar nominations possible for such a movie? Because Marcus Henderson, Betty Gabriel and Lakeith Lee Stanfield well deserve them. The title is shown again at the end - I just loved it.

After reading other critics' opinions I feel compelled to add that yes, the movie is about modern-day racism but this isn't why I recommend it. I just find it to be a superintelligent thriller. At the same time it's based on the separation of cultures. America has two histories, two cultures and two languages: black and white. A white person would abbreviate Andrew to Andy, not "Dre", like the black guy in the movie. Music listened to, clothing worn, accent spoken as well as the history, for some of dominance and for the others of slavery, set the two realities apart. Before the film it would have been to me inconceivable to see a china cup, for me cosy and homey, as a symbol of oppression. It's these parallel worlds of blacks and of whites that have made the script possible and so convincing.

"Get Out" seen courtesy of Cinema City - as I will state over and over again, the cinema with the comfiest seats in Warsaw.

Only after you've seen the movie, here's a thorough, sociological, full of spoilers explanation:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gQP4ffowCY&feature=em-uploademail

THE CIRCLE

Recommended. Realistic SF if I can say so. Or more on the science part rather than fiction. It's a near future possibility grounded in our present: Facebook, connected service accounts, electoral registers, self-driving cars being developed and, above all, privacy concerns. "Privacy was a temporary thing and now it's over". Filmed entirely in California so it's mostly sun-drenched yet bleak. Even the initial credits have circular typography. No scenes during or after them.

DEEP

Watchable. It attempts to be "Finding Nemo" or "Finding Dory" but it fails badly. Action gets interrupted with bad music a few times. The whole film is a rubbish bin of motifs from other productions: Deep is an heir to the throne who needs to save his community, there are lots of sea creatures and "cool" dialogues, a vampire, zombie fish, evil scientists are trying to destroy the world, NYC is sunk like in "A. I. Artificial Intelligence". Deep in the Polish dubbing has an annoying child-like voice. I was mostly curious if the "white whale" would be as lovely as in "Finding Dory". It's not. It's grey and wrinkly but pleasantly not child-like at least.

Podlasie Slow Fest is an interesting upcoming film festival to take place in Supraśl over nearly 3 months from July to September. Apart from movies, there will be cooking workshops, e.g. making herb pickles and outings to see the rut of roe-deer and red deer.

OZZY

Recommended. Unimissable for all dog lovers, even adult like me. Caricature-like animation with all characters having the upper half of the body bigger than the legs or paws and clearly drawn edges makes it cute and perfect even for child audience. The story's heart-wrenching and complex - the smallest children in the audience didn't last till the end. Good jokes, e.g. advertising a dog: "He even knows Powerpoint", about a chatty owner and his quiet dog: "Now I understand why he doesn't talk" or "There's nothing like burnt toast" (I'm translating from the Polish dubbing back into English so please forgive me any inaccuracies), in the beginning and in the ending, lots of heartache and tension for the larger, middle, part. But it all ends well and the villains get punished.

I saw it at my local Cinema City - the cinema with the most comfy seats in Warsaw and perfect picture and sound.

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY VOL. 2 - IMAX 3D

Watchable. Much better than part one. Mind-blowing 3D made me cringe a number of times. Ego's Planet looks amazing. Even the initial scene on Earth puts you right in the middle of action with top-notch picture and sound. Young Kurt Russell appears too. At some point you see a multispecies bar surrounded by a wintry landscape resembling "Star Wars" but as a whole it's tongue-in-cheek and aimed at teenagers. There's more of a plot in this part. Unfortunately the guardians' banter, jokes and most of other dialogues are as vulgar and primitive as in the first instalment. Chris Pratt looks awfully fat. With several films adding post-credits scenes nowadays, Marvel couldn't be worse so there are quite a few scenes during the credits, announcing a sequel, and one at the very end. Also, Stan Lee appears once in the movie and once afterwards.

The trailer of the new "Pirates of the Caribbean" looks extremely promising with its perfect 3D and ingenious plot. The trailer of "Thor: Ragnarok" is visually appealing too.

SONG TO SONG

Watchable. It's long, slow and about nothing but shot in a somehow melodious way. Interiors play a role here: a vast villa with a pool gets juxtaposed with a small flat with taps and tiles in the kitchen looking like gold. A hot actress (Bérénice Marlohe) in a minor role.

LITTLE MEN

Watchable. A superficial tale about different approaches (manipulative, straightforward, legal, a silent protest) to conflict resolution. The 13-year-olds' friendship makes you analyse how it's different among adults when money comes into play. One of the kids (Michael Barbieri) acts in an annoyingly exaggerated way.

BUTTERFLY KISSES

Watchable. Shot in black and white which reflects the dreariness of council estate teens' lives pretty well. Quite predictable. You know where one guy's craving for sex combined with bitter disillusionment will lead. Stereotypical portrayal of girls as well. Annoyingly it's not clear what he actually did. Reasonably true to life in the depiction of such an environment though.

KIKI, EL AMOR SE HACE (KIKI, LOVE TO LOVE)

Watchable. Oh my gosh! What were they thinking remaking "The Little Death" where even the original was stupid and boring! Well, the Spanish version has at least two better looking actors and one actress sexier than in the American one and absolutely fantastic music at the very end (the final scene and the credits).

FATIMA - part of the upcoming 8. PRZEGLAD NOWEGO KINA FRANCUSKIEGO

Recommended. A very insightful and moving tale of immigrants, aculturation and growing up abroad. Very true to how it all works. 

SZATAN KAZAL TANCZYC (SATAN SAID DANCE)

Watchable. It's like an orgiastic party: pretty girls (Magdalena Berus, Hanna Koczewska, Marta Nieradkiewicz), cool guys, lots of nudity with or without sex, plenty of alcohol and drugs. I guess the director must be bisexual. A number of times the film appears to be a commercial of the no-longer-existent Nowa Jerozolima club in Warsaw but there's little techno in the film and in fact a great techno tune - energetic "Year Of The Dragon" by DJ Akme - features only in one, final scene. The story and the music start in the 80s. Oops, did I say 'final scene'? In the cinematic version it is. But the fun thing is it's composed of 54 two-minute pieces which can be arranged at random to create the same story. There are references to the director, Katarzyna Roslaniec's previous "Bejbi Blues" (the commentary that nowadays having a baby is in fashion is to the point) and to "Il racconto dei racconti" ("Tale of Tales") - no more depth. It also ridicules contemporary mothers who want to have a baby and maintain their earlier lifestyle at the same time. I wonder if the movie will ever get an interactive release enabling viewers to mix and match the 54 pieces.

BIKINI BLUE

Watchable. Amazing cinematography. Each frame looks like a painting. Lianne Harvey has something Scarlett Johanssonish about her look. Tomasz Kot imitates a British accent pretty well.  The story's secondary to the picutres. I learnt the Martians, whose invasion scared people in the 50s, symbolised Soviets - the Red Planet was communism. But that's just on the margin of the film.

FLASKEPOST FRA P (DEPARTMENT Q: A CONSPIRACY OF FAITH)

Watchable. A very good thriller, with the right dose of tension, likeable police and a perfect balance between action and quiet moments. Just a couple of scenes don't make sense, e.g. a police office running with a gun in his hand and, even worse, dropping it. Luckily unique Danish landscapes play a large part in the story and compensate for those movie-intended inadequacies.


WEGIERSKA WIOSNA FILMOW 2017 (HUNGARIAN FILM SPRING 2017)

EGYMASRA NEZVE (ANOTHER WAY)

Watchable. Early on you hear that the shot woman wanted to murder the one in hospital so you expect a crime story. Then it gets political, in addition historical - Hungary in communist times, finally the two women, including the married one, have an affair. So that got me intrigued enough to continue watching. However, both the script and the acting are so toned down nothing reflects the supposedly violent emotions.


NIGHT FILM MARATHON - THE NIGHT OF HORROR

JOHNNY FRANK GARRETT'S LAST WORD

Watchable. Based on a documentary so, indirectly, on facts. Provides no scares. The court case is the highlight. Mike Doyle plays the best-looking guy on the jury, Andrew Redman so doesn't get killed too early. Intriguing, makes you wonder how they really died. It's just not scary enough for a horror and with too many scaring attempts for a fact-based drama.

DANS LA FORET (INTO THE FOREST)

Watchable. Psychological rather than a horror and very mysterious. A father takes his sons to a forest where he plays a weird game with them. The horror part works out the worst, they should have limited the story to the mystery which is truly gripping.

BODOM (LAKE BODOM)

Watchable. A slasher movie about teenagers in the woods? Yes, but with good twists and turns. It plays with the genre bringing a puzzle, tension and surprises. A few motifs are still worn out, though,  and the ending, while not bad, is not as meticulously enacted as the preceding story.

FEBRUARY

Recommended. Mystery without scares. But the mystery stands out and the story is like nothing before.


WEGIERSKA WIOSNA FILMOW 2017 (HUNGARIAN FILM SPRING 2017)

A MARTFUI REM (STRANGLED)

Watchable. A very involving crime movie, about a serial killer, where the story of the investigation unfortunately gets diluted by the communist political background.

THE BOSS BABY 3D

Watchable. Worse than the trailer. The first 42 minutes look like created by someone childless by choice. The knackered father answering a slice of pizza when the phone rings is funny, the rest shows how nasty and disgusting babies are and how parents coo over them no matter what, it also makes fun of the mania of taking children's pictures. Later, however, you are made believe that babies are cute and little brothers and sisters adorable. The 3D is very good, with the rides looking realistic. One scene after the main credits and one more after the whole long payroll. Both scenes are fun but not a must.

MALY JAKUB (LITTLE JACOB)

Watchable. An adult man meets his child alter ego which makes him face his childhood nightmares. It's painfully slow, disturbing at times, partly clear, partly ambiguous. It shows why the guy takes decisions instead of communicating. That clearly comes from his disturbed childhood. Of course you feel sorry for the kid, at least when you know why, because I completely didn't get the orphanage part.

FAST & FURIOUS 8 IN 4DX

Watchable. I should have buckled up for the ride. If you're going to see the movie, 4D is your best bet. The plot is pretty regular, with an ingenious addition of zombie cars. I wonder if that is going to be possible in real life. Scary to think somebody could remotely take over the control of your car. Some lines are funny, like: "They're supporting their kids." "The thing is there are more mums than kids." The ending is family-oriented and religious! No scene during or after the credits.

DEMAIN TOUT COMMENCE (TWO IS A FAMILY)

Watchable. Omar Sy is brilliant and a pure pleasure to watch. The beginning is smart - if I got knocked up, I'd also drop the baby off at the father's. The baby here is bearable and grows up quickly. I wish I had lived in a flat that equipped - a giant elephant cuddle, a slide beside the stairs - in my own childhood! The father has a good sense of humour and e.g. invents a Chinese dictator named... Wong Kar-wai. However, later the mother reappears and wants custody all of a sudden and the girl is terminally ill and dies. The makers' creativity didn't last long enough.

GUERRILLA - EP. 1

Watchable. Slow paced, about hardcore civil rights fight with people being battered to death or imprisoned. While the 70s are a fascinating period in British history, with a strong relevance to the present, the production execution ruins the topic. It's kind of a serial you can watch over dinner, during cleaning etc. It doesn't require your full attention and my guess is it'll be even easier to follow this way.

THE ZOOKEEPER'S WIFE

Watchable. The early part is half-sad, e.g. when an elephant gets shot, half-cute, or even amusing, e.g. when a wallaby jumps along a street. Later it's more sombre and about humans more than animals. The story itself guarantees tension and suspense. Unfortunately Jessica Chastain and Daniel Brühl, who doesn't even look remotely German, are not very convincing in their roles.

DRAEBERNE FRA NIBE (SMALL TOWN KILLERS)

Watchable. Marcin Dorociński makes a perfect Russian, Gwen Taylor is a charming psychopathic old lady and the script is one of a dark comedy. But something doesn't stick. Must be the Danish acting style. I enjoyed it but didn't laugh.

TELLE MERE, TELLE FILLE (BABY BUMP(S))

Watchable. Not laugh-out-loud funny but a good family movie with a few truly amusing scenes and the rest still entertaining. It makes fun of several aspects of pregnancy, e.g. the "bionic" sense of smell. There's also a tongue-in-cheek scene of a beagle browsing dog pictures online. An early credits scene is disgusting, yet for the whole film you see no babies at all. As for when it ends, there are two scenes during early credits plus one at the very end.

23. WIOSNA FILMOW (23RD FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)

24 WOCHEN (24 WEEKS)

Recommended. It tackles the difficult question of giving birth to a handicapped baby. German law in such cases allows abortion till the end of the pregnancy. The film shows the would-be mother's hesitation realistically. You see her testing different solutions and making the decision. She's a public person so the pressure's high. Gripping.

AQUARIUS

Watchable. What I liked the most was watching the Brazilian lifestyle: spending lots of time with the family, sleeping in a hammock, swimming in a shark-infested sea. Once you realize what the main intrigue is, you appreciate the woman's strength and defiance. But it takes time to get to the intrigue and the movie contains a few disgusting baby scenes, including one of changing a diaper.

TEESKLEJAD (PRETENDERS)

Recommended. The sea, a posh house, beautiful people. Seductive pictures, seductive music, a seductive couple, especially Anna, played by Mirtel Pohla. On top of that a psychologic game. Sensory and intellectual pleasure.

VOR DER MORGENROTE - STEFAN ZWEIG IN AMERIKA (STEFAN ZWEIG: FAREWELL TO EUROPE)

Watchable. The beginning of the movie puts you into posh refugees' circles 3 years before the Second World War which to me resonated with the current political situation. This part also implied some anti-Nazi action. However, I quickly realized that was not going to happen and I ended up admiring Brazilian nature as the plot became a series of disconnected events.

NAWET NIE WIESZ, JAK BARDZO CIE KOCHAM (YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU)

Watchable. Fake mother and daughter, real psychotherapy. The story behind the production is more interesting than the film. Basically, people with similar experiences can relate to each other, e.g. every divorced person can relate to any other divorced person as is the case here. The two women took five sessions in which they worked on their family issues with a renowned therapist. To me it sounded quite abstract. I just got intrigued what the women's experiences were that destroyed the family. Human relationships are the main attraction here, the psychotherapy itself bored me.

COMO NOSSOS PAIS (JUST LIKE OUR PARENTS)

Watchable. I couldn't possibly relate to Rosa in any way. She's married, taking care of her school-age kids, cooking for the whole family, seeing her extended family often, including her brother, her smoking, straightforward mother, her poor artist father, writes commercials for a living, supports financially her environmental activist husband. She clearly has no pleasure in life. It's only when she suspects or hears of certain betrayals all around her that things start getting spicy. Still, it's nothing new under the sun.

EN MAN SOM HETER OVE (A MAN CALLED OVE), to my delight, has won the Festival Audience Award.



PORTO

Walked out. I didn't find Anton Yelchin attractive even in "Star Trek". In "Porto" he walks and speaks as if he were 62, not 26. His character, in spite of good upbringing, lacks education or ambition. She (Lucie Lucas) is strikingly beautiful, with a degree and ambition. And I'm supposed to believe she got attracted to him?! As if his elderly-sounding voice wasn't repulsive enough.

DIE HÖLLE - INFERNO

Watchable. Class B thrillers are often easy to follow plot-wise and raise your adrenaline level so that you're glued to the screen waiting for further developments. It's one of them. Set in the society outskirts, stereotypically and odiously anti-racist, feminist and condemning: sex violence, paedophilia, Islamic fanatism. At the same time the lead female obligatorily appears topless in an asexual scene. She also has voluntary sex with a total sexist. Worst of all, she gets severely injured now and again and despite that kicks everyone's ass. Ah, when she says she's shattered, it's not convincing.

23. WIOSNA FILMOW (23RD FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)

EN MAN SOM HETER OVE (A MAN CALLED OVE)

Recommended. A beautiful, funny and touching, tale about an annoying man who did what was right all his life. He's rational and acts logically, unlike ordinary people, which upsets others since humans are not rational. Should have won the Oscar instead of "The Salesman".

USTAV REPUBLIKE HRVATSKE (THE CONSTITUTION)

Watchable. A transvestite, his bed-bound legless father and a policeman struggling to memorise the Constitution of Croatia form an unlikely combination for one movie. But it deals with a number of issues with insight and with humour. I didn't really get the Balkan historical and political bits though.


MINDENKI (SING) - to be shown at the upcoming WEGIERSKA WIOSNA FILMOW 2017 (HUNGARIAN FILM SPRING 2017)

Walked out. About primary school children, their choir, obviously singing in child voices, and a teacher bullying the main protagonist.


23. WIOSNA FILMOW (23RD FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)

UNE VIE (A WOMAN'S LIFE)

Walked out. A story about a ruined life of a woman whose first husband and later son get out of hand should be more dynamic. There's hardly any background music and when people talk, it's invariably monotonous. Feels unbearably drowsy.

BITTER HARVEST

Watchable. Weird cinematography - showing Ukraine as picturesque whether during prosperity or famine together with lousy acting make it all look artificial. Shame as it's probably the first feature about the Holodomor - the Soviet-made famine of 1932-1933.

ANA, MON AMOUR

Walked out. A drama about a family so dysfunctional the characters drone on about it over and over again in different configurations.

TESTROL ES LELEKROL (ON BODY AND SOUL)

Recommended. Slow but enchanting. Shown with tact, subtlety and attention to detail. Alexandra Borbely has a rare type of beauty and an equally rare delicate sense of movement. You get bewildered by the suddenly emerged love simultaneously with the couple.

23. WIOSNA FILMOW (23RD FILM SPRING FESTIVAL)

CHEVALIER (2015)

Watchable. Adult men playing childish games are pathetic. But from time to time you get rewarded with holiday views of the sea, a yacht, a quay and occasional conversations about sophisticated food.

그물 (THE NET)

Watchable. Predictable for anyone even vaguely aware of the situation in both Koreas. But at the same time a very good thriller and political film highlighting the differences in the systems. Well worth seeing. Other than that, the South Koreans look hot.

WILDE MAUS (WILD MOUSE)

Watchable. This Austrian drama about a middle-aged guy whose life takes a downturn and goes from bad to worse is so well acted, with Josef Hader in a triple role of the director, the scriptwriter and the leading actor, and so beautifully shot it's pure pleasure to watch. A few other people from the fired guy's circle have issues too and as they are struggling to resolve them the news keep reporting on the refugee crisis. Each person and the whole country are at a loss. Still, the whole thing lacks a clear point.

SIERANEVADA

Walked out. It would be tiring even for standard 2 hours, let alone 3. About things so silly and ordinary that I left to deal with my own daily stuff.

LIFE

Recommended. A hell of a space thriller. You actually expect a slaughter when one of the astronauts jokes about "Re-Animator" in the context of their alien specimen, similarly as elderly weirdos tend to warn teenagers in the beginning of a horror. A spaceship is a perfect setting to convey a sense of isolation as shown in the original "Alien" or in "Gravity" so it works equally well for the cross between the two. Made to keep you on the edge of your seat rather than to be food for thought, it  dabbles in the questions of aggression: is it a response to violent manhandling, or is it a predatory  instinct? The cast is multinational and multiracial. The music by Jon Ekstrand is excellent both as the movie soundtrack and in its own right. The tongue-in-cheek joyful song after the last scene (part two looks inevitable) slightly eases the strong tension you're in throughout the film. If you don't leave then, you hear fantastic music extending over the credits which puts you back in the mood. I had a feeling something creepy might be lurking between the cinema seats.

CARRIE PILBY
Watchable. I took to the film as soon as I realized how much the main protagonist resembles me years ago: a bookworm, with incredible knowledge, socially inept, with family issues, seeing a psychologist, resisting manipulation by guys who are just after sex, at professional crossroads right after the best uni in the country, making friends by chance, not exactly into fashion, with strong integrity and totally geeky. OK, her IQ of 185 beats mine and I've never had photograhic memory. But in all it's quite realistic, very well acted, with a few brilliant lines and easy to follow. Of course you want a fairy-tale ending and you get just that. Too geeky to blow me away though.

EMA (MOTHER)

Recommended. Seemingly about a mother taking care of her son in a coma due to a gunshot. In such an intimate setting cinematography plays a role and here it's a good one. So is the acting which appears naturally casual, just like the make-up and costumes. This gives the impression of ordinariness. However, each character has a foible and you quickly realise it's a crime drama. The story develops at a good pace up to a shocking finale. In fact the ending is like nothing I have seen at the cinema or even heard of in real life before.



3RD "CZECH DOCUMENTS, PLEASE!" 

ZAKON HELENA (HELENA'S LAW) 

Watchable. An interesting documentary showing the psychological side of comitting a crime and fighting it. Funny how none of the offenders, including the gang leader, will acknowledge their hideous acts. They all, with no exception, justify their actions and play them down. You have to find it between the lines though as the film lacks a point.

Polish Cinema for Beginners is a cycle of screenings Polish movies with English subtitles also at Muranow in Warsaw. To be honest, I'm not happy with the April selection of films but they are so terribly Polish foreigners might find them exotic.

3RD "CZECH DOCUMENTS, PLEASE!"

ZKAZA KRASOU (DOOMED BEAUTY)

Watchable. I didn't find the fattish actress beautiful so I felt odd following the story of her life whose focal point were men who would always fall in love with her. While she lived in the fascinating times of the Nazis, the film unfortunately brings nothing new in this matter.

MA LOUTE (SLACK BAY)

Watchable. Quite similar to "P'tit Quinquin" - set in the North of France, with a cannibal family - but decades earlier. Satire on: obesity, exaltation of the upper class, eating habits, dressing styles, spirituality, pompous army music, inbreeding. Again, in this film by Bruno Dumont, what revolts you at first is the same bizzarre world of the director which swiftly engulfs you in the further part.

A four-day screening of Czech documentaries is starting in Warsaw Muranow cinema tonight and I'm rushing out to the first film shortly.

GHOST IN THE SHELL 3D AT IMAX

Watchable. Very good, especially the graphics, but plot-wise made about 20 years and technology-wise made about 10 years too late. Basically, while the original comic books were created in 1989-1990, all their elements have been thoroughly exploited by the movie industry already. Also, the amount of action quells much of the potential for the psychology of Major's identity. On the plus side it's realistically futuristic: holograms and solidgrams, multi-level elevated roads and flyovers (shot on location in Shanghai) instead of flying cars (like in earlier SF) and replacable mechanic body parts. Scarlett Johansson looks good as a Japanese and moves like a cyborg but is a bit on the fat side. All in all good fun, with decent 3D, to be watched on a big screen, clever even, but game-like. The last scene is before the credits.

GUZAARISH (2010)

Watchable. The title petition is for euthanasia - Bollywood way, although quite westernized. Sanjay Leela Bhansali is not my favourite director - the film is relatively short (for Bollywood) but feels lengthy. The court case is good, with a brilliant "magic trick" the petitioner plays on the prosecutor. The rest is well made but the movie's just too slow for my taste.

LA GRANDE BELLEZZA (THE GREAT BEAUTY) (2013)

Recommended. It's more of a series of loosely connected pictures which are all beauty to behold - by Luca Bigazzi, also responsible for the cinematography of later "La Giovinezza" ("Youth") - accompanied by sublime music of two different yet fitting genres: classical and disco/techno interchangeably. A swimming pool scene, an animal scene and a few nudity scenes resemble the later movie too. While the main protagonist claims to have failed to find great beauty, we see it every minute of the movie: the beauty of architecture, clothing, body, nature, mind, emotions and life itself. There's no void in the lives of the upper class - there's beauty in its pure form.

MIRRORS

Watchable. A 3-minute doll-like animation accompanying "California". It says that once we stop looking at ourselves we start seeing everything else which is shown straight in your face. Simple and obvious, luckily the 3 minutes are filled with events.

CALIFORNIA

Watchable. Just like I remember being a teenage girl. Very realistic. But also with nothing special to say. It just takes you back to that period of your life.

POWER RANGERS

Watchable. The film's a bit chaotic, mostly due to specific editing, and I have the impression my review may reflect that. The music's quite good, much better than the rap in the trailer. Elizabeth Banks looks so much better blonde she just shouldn't have been cast as pitch-black-haired Rita Repulsa. The editing is so sharp it's just: shot-cut-shot-cut, unlike in the series where the camera would show a bigger perspective and provide a transition between the shots. Here the whole film looks like chopped with an axe. The movie lacks Japanese-style graphic elements which are present in the series both in the old episodes and in the new ones. Visually the movie consists of a horror-like monster among Transformers-like creatures. More advanced CGIs haven't helped the production. The last scene is during the credits, meaning after the initial ones, later the payroll goes on and on and on with nothing afterwards.

AMOK

Watchable. I don't think it was as famous abroad, including the UK, as the movie implies, as I only heard about it now in Poland. As I didn't know the case, I stayed till the end of this nonsense just to find out whether he was actually a murderer or not. For a crime story it completely lacks suspense. It's also pure chaos, I guess it was meant to be as nonlinear as the title novel but watching a film you cannot mix and match the pieces, you're just left with this mess.

FRANTZ

Watchable. Black and white for the present, brownish hues for the past and full colour for... hopes. A subtle tale about illusions we prefer to live. Well acted, with both languages spoken clearly. You just sit and get engulfed. The ending is very in line with the whole but also feels fake since that unwavering optimism isn't properly justified.

DIE HASCHENSCHULE - JAGD NACH DEM GOLDENEN EI (RABBIT SCHOOL - GUARDIANS OF THE GOLDEN EGG)

Recommended. You thought Easter preparations were hard? All the spring cleaning and Easter baking is nothing in comparison to what Easter bunnies have to endure: tough training on an obstacle course from dawn to after dusk, cold baths and fighting sly, treacherous, ravenous foxes to whom the rabbits smell just too enticing. The rabbitesque dialogues are fun, the animation is delightful and the bunnies cute. I'd love to jump into the Rabbit School myself.

LA MECANIQUE DE L'OMBRE (THE EAVESDROPPER)

Watchable. The original title is very apt: "The Mechanics of the Shadow". Excellent cinematography and ambient music draw you into a convoluted story and create its framework. The plot is far-fetched but charming.

WSZYSTKO ALBO NIC (ALL OR NOTHING)

Walked out. The jokes are not funny and are sometimes vulgar, the acting's exaggerated and the script so run-of-the-mill the whole thing feels forced. I didn't force myself to stay till the end.

SAFARI

Watchable. A documentary about Austrians hunting in Namibia which shows the process of making the shopping list i.e. which animals to shoot, actual shooting, taking pictures with the trophies, skinning them and cleaning after the dirty job - by paid Namibians. The title - safari - meaning journey in Swahili appears to emphasize the class division but fails to do so to anyone familiar with the business or world economics. General public found the film horrifying. I wonder if they are vegetarian because much more horrible things take place in slaughterhouses but that stays hidden. While the film is true to what foreign hunting looks like, it fails to show a bigger picture or to give any insight apart from that that hunters are ones who have come to terms with the inevitability of death while most people are scared of the very thought.


T2 TRAINSPOTTING

Recommended. Mind-blowing cinematography - the movie deserves a large screen to do it justice, riveting music, the same world's most likeable junkies, Scottish accent, Edinburgh setting and lots of snippets from part one masterfully inserted into a contemporary story which strongly draws from the past but involves several original scenes as ingenious as in the predecessor. Irvine Welsh supervised the production and you can see his style retained. The same actors who have slipped into their roles after 20 years as smoothly as if they hd never left them. Fans of "Trainspotting" are in for a treat.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST

Watchable. Meticulous CGIs have created a fairy-tale castle and populated it with fabulous living furniture.  The teapot speaks with delightful posh British accent (by Emma Thompson). The plot is well-known. What the modern version stresses is that sexism is out. Only, in this musical, music is so run-of-the-mill it detracts from the otherwise beautiful tale.

THE SHACK

Watchable. Octavia Spencer is truly heavenly in her role. Avraham Aviv Alush as Jesus and Sumire Matsubara as Sarayu are also a match for such roles made in heaven. The longest, middle part comes right after a tedious, mundane beginning and creates a bewitching contrast through its rainbowish plentitude of colour and a calm yet strong religious message which lets you come to terms with evil around. The dull beginning and ending can be tiring though.

CAPTAIN FANTASTIC

Recommended. A really smart movie about what knowledge you need in life. Is it a cultural concept? Or is there a repository of basic resources needed for everyone which should be taught in young age?

SIV SOVER VILSE (SIV SLEEPS ASTRAY)

Watchable. A poor version of "Karsten og Petras", with a similar living toys world but with worse actors or story, only defends itself with a little magic in Siv's dreamscape. And why is it being released now? December, with its festivities, was three months ago.

PERSONAL SHOPPER

Watchable. Sometimes-topless Kristen Stewart amidst a pile of rubbish and nonsense. At some point a mystery appears but ends so absurdly it's just better not to start watching. Acted lousily as well and even for those eager to see Kristen Steward half-naked there isn't much to see. Good cinematography and a modern setting ease the guaranteed frustration with the plot.

DALIDA

Recommended. The film starts with mesmerizing music and immediately the star of a past era shines bright anew. Top-notch music fills the movie and the lyrics create the background for a story of loneliness. At the very first scene you realize a tragedy underscores the celebrity's life. The story's familiar to all singletons nowadays when it's also easier for many women to identify with her: extraordinarily talented, hard-working and unable to hold on to a relationship. A perfect moment in social history for the release. The beautiful actress and enchanting music do the rest.

KONG: SKULL ISLAND 3D

Watchable. At first I had an impression they went into old style King Kong effects like the ape crashing planes in its giant paws instead of more modern environmentally friendly approach. Well, it's neither. It's more like old-fashioned fight between the good ones and the evil ones and not every monster being one just like not every human is humane. Different decades are differentiated by their music styles. But what I loved most was the number and variety of giant creatures. Very good 3D - a piece of an octopus flew straight in my face. The after-the-credits scene is a must - tongue-in-cheek and setting ground for sequels.

Are we back to the 1980s with space opera and supermonsters being hip again?

MUNE, LE GARDIEN DE LA LUNE (MUNE: GUARDIAN OF THE MOON)

Watchable. Lovely animation style. I needed time to grasp the story but the one thing I got unmistakably was how it ridiculed sexism. Also on the note, it's the caring Mune that gets the girl's heart at the end. Even fiery characters end up green and floral and the chauvinist discovers his softer side.

GOLD

Recommended. True to the original real-life events and people minus some simplifications like making two original characters into one for the sake of the movie, just like in "War Dogs" a few months ago. Aptly cast with Matthew McConaughey, recognizable from "The Wolf of Wall Street" and even more expressive. The story tells about a fascinating gold bubble and people's hopes taking over caution. Fascinating intrigues are acoompanied by spot on social observations. Who will trick who? Skillfully built suspense and twists of action make for a great night out.

WSCIEKLOSC

Watchable. Great cinematography and music. A bit far-fetched, yet involving plot. Weird location - why is he running, for health apparently, along the busiest roads? Funny editing: he gots beaten up and is bleeding and his jacket is covered with dirt ever since, apart from one bit of a road where he's clean again, after the next turn the blood and dirt return. Even the IMDb information is in bad English. Totally amateurish.

LOGAN

Watchable. OMG, what have they done to Charles Xavier, Wolverine and all of X-Men? Is the cross turned to X all there is left?! Too disturbing for a fan. And Alzheimer's?! Hardly heroic. Dafne Keen is superb as Laura and there's a promise for a future series but not of X-Men! A shocking ending of the series. And the storyline, the characters and scenography are annoyingly run-of-the-mill, mostly imitating "Children of Men", where the original movie was poor enough, and totally unlike X-Men. Elements of the world of the future (2029) are few and far between: self-driving trucks appear in one scene. James Mangold should stay away from science-fiction. It's very well acted and the idea behing the story is a huge surprise but it's definitely the worst of the whole saga. No after-the-credits scene - don't waste your time waiting like many of us did.

OSCARS 2017

33 minutes late but http://freetvstream.in/de/tv/pro7.php seems to work. Without registration. Previous registrations failed. Needless effort.

O.J. wins Best Documentary - haven't seen it but picked it as the winner in an Oscar guesses competition so I'm happy anyway. The joke, however, is tasteless indeed.

Technical disruptions occur... What a year... Last time it went so smoothly.

Jackie Chan is dressed so Chinese!

I liked the bit about women being able to oppose without hatred. However, the Best Actress in an "Opposing" Role is Viola Davis, not my fave Naomi Harris or even Victoria Spencer. But I love her speech about artists being the only profession which "celebrates what it is to live a life".

Watching the commercials. American movies dubbed in German sound funny, especially "La La Land".

"Viola Davis has just got nominated for an Emmy for her Oscar speech" - good one. A tour bus is going to visit them unaware they'll see Oscar dresses on actual people - "does anyone know CPR?"

Charlize Theron always amazes me with how tall she is.

Over 80 different nations submitted films. I'm happy "Toni Erdmann" didn't win. I wasn't delighted with "The Salesman" either but at least it was a normal film, not that weirdness.

"Piper" was definitely the best short animation and rightfully won. "Zootopia" wins too! Wow! "the story of tolerance being more powerful than the fear of other". Hailee Steinfeld has got the evening's best dress imho.

Funny to see Dakota Johnson dressed up to her neck. Another interruption again (I'm going to murder my isp).

Now watching on http://www.streamlive.to/view/68969/ABC - poor quality and lots of pop-ups but works. Keeps breaking-up awfully.

OMG, Michael J. Fox on the stage. And looking good.

Jimmy Kimmel is tweeting to Donald Trump: "merylsayshi"

Explaning what film scientists and technologists do: "For example when you watch 'Star Trek' it looks like they're in space but in actuality they didn't shoot it in space".

Scarlett Johansson has always looked piggish and today, with her hair up and in her pink dress she just looks the piggiest ever.

The In Memoriam list includes Polish director Andrzej Wajda.

"Just that the script is adapted doesn't mean we love it any less."

Hally Berry with an afro hairstyle.

Like Leonardo di Caprio said, great acting is when you see the character they've become. Emma Stone has become her character more than Natalie Portman did as I kept comparing her to Jackie Kennedy. Dying to know who wins...hah! Emma Stone.

Just can't believe it! They read the wrong title?! Anyway, "Moonlight" was better than "La La Land". The musical was fun but not that ground-breaking. What's funny is that the Polish distributor of "Moonlight" couldn't get the movie into huge cinema chains, only indie theatres decided to screen it. A lot of mistakes around the picture.

APPRENTICE

Recommended. The clear structure and shots don't lead to a straightforward interpretation. Seeing how differently from me others perceive the movie only confirms its greatness. Everyone will find their own angle. Does the desctruction of the cupboard mean severing the ties with his sister? Or with his father? Or growing up? Coming to terms with what the absent father really was rather than a sailor? Does the apprentice's professional choice signify dealing with the trauma through internalizing the law hence asserting the inevitable  was righteous as well? Or is it a revenge on his father for his ruined life? Much better than the Oscar-nominated "Toni Erdmann" or "The Salesman". Disappointingly the Singaporean Oscar candidate got no nomination.


AKHER AYAM EL MADINA (IN THE LAST DAYS OF THE CITY)

Watchable. Very slow, with no beginning and no ending. Trying to present what lay beneath the once peaceful country, the dormant demons coming to light, however the message nearly gets lost in the daily grind and continously dusty air. An interesting bit is the radio broadcast mentioning Egypt as the No. 5 safest country for women in the world. The whole world knows what happened later in Tahrir Square. The first signs of violence can be seen in the movie, unfortunately are shown so indifferently it's easy to get bored.


TEREDDUT (CLAIR-OBSCUR)

Watchable. Truly feminine cinema. Female director Yeşim Ustaoğlu has made a movie about one woman treating another and realising in the process that her own life is not all rosy. Still, the contrast between her freedom and her patient's enslavement is stark, the girl's age mixed-up in the script and the whole thing is sceondary to "Mustang" which makes the film partly moving and partly forced.


POLANDJA

Watchable. I left 40 minutes early to get to the next movie on time. While "PolandJa" is full of vulgarity and nonsense, I'm still curious what happened to the snake one of protagonists was trying to get rid of encountering ridiculous obstacles.


HIDDEN FIGURES

Recommended. A few years into the space opera revival comes a fact-based tale of NASA in the Cold War space race. A powerful film about two parallel struggles: one to get a man to the outer space and back and one to abolish racial segregation. And it shows beautifully how civilizational and social progress have to go hand in hand to happen at all and how social predjudices hold people back stronger than technical advancement. Very well acted: Taraji P. Henson's performance as Katherine G. Johnson  and Jim Parsons' as Paul Stafford stay in memory. The subplots of the three black women provide as much suspense as the rocket launch.


LA PAZZA GIOIA (LIKE CRAZY)

Watchable. Wonderfully overacted by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi but these 'Thelma' and 'Louise on the run from a mental institution fail to evoke any deeper emotions. The joyful phase of bipolar disorder may raise some psychiatric interest but the two women are just too crazy to bear.


As the Oscars ceremony is coming up, now, two hours before, I'm listing my humble hopes:
Best Picture - Hell or High Water
Actor in a Leading Role - Denzel Washington
Actress in a Leading Role - Natalie Portman
Actor in a Supporting Role - Mahershala Ali or Jeff Bridges
Actress in a Supporting Role - Naomie Harris
Animated Feature Film - Zootopia
Cinematography - La La Land
Costume Design - La La Land
Directing - Barry Jenkins
Foreign Language Film - anything but Toni Erdmann
Makeup and Styling - Suicide Squad
Original Score - Passengers, alternatively La La Land
Original Song - City of Stars
Production Design - Passengers, alternatively La La Land
Visual Effects - anything but Doctor Strange
Adapted Screenplay - in the order of preference: Hidden Figures, Lion, Moonlight, I haven't seen Fences so not sure about this one, just not for tacky Arrival
Original Screenplay - Hell or High Water because I love it, haven't seen The Lobster or 20th Century Women though

MARIA SKLODOWSKA-CURIE (MARIE CURIE)

Watchable. The movie's disturbing and uplifting at the same time. While there is still enormous resistance against acknowledging women's intelligence, we can see we've gone a long way since the times in which she managed to triumph against all odds. All the more it's unsettling to see her depiction limited to her work and private life. Numerous trivia about her extracurricular interests and activities have been published recently but they stay out of the picture. So, willingly or not, we have to focus on her work to life balance. For people who break the grounds of science on a daily basis it's relatively easy to break free of propriety After all, if no rule of physics or chemistry is guaranteed to stay valid forever and everything is relative (Einstein is one of protagonists here), why would the soft rules of the fabric of society be taken for granted? As we know from the real world, the lower the educational level the more rigidly the people adhere to traditional values and customs. She was far above that. And paid a price. Story apart, I disliked the dark shades in which the whole story was shot.

NIGHT FILM MARATHON - THE NIGHT OF HORROR. ANTIVALENTINE'S

A CURE FOR WELLNESS

Recommended. Mountains in Baden-Württemberg are the actual location, my guess is Switzerland was too picturesque and not dramatic enough for a thriller. The spa in "Hostel" led to vile premises. Here the spa is the vile place. Like in horrors, it starts with ominous signs: aggressive village peope and a deer causing an accident. In the sanatorium nurses wear all white which makes male ones look like the "Funny Games" oppressors. The mystery deepens and deepens keeping you on the edge of the seat.

THE AUTOPSY OF JANE DOE

Recommended. Scary as hell and an unusual puzzle to solve.

부산행 (TRAIN TO BUSAN)

Recommended again. Great cinematography and a story composed of funny moments, tear-jerking ones and lots of twists of action, very realistic psychologically.

곡성 (THE WAILING)

Watchable again. Annoying zombie-like creatures. The film's too long and weird and totally class B. Likeable policemen characters attract you for the first part but later the movie loses its light tone.

FORUSHANDE (THE SALESMAN)

Watchable. About how little pieces of new information change our perception and hence our actions. The theatre subplot is pointless. The whole thing plays on cheap sentiments but is very human at the same time. Not enough for an Oscar in my humble opinion.

BIG LITTLE LIES - EPISODES 1 AND 2

Watchable. Mostly for parents of children of all ages. But, after the second episode, even I feel involved. It's set in an uphill neighbourhood so the interiors look nice and Madeleine (Reese Witherspoon) wears wonderfully matching floral clothes. It's structured a bit strangely: you know from the beginning that someone's been murdered and excerpts from witness interrogations render as ad hoc commentaries to the plot developments - clever but annoying. But most importantly: where are the "big little" lies?

WYKLETY

Recommended. I've finally understood why. It's a feature film made by a historian and in 90% based on facts (some scenes were inspired by lives of other cursed soldiers than the portrayed ones, some got simplified, some were made less brutal than the reality), shot on the locations of the original tortures and showing all sides to the multifaceted history. It moved me deeply towards the end. Good acting. Great cinematography, especially the panoramic take of a line of soldiers on a hill ridge.

MOLLY MONSTER

Watchable. Beautiful colours, a simple tale in which the worst things that happen are missing family members with whom everyone gets reunited. Perfect for nursery-age children. There are a few songs - something I didn't like in films as a child and still don't like.

MR. GAGA

Recommended for the 3rd time. Ohad Naharin and mind over matter. You just sense the movie with your whole self. And those incredible stories of his recovery and of curing his father when he told him to start moving in a youthful way. Visual, auditory and intellectual delight. The dancer and choreographer has just an innate talent to behold.

PLANETARIUM

Watchable. Very slow, contemplative, with several overlong scenes. A number of viewers walked out, which doesn't surprise me. I stayed mostly for the few clever observations. E.g. people imagine that the ghosts who come are the people they loved while in reality (so to say) they're those who cared about us unrequitedly, those who haven't finished with us. Or that someone is dying not because of a gift but rather they have the gift because they're dying. Or how, in uncertain times, it's foreigners who are trusted the least. Or how lots of people chase ghosts this way or another, instead of just living real lives.

THE LEGO BATMAN MOVIE AT IMAX 3D

Watchable. The first scenes, as well as childish (Polish at least) dubbing,  imply it's for children but several references to old and new "Batman" movies as well as pop culture will entertain adults as well. The main question is: can you domesticate Batman? The "hard on crime, easy on the eye" superhero is a narcissistic chauvinist who first becomes infatuated with a woman in power, then, when scorned by her, interrupts her speech for the TV. Batmacho, I would say. Apart from that, the film's about being an enthusiastic genius eager even to weld underwater but feeling alienated and about how adults never stop being children. With some jokes, e.g.: "You're needed like a sock for sandals." "Guys often wear them so, I'm guessing, a lot." (I'm translating from the Polish translation so please forgive me any inaccuracies). Good 3D at IMAX.  The music's a mixture of pop songs for children and hits from the 80s, e.g. "I just died in your arms tonight" by Cutting Crew. After Batman switches off the recording, there are no further scenes, just a song.

UCITELKA (THE TEACHER)

Watchable.You don't need to be a parent to follow the well-connected manipulant's intrigues. Clear structure, persuasive acting, good communist-era scenography. Involving once you start watching but so realistic you may have been in a similar situation yourself so know it all already.

BALLERINA

Recommended. A delightful tale about fulfilling your dreams and about a true talent, enforced by passion, conquering all hearts. Set in Paris but featuring music by Tchaikovsky - from the "Swan Lake" and "Nutcracker" - as well as pop songs in English. Touching and pleasing to the ear.

A DOG'S PURPOSE

Watchable. A beautiful story, full of love of dogs. Sadly it's tear-jerking. I cried through a bigger part of the movie.

JOHN WICK: CHAPTER 2

Watchable. What was fascinating in part 1, now has got ridiculously blown out of proportion. Yet, the cinematography and music are good and once you took to the characters and the specific world of hitmen in the first instalment, it's just fun to see them again. I loved the "I've lived my own way and I'm going to die my own way" scene. And this time the dog lives. The ending promises part 3 and I'm looking forward to it.

POKOT (SPOOR)

Watchable. A bizarre film, although ideologically suitable for vegetarians. But why is the positive hero barking mad? And possibly evil? Everything's distorted out of proportion, including cinematography. Even the Swietopelk joke, which could have been amusing like the famous Grzegorz Brzeczyszczykiewicz one, gets contorted by the story of domestic violence. The lack of a clear visual concept, mentioned by the director in an interview, is unfortunately clearly visible in the movie. If the director wanted to highlight the issues of age discrimination and ostracising "specific people", why is the main hero made insane towards the end of the film?!

KARSTEN OG PETRAS VIDUNDERLIGE JUL (CASPER AND EMMA'S WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS)

Watchable. Charming, reminded me of my own childhood and the films I watched then. A rare chance to see Norwegian Advent and Christmas traditions. Taken the lovely story being a bit simplistic, it's just a bit too long, with needless songs.

SILENCE

Recommended. The movie's awfully religious and I'm not. But it's so well-made the 161 minutes captivate. Exquisite cinematography, costumes and make-up. Remarkably acted, especially by Andrew Garfield, in a Christian role again, and Issei Ogata as his arch enemy. It's just because I'm too lazy to list all the payroll names. In fact, there's no role here that wouldn't impress. The story is a good lesson in humility to all those who want to convert others and forget what's it for in the first place.

LA MORT DE LOUIS XIV (THE DEATH OF LOUIS XIV)

Watchable. About a king, attended to by everyone but helpless in face of a disease. Very slow, with virtually no music, no wonder some viewer fell asleep and snored. For me, however, it was fascinating to watch doctors treating the patient with strange potions which had nothing to do with medicine as we know it today. A quiet study of good will and relentless efforts failing in the lack of genuine knowledge.

GRUSSE AUS FUKUSHIMA (GREETINGS FROM FUKUSHIMA)

Recommended. "You've got only this one life. Longing is living with a ghost." "What do you do when you've lost everything?" Getting cold feet before a wedding resulting in a betrayal. Many truths about life and lots of food for thought. All of that set in Japanese scenery adding delightful immersion in an alien culture.

LA TAULARDE (JAILBIRDS)

Recommended. If you have ever thought prison is a holiday resort at taxpayers' expense, this movie will prove you wrong. The women's prison is brutal, harrowing and repugnant from scene one. It downgrades humans to their physiological needs, with no privacy, just all-surrounding callousness. Shot close up it shoves you into the jail existence. The ending is like a final series of punches exposing how pointless everyone's struggle has been.