WARSAW KOREAN FILM FESTIVAL (ONLINE)

파고 (HEIGHT OF THE WAVE)

Watchable. The scriptwriter's introduction to the film is more moving than the picture. It drags unbearably. And the crime is just a pretext for a psychological drama with a number of protagonists - virtually everyone has a problem. In the social background, patriarchy is the root cause both of corruption - moral and financial and of the girl objectifying herself to the point it's hard to determine whether a crime has taken place. Disturbing when you come to think of it. Cinematography lacks clarity and is as subdued as the plot. 

The festival, on the mojeekino.pl platform, required you to start the movie precisely on time. It ran rather smoothly, though a bit too quiet to hear the original well. But at least you could choose between Polish or English subtitles.

Now I'm looking forward to the Ukraina! Film Festival. The 5th edition, which has taken place in Warsaw already, runs from 2 November to 9 November online, on the same platform but flexibly in terms of days and times.

HALLOWEEN MARATHON

For a number of reasons I ended up watching just one of the four movies in the marathon:

ALIVE. (2018)

Recommended. Two people, of identities unknown to themselves, are kept in an abandoned hospital by a mad doctor. Tortures, glimpses of memories are enough to get your adrenaline pumping. Strong imagery, especially bloody body parts and corpses as you explore the building, enhances the horror. Behind all this lies a mystery. Towards the end certain place gave me a clue to their identities but the final revelation was even more shocking. And what comes after that is the most frightening part in an already blood-curdling horror. There's a mid-credit and a post-credit - not to be missed either.

HELMUT NEWTON: THE BAD AND THE BEAUTIFUL 

Watchable. OK, his pictures were impressive, creative and manifested the power of the body which I associated with Nazi-time photography before this inspiration was cited in the documentary. But how many nudes, all in the same powerful poses, can you watch? With the same model testimonies of how confident they felt working with him. It's just tedious. There's a little mid-credit which doesn't bring in anything new.

Seen online, cinematic reception might differ.

POLOT

Watchable. A completely niche topic: a young zeppelin constructor and his start-up in the contemporary Polish reality. Technical details don't help the feeling the story's fictitious. Of course it is, but watching a movie you shouldn't feel it, should you. While the storyline's clear enough, the first act runs too fast, especially the crash which makes the subsequent plot superficial. While the 3 young start-up guys (acted by: Maciej Musiałowski, Eryk Kulm Jr. and Tomasz Włosok) are convincing, the lead's love interest (Pola Błasik), his mother (Izabela Kuna) and the businessman (Andrzej Konopka) are miscast which decreases the plausibility further. The majority is well shot but rain, especially the second one, looks superimposed and the guy doesn't look wet. 

Has Cessna rental got so cheap recently? They've been used in another recent Polish movie - "Tarapaty 2" "Triple Trouble"), sadly with no special purpose in either production.

IL NIDO (THE NEST)

Recommended. An unusual horror. The opening is foreboding and it's a sombre affair throughout, the grim picture never goes away, even at joyous moments something is looming above the boy. The family is weird, their customs horrifying and inexplicable. Till the finale which clarifies everything and puts everyone in a different light. The whole message is petrifying.

Reviewed from an online screener, cinematic reception might differ.

CZYSCIEC

Watchable. A chaotic documentary with a handful of acted scenes. Often philosophically abstract, at times intriguing, even spooky at some point and occasionally moving. It switches from one form and time period to another constantly, changes moods frequently and juggles Polish, Italian and French commentators ranging from a doctor, through a number of priests to the controversial (not in the film but in real life) founder of the Wojownicy Marii (Mary's Warriors) sect. The documentary makes it clear that the idea of a purgatory was accepted by the Church as late as at the 16th century Florentian synod, based on much older common people's beliefs. It also states that 25-30% of those who've been through clinical death have memories of out-of-body experiences. Cases of hearing voices in abandoned or isolated places like monasteries are presented in the context of purgatory souls. The necessity to confess your sins is emphasized several times. And you're told that a soul can't be saved if their family won't pray. Is it supposed to absolve Catholics from personal responsibility for their own actions? The whole thing sounded quite construed. 

SAINT MAUD

Watchable. Hardly a horror. Anything supernatural only starts in the 54th minute of the 83-minute long movie and one brief scene towards the end truly belongs to the genre. The rest is an engaging drama about seeking connection with God and what it takes to become a saint or about a mentally disturbed young woman - depending how you look at it. It also delves into issues of control, dying, our assumptions regarding other people's needs. If I understood correctly, the language Maud hears from God and speaks herself in the finale is Welsh - God only knows why, so to speak.

17TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FESTIVAL - THE FREE ONLINE PART

JOVANNA FOR FUTURE 

Watchable. A 15-minute film about children climate demonstrations. Giving hope and naive at the same time.

WINTER LAKE

Recommended. An inspiring 15-minute film about camping in winter. Finnish winter, with owls, seals, woodpeckers and snowshoeing, silence and occasional aurora borealis.

DEUX (TWO OF US)

Recommended. A subtle psychological drama with a number of twists of action and food for thought. How do we know what's best for our loved ones? Where's the borderline between violence and care? The movie starts ordinarily but soon becomes gripping as you never know what's going to happen next. Ah, and the lyrics of the song matter too.

PREMATURE

Recommended. Harlem, NYC. A beautiful young couple (Zora Howard played the girl and co-scripted the movie) in a love flick for teenagers which is both down to earth and engaging. First you meet a bunch of sociable and outgoing girls that are just fun to watch, especially as you begin to follow the relationships of the lead. Particularly one affair. Each line of the dialogues and each scene are thoroughly realistic. First you take to both leads or maybe even the entire bunch of friends, female and male, and then you really feel for the girl. Masterfully written. And in spite of their minor faults, they're all amiable, live decently and can be achievable role models for the young black youth.

Both movies reviewed from online screeners, cinematic reception might differ.

17TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FESTIVAL - THE FREE ONLINE PART

WHAT YOU GONNA DO WHEN THE WORLD'S ON FIRE?

Switched off. Very mundane lives of relatively poor Afro Americans. Occasionally they gather to blame whites for their own failings. At the same time, they are clearly uneducated and have no drive for it. 

Original dialogues are perfectly audible. Polish subtitles are rather small. In this case they'd be useful since the protagonists speak English with hard African accents. 

ACCOMPLICE + RETURN TO EARTH 

Recommended. What a ride! Mind-blowing mountain bike stunts, exhilarating music, awe-inspiring vistas of mountains and of nature - Ladakh (I admire the girls riding down the steep Himalayan stokes), British Columbia, Oahu etc., masterful shots, e.g. of a dog running, apart from the aerials. While both parts pump your adrenaline, the first is a series of amazing sports shows + a biopic and the second a series of amazing sports shows + musings on life. A big screen is a must.

The presence of some unmasked people in the audience gave me more adrenaline than I wished for.

17TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FESTIVAL - THE FREE ONLINE PART

ONCE THE DUST SETTLES

Watchable. Slow, could be easily cut short, depicts ruins which, after a couple of years, turn into tourist attractions. The first story - on Italian earthquakes - only briefly mentions the disaster, focusing rather on the locals retrieving their saint figures and assembling at a church, the second explores the Chernobyl life before, during and after the catastrophe and takes you on a tour of Pripyat - radiation-free for the film audience, the last part deals with Syrian Aleppo and is on the dull side again.

NOWE HORYZONTY FESTIVAL AND AMERICAN FILM FESTIVAL

Both the 20th Nowe Horyzonty and the 11th AFF will take place online. Some movies will be available at the Nowe Horyzonty cinema too. Nearly 140 movies online. "Zabij to i wyjedź z tego miasta" ("Kill It and Leave This Town") will open the festival and "Druk" ("Another Round") will close it. The AFF will offer independent, usually new directors discovered at Sundance, South by Southwest, Tribeca as well as documentaries, including one revealing still unknown facts about Bruce Lee's career. This year the NH jury will be all Polish, though one of them is the Toronto Film Festival programmer. Isamu Hirabayashi's "Shell and Joint" is to reflect human relations in the form of insects. Also some movies from recent Kino Dzieci will reappear at the upcoming festival. Films from Berlinare disappeared later because of the pandemic. So SNH don't want to repeat Berlinale's mistake. From a few hundred sold passes fewer than 20 people have returned them once the festival moved online. 90% of NH and 70% of AFF has been moved online, negotiations with sells agents and distributors are ongoing regarding the rest. No red carpets this year. Safety first. At cinemas, 25% of seats in the largest screening rooms will be available. Online, no time blocks, all movies will be available all the time, flexibly. Each movie has a limit of screenings. At Kino Dzieci 2500 thousand people watched simultaneously. Now they're prepared for bigger numbers. No festival queues. Once you press play, you have 48 hours to see it. If the online version is successful, such a hybrid option may stay for the future. If you click at 23:59 on the last day of the festival, you can still see the movie. The last purchase chance on 15th November, still 2 days to watch.

GUNS AKIMBO

Watchable. Poles have a special term for that: "patostreaming". The local, Polish-invented English-sounding word can be defined as streaming pathologic behaviours. I thought Dumb Akimbo might be a more direct title but that would be too mild. The movie's moronic, it's a visual equivalent of junk food. Why did I keep watching? It has superb music. Put your grey cells to sleep and enjoy the soundtrack accompanied by unsophisticated yet rhythmic actions.

Reviewed from an online screener, cinematic reception might differ.

BANKSTERZY

Recommended. It follows in the footsteps of "Pitbull. Ostatni pies" ("Pitbull: Last Dog") and does it fully professionally: fine performances all round, a straightforward script with aces up the sleeve, masterfully directed and shot, with superb music. This fact-inspired business-political thriller keeps you on the edge of your seat. Most importantly, it clarifies the whole situation of "frankowicze" ("franc debtors") to ignorants like me. On a serious note, it made me wonder if the scam victims would be able to afford a cinema ticket to see this production themselves.

17TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FESTIVAL - THE FREE ONLINE PART

WESTWOOD: PUNK, ICON, ACTIVIST

Recommended. Another, beside Alexander McQueen, British fashion icon who got no education but has been so spatially skilled since childhood she could design any shoes or clothes she fancied. You get to see her at work and get to know her current and past relationships. Malcolm McLaren turns out to be full-of-himself and malicious - quite a disappointment to a punk fun like me. Kate Moss says - that's rare, she doesn't speak up normally - she just wanted to get out of Croydon. And Vivienne Westwood's current partner, Andreas Kronthaler, met her as her student, twice younger than Vivienne, became totally besotted with her and has been half-designing with her ever since. A fascinating personal history and quirky, British to the core, outfits. 

THE SECRET GARDEN

Watchable. Having seen the trailer, I expected a brighter adaptation, even more magical. The movie turns out to be all gloom. Still, even within this steadily despondent atmosphere, it makes use of changing light several times, an eruption of colours when all flowers blossom or deepened darkness of the estate, all accompanied by music setting the mood. The beginning stresses the time of unrest just before the split of the colony into India and Pakistan as well as the cholera epidemic which resonates both with current civil upheavals and, even more so, with the Covid pandemic. But that, once the tone is set, gives way to the aristocratic cold upbringing where the girl's British life on the moors mixes with her memories of life with parents - most notably a depressed mother, which adds to the moroseness of the situation. The film is relatively slow-paced, at the same time skimming the literary original of its complexity. I think the duration of the movie could have been used better. On the other hand, I enjoyed the fact the film is deeply rooted in British values: not only the love of gardens but also that specific grit and resolve characterizing the English when faced with hardships. Lovely, perfectly matching music ends in the final song over the end credits, "The Secret Garden" by Aurora. Atmospheric but sombre and depressing.

17TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FESTIVAL - THE FREE ONLINE PART

CUNNINGHAM

Watchable. Impressive contemporary dance choreographies and no story to speak of. The only line distinguishing it from other dance documentaries is that when you dance "you work with material which deteriorates in time." That's not delved into. Instead it covers the inter-human relations within the dance company too much - who cares? Admirable dancing is the main attraction. Colourful tightly-fitting uniforms increase your awareness of the dancers' postures and moves and those are extraordinary at times. 

The screening had loud original dialogues and visible Polish subtitles at hand too. 

LASSEMAJAS DETEKTIVBYRA - TAGRANARENS HEMLIGHET

Watchable. Another kids' flick in the series. The plot's very naive, adults are silly and even the criminal good-natured. I've seen better even within this franchise. In Poland, it's available only dubbed in Polish.

Reviewed from an online screener, cinematic reception might differ.

RAZ, JESZCZE RAZ

Walked out. I got to the screening late and... left early. I gave it half an hour (my minimum for feature-length screenings, to give every film a fighting chance) and within that time I heard: locker room talk - only, technicalities of pissing - by pissed protagonists of course - and of entering a brothel, slurping, famous actors doing the same locker room talk with theatrical poise, I saw drunks, also pissing - a recurring motif in the picture, scruffy men, colours off, grainy texture. Virtually each line of the dialogues is filled with filth, curse words - the lowest sort of language and people and completely accidental music. Only sound was of decent quality. Target audience? Only unsophisticated, uneducated men, best drunk.

The movie makers laughed every now and then at the premiere. I'm glad at least they enjoyed the film.

 PRZEMIANY FESTIVAL 2020 - YEAR ZERO (ONLINE)

THE WOLFPACK (2015)

Recommended. People complain of brief lockdowns imposed because of the pandemic. Imagine living like that for 15 years! Well, the brothers bear a grudge against their father who home-jailed them. But they had decent living conditions, a loving family and plenty of movies to watch - not too bad. Unfortunately they have a controlling, far over-protective and overbearing father who exhibits signs of a mental illness. Still, the boys, even though very young, are insightful, self-aware - their camera experience shows how they know they're being filmed, have top-notch social skills - unbeknown to themselves - and a flair for movie-making. They script, act, create their own costumes - some are pretty amazing and set design. One has ventured into the field already, becoming a PA to a production team. I hope others will follow. One thing years of film-watching did to them is empowering them to rebel. Quiet wolf howling can be heard at the very end of final end credits.

PRZEMIANY FESTIVAL 2020 - YEAR ZERO (ONLINE)

UNTITLED

Watchable. A skillfully shot travelogue which is pleasant at the time of the pandemic: wrestlers in sand - probably in Senegal, post-war empty brick houses in former Yugoslavia, people and goats co-existing happily round a landfill. I don't think I'd see any of these otherwise. But at some point the pictures feel drowsy. 1.5 hours is a bit too long. It also doesn't inform me of anything I didn't know before but it shows things I have mostly only read about. Pleasant.

DER SIEBENTE KONTINENT (THE SEVENTH KONTINENT) (1989)

Switched off. Tedious. Very ordinary lives. My own life is more interesting.

Both films were perfectly audible, with big, thick Polish subtitles."Untitled" had Polish voice over for some reason.

ZABIJ TO I WYJEDZ Z TEGO MIASTA (KILL IT AND LEAVE THIS TOWN)

Watchable. Phenomenal animation, star voicing cast but no plot. The animation is superb: changing grey hues convey the image of communist Poland, spots of bright light or blood red stand out, at certain point rain behind train windows looks quite real. It also depicts the grim reality of those years perfectly: harsh child upbringing, elderly people's behaviour, attitude to customers in general, the look of train carriages, towns and hospitals - disturbing at times. At the same time it manages to capture the callousness we lived in which transports us to modern animal liberation movements, especially when little human figures are beheaded and gutted the way carps used to be. But it's all fragmented, there's no storyline, just impressions - to the point but pointless.

 HALVDAN VIKING (THE ADVENTURES OF HALVDAN VIKING)

Switched off. You just watch children playing outdoors in the summer. And they don't do anything special. The fact they live in a Viking village doesn't change that. 

Reviewed from an online screener, cinematic reception might differ.

PINOCCHIO

Watchable. I barely remember the story from childhood and what I recall the most is that I didn't like it and didn't want to watch it any more. The new version, however, is so skillfully enacted that my main objection is that the tale is so dark I doubt it's appropriate for children. But as dark tales go, Matteo Garrone is a specialist and the new adaptation resembles his earlier "Il racconto dei racconti" ("Tale of Tales") at times. Star cast and the use of traditional Italian architecture make the film compelling from scene one till the very end. And that's in spite of its theatrical style, e.g. Cat and Fox are people, other characters take hybrid forms, e.g. a cricket, a snail or a fish have human faces. And parts of the movie tell of a puppet theatre or a circus. Having said that, those venues, derived from the original book, together with other literary tropes, mean the movie is quite true to the book, even the hanging is shown, though he gets rescued in the film. His nose growing when he tells lies appears in one scene only. This interpretation is sympathetic to the wooden boy. He's naughty but that's because he's so gullible, silly, inexperienced in life. It's dubbed in Polish, meant for child audience from the age of 8. Are they sure? Well, it has some educational value since it persuades children they should obey their parents, study diligently and tell the truth. I don't know why it seems to teach them to kiss people around them too - that was weird. But the storyline is morally consistent and totally engaging. Visually, golden-dark. Taken the number of fantasy characters, they could have made it more colourful. 

Reviewed from an online screener, cinematic reception might differ.

PRZEMIANY FESTIVAL 2020 - YEAR ZERO (ONLINE)

ROBOLOVE

Watchable. A widespread presentation of current developments in android-building - from their 'bodies' to A.I - and some reflections on the human need for others: human, animal, doll or android. While the android builders try to persuade us that we're driven by programmed and programmable emotions which act like instincts rather and that the physical and verbal representation of feelings can be and is often faked, it sounded quite cynical to me. And although they claim such androids will be of help to the elderly, the only interest actual customers, aged or not, have in them appears sexual. Are we so shallow? Or as vain as to transport our minds into android 'bodies' to immortalize ourselves? The inventors certainly are.

The documentary had white subtitles on often whitish pictures. It was also quite audible in the original languages (mostly Japanese, Korean, Chinese, English and Spanish).

PRZEMIANY FESTIVAL 2020 - YEAR ZERO (ONLINE)

DAS FORUM (THE FORUM)

Watchable. Following the official meetings of two years feels a bit as if you had to wear a suit and sit with a stiff upper lip yourself. But you do learn why, how and whether it works. I was relieved that most participants - the world's richest and most powerful - did consider the consequences of their actions for the deprived ones and for the climate. So why does it not work? It also lets you look at controversial companies like Monsanto or politicians like Bolsonaro from a different angle - not justifying them but highlighting the issues aren't black and white.

The documentary had big subtitles on black background under the picture and was even quite audible in the original languages (mostly English and German).

KINO DZIECI FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE

CHIEN POURRI (STINKY DOG)

Recommended. The animation is based on the original book illustrations by Marc Boutavant. The set of 4 short films depicts 4 quirky stories: the dog takes his love interest to dine in a dumpster, thinks he's flown to the Moon, wants to rent a holiday carton from a rat, fleas on his beret are looking for a lost family member and the dog is so dumb he can't recognize his best friend Flatty Cat when he's covered in paint. I was just dying to know what was going to happen next. Admirable attention to detail in the scripts.

The film set is shown in English version which is brilliant language-wise, e.g. "I told the fleas to flee" but appears off taken the pictures show Paris.

PELLE SVANSLOS (PETER NO-TAIL)

Watchable. Why do people write scripts when they don't have truly original ideas? Being forced to participate in circus-like performances, bullying, forgettable songs - why any at all? These tropes are neither pleasant nor original. The love subplot doesn't make much sense either. I seriously considered switching it off. But the main cat protagonist was cute and the second half of the film less predictable and less frustrating. Dark tale.

MADISON (MADISON - A FAST FRIENDSHIP)

Watchable. About teenage mountain biking enthusiasts but engaging not only for them. I was curious both whether Madison would succeed in the race and how her friendships and her and her friends' puppy loves would develop. Views of Tirol throughout and great music over end credits.

CITY PLAZA HOTEL

Watchable. An important short film about memories of life in a war zone. Vivid images. But no new news.

LEARNING TO SKATEBOARD IN A WARZONE (IF YOU'RE A GIRL)

Recommended. The title didn't convince me for a long time. But this short film deserves its last year's Oscar win. Within 39 minutes it manages to present comprehensively women's and girls' position in Afghanistan now and until 17 years earlier when the country was under the Taliban rule. The eponymous skating is in fact a lesson in courage. So are several other tasks in class. That's the only way for a societal change. Also, it appears to be an oasis of freedom where the girls genuinely laugh and enjoy themselves outside the constraints of their strict families. Enlightening.

I loved this year's festival. While the festival period was busy for me so I saw a limited number of movies, the online formula allowed me to: watch everything from the safety of my place, write reviews in between the films or even stop them to cook dinner and continue later. Quality recordings with truly audible sound meant I didn't feel missing out on anything. And mind it, at the platform trial a few weeks ago I couldn't even start a movie.

KINO DZIECI FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE

COEUR FONDANT (MELTING HEART CAKE)

Watchable. I spent the 10 minutes of this short film looking for the signs of friendship the title promises. The post-credit of the fly tossing a pancake sums up the production well: most of the dolls resemble small or gigantic hairy flies or moths which is kind of scary. But the creatures are nice to each other. The background looks like rubbish - literally. Weird stuff.

UN LYNX DANS LA VILLE (A LYNX IN THE TOWN)

Watchable. Another short film. Rudimentary pictures, black-grey-white with a splash of orange for the over-sized lynx only, a simplistic story. No words are spoken but it's all clear.

LISTEK (LEAF)

Watchable. More of a brief impression than an even short film. Very basic drawings, mostly autumn colours - exudes nostalgia after the season.

보리야 (BORIYA)

Watchable. Korean-created French-produced. The animation is wonderful: the landscapes and plants are detailed and delicate, they look like in traditional Asian paintings. Human characters in turn, are almost Disneyesque. Translucent water is bewitching. Together, the mixture gives a beautiful effect. Next to none plot however, means even the 13 minutes of the film make you drift away.

JUNU KO JUTTA (THE SHOES OF A LITTLE GIRL)

Watchable. A simple short film about a girl learning how to wear shoes. An exotic Nepalese view on her way to school. That's it.

BENIM KUCUK SOZLERIM (MY SHORT WORDS)

Switched off. Nothing much happens. You just follow a group of boys who don't do anything of interest and don't talk about anything important.

나는 보리 (BORI)

Watchable. It's very good: the plot's original, characters likeable, showing subtly but in-depth what it's like to be deaf in the society. The movie's masterfully shot, the seaside town pleasant, the film's plausibly acted and totally involving in spite of a niche topic. What's missing is the parents' professional life. They seem reasonably well-off but, taken how they are either involuntarily or deliberately but surreptitiously discriminated against, it needs further explanation how they make a living. From working on a ship at nights by the father alone? He's poor at fishing. So that context is missing. Also, the shop situation lacks a satisfactory closure which left me vexed.

Sadly, in Poland, it's translated via English instead of directly from Korean.

KINO DZIECI FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE

KARSTEN OF PETRA BLIR BESTEVENNER (CASPER AND EMMA - BEST FRIENDS)

Watchable. Cute, with lovely animations flying in the air, a touching moment when the girl talks to her mum after her grandpa's visit but silly at times too. I also didn't like the songs - at least their Polish versions. The whole thing is perfectly suitable for nursery-age children though.

The system cut me off 15 minutes before the end due to the reservation expiry. Luckily there was technical support at hand and I got help immediately.

KUTOPPEN (CATTLE HILL)

Watchable. Pleasant animation style, an engaging story, though Klara's dream is derived from teenage cinema and her father's problem from several other movies for all age groups. Still, the worst downside are Polish versions of songs. Only the original one over the end credits was quite pleasant.

OPERASJON MUMIE (OPERATION MUMMY)

Watchable. Superb cartoon opening credits. What follows is a run-of-the-mill story of underage detectives and a robbery in a museum. Fun to watch but nothing new.

KINO DZIECI FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE

BINTI

Switched off. Crazy, unnatural acting, no plot.

KARSTEN OG PETRA PA SAFARI (CASPER AND EMMA ON SAFARI)

Watchable. The little children with their talking mascots are as silly as ever but in this movie you can admire beautifully shot African animals. I also liked it when their grandpa (wonderfully acted) got caught in a trap and I enjoyed the African song over the end credits.

GREENLAND

Watchable. This typical Hollywood blockbuster swings from a psychologic drama to "an extinction level event" and back a few times. It tugs on your heartstrings and pumps your adrenaline where and when needed. Facts are revealed gradually, together with the protagonists' gaining knowledge of the catastrophe. The situation changes constantly so there's no minute of boredom. But it's decently executed rubbish. The whole family is phoney. The guy has a much younger wife and it was he who cheated on her.The kid is obligatorily chronically ill - at least it's diabetes, not cancer ruling most tear-jerking movies. The idea of secret shelters under military air bases across the globe is far-fetched too. I wish they existed and were able to house ordinary people in case of a comet hitting Earth but people in general are poor at predicting disasters and even worse at preparing for them. All drivers easily finding airports of unspecific location without car navigation - most likely not working under the circumstances - don't appear plausible either. Somehow no one gets lost, even if they take - and find - a less travelled route. CGI-wise, the sky looks flat. The best bits are the ruins of world-famous cities like Sydney or Paris. But birds in Greenland where you can't spot any even without a disaster, let alone after 9 months of ashes in the air, detract from the experience.

KINO DZIECI FILM FESTIVAL ONLINE

WIKING TAPPI: MAGICZNA KOLYSKA, AWANTURA Z WODNIKAMI,, CZARY WIEDZMY SKRZYPICHY, PODSTEP JARLA SURKOLA

Watchable. Perfectly appropriate for the 4+ age group. Pleasant and warm. But both the stories and the drawings seem oversimplified.

ELLEVILLE ELFRID (ELLA BELLA BINGO)

Watchable. A delightful, full-bodied animation, with a rich, eventful, detailed plot. The core story's about falling out with a best friend and learning that people mean more than objects. But you also find a rabbit putting a poster in search of a missing carrot and plenty of attractions in an amusement park. You immediately warm to all characters: animals, adults, children. A number of cheerful American pop hits mostly from the 80s.The only element that detracts from this lovely tale is the idea of a circus - much outdated. The bike in the air crossing the face of a moon E.T.-style is also terribly 80s and put together with the circus feels old-fashioned.

TONY HALIK (TONY HALIK. BORN FOR ADVENTURE)

Recommended. Watched on Polish Television for 20 years by 18 million people and unknown numbers on NBC before that he inspired generations of travellers. It's a comprehensive multilingual documentary biography of an unusual man and of the times before mass tourism. A big part of the film is narrated by his son, Ozana Halik, who's childhood resembled "Captain Fantastic". While his approach is on the bitter side, it's the core of what Tony Halik was - a free spirit, both in terms of his 180 000 km journey through the world and his outlook. His yarns mixed truth with fantasy, he was emotionless and fearless, able to manoeuvre all authorities which practically makes him a benevolent psychopath. His carnivorous diet led to a heart failure and his death at 75. He wanted to die travelling but his wife couldn't face it and brought him home. But he lived the way he always wanted to. His incessant love of travel feels infectious even now in the pandemic times. Apart from his life, the documentary depicts historic developments across the world over his lifetime. One in particular shook me up: Solidarity movement times, the fall of communism in Poland and an archbishop says, repeatedly: "now feed off us, we will bill you later". Is this why Polish authorities are still flooding the Church with enormous donations nowadays? On the funny note, Tony tells a hilarious story when the trousers of his borrowed suit ripped with a sound when he was bowing to greet the British Queen - one of a long list of the greats of his time.

Watched from an online screener, cinematic reception might differ.

THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7

Recommended. Right in the wake of civilian protests in the US, Belarus, Poland, name it, comes this brilliant courtroom drama about real life activists put on trial in 1969. With a star-studded cast. Not only is it thoroughly engaging which is typical for the genre, it contains also lots of humour, e.g. defendants taking the mickey out of the judge and saying "Overruled" in unison with him. It's fast-paced, forcing you to stay alert all the time not to miss any gem as it sparkles with sharp responses. Perfectly matching music. Pictures from the riots contain inserted black and white footage which is even more brutal than the staged part. It tugs on your heartstrings at particularly one morally frightening point. But most of all it's a brainy puzzle of how to win a set-up case. Based on facts which pretty much says how it ends but even if you're familiar with the case, the movie consists of top-notch performances based on an awesome script.

JAK ZOSTAC GWIAZDA

Recommended. It's all professionally, world-standard shot and recorded, all things technical are excellent here. The film may be tacky, especially music, but, as it's put in the picture, TV is all about tacky. What's more, I couldn't resist enjoying it. It's truly light entertainment, ridiculing the celebrity world. It's constantly tongue-in-cheek. Every line is to the point. It has little undertones of how the show business rollercoaster elevates people and then drops from heights. Fine performances all around, both from comedy veterans and from newbies. Wojciech Solarz, virtually unknown but extremely talented, plays a hapless PE teacher.
The costume designer has also demonstrated a great eye for detail: first the girl wears a check shirt, then her father is seen wearing check trousers, finally the producer appears in a check suit. Lots of amusing scenes along the end credits and one post-credit.

The actors present at the screening were as full of themselves as in the film. They didn't want to cover their wannabe faces behind masks so I stayed away from them.
Tomasz Karolak, who's slimmer in this film that in his previous one, has further lost weight since the shooting and is surprisingly even handsome in real life nowadays.

GO FISH

Watchable. My first impression was enticing - the coral reef with colourful fish looked just lovely. But the impression quickly waned and gave way to annoyance. The film is dedicated to little children. But do the fish have to resemble fat human babies? That's vexingly unnatural and detracts from their initial charm. Silly conversations will be boring for adults. But parents may like the educational value of the film. Children learn a lot about marine life, e.g. a sea cucumber or how sea creatures have their teeth cleaned - all in a way perfectly age-appropriate. Although most fish protagonists have distorted shapes, the shark stood out. She looked perfect and even sent chills down my spine. She also swam away moving her tail the way real sharks do. The Polish version is dubbed which, apart from excluding foreign kids, means you won't be able to hear Mark Hamill voicing Dennis.

Reviewed from an online screener of top quality, however a cinematic reception might differ.

HAP (HOPE)

Watchable. I'm impressed with Norwegian health service - patient and dedicated doctors available 24/7, procedures on the same day. To Polish people it looks like a fable even when you're dying. Having said that, I detest movies about cancer - it's such an exploited topic. This movie luckily is set up in a big, loving family, mostly over a festive period. The family atmosphere and their Christmas spent together were so suggestive, I expected to see snow outside my windows afterwards - silly, it's September and 20 degrees Celsius. The actors cast in the leading roles, as passionate lovers among others, aren't convincing, mostly due to the visibly huge age difference: Andrea Bræin Hovig is 47 and Stellan Skarsgård is 69. And the movie, however warm, is annoyingly slow.

Watched online so cinematic reception might differ.

MULAN 3D

Recommended in this format too. In 3D it's even better. You can marvel at the meticulously created set, including Mulan's home village, now perfectly round, or be amazed by a spider dangling in front of you. Set pieces are shot from a few angles, where especially wall-walking sequences are impressive. But so is the cinematography as such, e.g. dimmed light or snowy mist add to the combination of varying emotions during watching.

SWALLOW

Recommended. Mesmerising from scene one, mostly due to the glossy cinematography showcasing the riches the young woman has married into. Haley Bennett is superb as the "doll" located in the isolated, posh, lavish but emptish house and kept there like decoration. The title is loaded with meanings: from physical ones - and does Hunter swallow stuff and metaphoric. The callousness of the emotionally frigid wealthy for who everything and everyone has to be just right constitutes economic violence. Later an issue from the woman's past overlaps her picture-perfect cold marriage and she swallows all the insults new and old. The story's fictitious but based around a little known disorder, existing in reality. It's solidly rooted in scientific facts behind such cases. And it serves the film well, since the story's so extraordinary, physically and mentally, from the beginning till the end. I had never seen anything like it before. And I watch a few hundred movies per year, mind it. And Haley Bennett deserves an Oscar.

Watched online so cinematic reception might differ.

WARSAW FILM FESTIVAL

Half the usual audience will be able to attend due to the Covid-regime. At the same time there's a long list of very promising movies. "Big Boys Don't Cry", "Unidentified" and "Droneman" seem particularly intriguing - after narrowing down the top-notch cinema options. For technical reasons though, movies won't be shown online (they lack stereo mixing), only at the cinema. I'm not planning on going but I bet that if I did I would find lots of fascinating productions.

THE NEST

Watchable. Well executed in spite of predictability. Clear shots, an even pace, a simple story, Jude Law suitably cast in the successful business operator wannabe role. But you feel from the early minutes all this wealthy lifestyle is phoney and the family unit is going to collapse under the weight of aspirations and the pressure to be always "ravishing". All songs, e.g. "Hold Me Now", "Runaway", "Don't Leave Me This Way", "Smalltown Boy" have been handpicked as commentaries on the story developments. Also, London City looks like a ghost town when the man goes to work at weekends and the area around signifying Bank station is shown every time - both symbolic. So is the horse case when it comes to his wife. It's all exceedingly in your face. Children obviously have or cause their own problems as well. Not a bad psychological drama but the story's nothing new.

25 LAT NIEWINNOSCI. SPRAWA TOMKA KOMENDY (25 YEARS OF INNOCENCE. THE CASE OF TOMEK KOMENDA)

Recommended. Based on a loud case of a wrongfully convicted man exonerated after 18 years in prison. The original story is as shocking as the film depicts. The movie is skillfully cut - it takes you back and forth in time, presenting the case from a few angles, once focusing on the brutally raped girl, once on Tomek, once on the investigator, but maintains clarity all the time. Also, the waking up scene early on is masterfully cut from one time to another. The story's gripping, moving at times, often scary when you realize Tomek's entrapment and hopelessness. Long-time expert Jacek Moczulski consulted on the prison system. And it's harrowing knowing how it works - it's an accumulation of all imaginable pathologies and some I wouldn't have even imagined. Piotr Trojan is utterly convincing as Tomek. Well-known actors, like Bartosz Opania, Zofia Stafiej, Jan Frycz, Magdalena Różczka appear in episodes or cameos. But the most delightful is the cameo of titular Tomasz Komenda in the last scene when Piotr Trojan's Tomek comes up to the real life Tomek to ask for a cigarette. As in any decent biopic, actual Tomek as well as the investigator and the prosecutors who got him freed, stride together in a soothing finale.

다만 악에서 구하소서 (DELIVER US FROM EVIL)

Watchable. Exciting but flawed. The opening is terribly chaotic - like the evil guy admits later on, he doesn't even remember why he's after the good guy. I don't remember either. This thriller is packed with action keeping you on the edge of your seat. Unfortunately, it's also packed with visibly fake CGIs and medical nonsense. At least music is decent. And some initial shots, with night in different colours, once purple, another time blue, hint at an artistic eye of the cinematographer. This brutal film occasionally displays subtle shades, e.g. the evil guy would slaughter dogs in the past while a knight in a shiny armour can be recognized in the one who slows down his car to let two stray dogs cross the road. The movie has a handful of well-written characters, especially both local helpers. The finale took me by surprise. 

Reviewed from a screener, cinematic reception might differ.

INTERIOR

Walked out. A typical Polish budget movie which must have got funding just because it's so cheaply made. No plot, just mentions of problems so mundane that my own are more interesting. Nothing else to attract a viewer: poor cinematography, cut and sound engineering. A problem is presented, than the protagonist is driving, next another issue, then he's in the car again. Frequent machine noise comes from the background. No acting - just accidental people appear on the screen.

SKANDAL. EWENEMENT MOLESTY (SCANDAL)

Watchable. A documentary about an obscure Polish hip-hop band from a Warsaw suburb but directed so professionally, world-standard I watched it with full attention. I'm not a fan of gangsta rap and the streetwise guys who formed the band had little musical prowess, especially in comparison to some of American hip-hop performers they imitated, otherwise I'd enjoy it more. But the film explains their background e.g. a low level of education, smoking joints, skiving responsibilities, avoiding commitments and the social and economic changes of the 1990s in the country. I dreaded the period. They enjoyed it. Lots of material from those years as well as current commentary. Contains some references to Proceder - a band depicted in actors' movie "Proceder" (reviewed here in December 2019). Excellent cutting makes for an engaging watching in spite of the poor music of the protagonists.

Reviewed from an online screener with perfect sound but, as always, cinematic reception might differ.

LES BONHEURS DES UNS (A FRIENDLY TALE)

Watchable. An insightful satire on envy. It dissects both people's personalities and the mechanisms of their behaviour in the face of a friend's sudden success. Vincent Cassel in a supporting role excels as a smooth businessman and this part is a nice change after his playing a serious of rougher characters. Still, I didn't laugh out loud even once and the first half of the movie was tedious. Set in the literary world which appears to be successful in France, unlike in Poland - heart-warming.

Reviewed from an online screener, cinematic reception might differ. I hope the light white subtitles will be either more visible on a big screen or of a different type for cinemas.

DA CVEN VICEKVET (AND THEN WE DANCED)

Watchable. Largely predictable both as a dance picture and as a gay movie. With the difference it lacks a happy ending in either layer. I have a soft spot for dancing but these dances - traditional Georgian styles, even if technically nearly impossible, lacked cinema-oriented choreographies and filming mode. Only the finale was both emotive and technically superb - even if the moves didn't constitute a Georgian dance. Made me try the moves myself though.

Reviewed from an online screener, cinematic reception might differ.

ADWOKAT (THE ADVOCATE)

Walked out. It's so amateurish everything in this movie fails. Starts with a several-minute long philosophical speech so monotonous it can lull you to sleep before the action even begins. Hang on, action? What action? You get a terminally ill - with obligatory cancer - lecturer and his young, depressed son who happens to be a lawyer. His job is boring. So are his conversations with others: dull and superficial, with even the head of the legal firm sounding downright unprofessional. But it's not the protagonist who's a failure. The whole film is. It's poorly shot and lit, miserably acted and is it directed and cut at all? It drags unbearably and morose music doesn't ramp up the pace. I feel sorry for those who are still sitting at the cinema and watching.

The film crew at the premiere flouted the pandemic safety rules. Just like they had ignored movie-making principles before.

AFTER WE COLLIDED

Watchable. This sequel, by Roger Kumble, who took over the directing from more subtle Jenny Gage and made me miss her immediately, is so steamy at times you can almost smell cum. No nudity though, it's still aimed at teenagers. It's a peculiar mixture of genuine bits and far-fetched developments. Beautiful, sleek people, all working or having worked for top companies throw tantrums at the tiniest problems encountered in their relationships. Many behaviours and dialogues sound natural for young people, especially Harbin's responses. But the picture-perfect parents who turn out to be deeply troubled at the same time, don't convince. The mid-credit with Tessa's blonde colleague implies a sequel.

TARAPATY 2 (TRIPLE TROUBLE)

Watchable. Julka is played by another girl than in part one. But it's Mia Goti as Felka and Marta Malikowska as her mother who are annoying more than the script requires - they don't suit the comedy genre. It's fantastically directed, by Marta Karwowska again - she clearly feels children's cinema and action as well, the heist is superb. And while the script, with red herrings and an unpredictable ending, is engaging and naturally develops the story from "Tarapaty" ("Double Trouble"), my favourite gang is missing and the storyline lacks originality. There's less humour too, though I loved the policemen chasing the dog: "Stój, policja!" ("Police, stop!"). The best layer of this sequel is music - with songs in Polish and English and outstanding instrumental pieces.

SARLATAN (CHARLATAN)

Watchable. Agnieszka Holland dwells on the past and persecution over and over again. Presents it realistically down to each prop. The film's set in darkness most of the time which makes watching a bit on the difficult side. The eponymous charlatan heals people but cheats on nature doing so as well as deceives others hiding his sexual orientation. Like in Holland's earlier "Pokot" ("Spoor"), the protagonist is ambiguous - he saves and he kills. The director, again, fails to explain why he is the way he is. And why did the assistant sacrifice himself? And did he in fact and did it work? These and other vital questions remain unanswered. The story's based on facts, made into a biopic, but with no poetic licence, not even to provide a backdrop version of their motivations. She just assembled facts and made it into an actors' film instead of a documentary where such information gaps would be justifiable.

LA FAMEUSE INVASION DES OURS EN SICILE (THE BEARS' FAMOUS INVASION OF SICILY)

Watchable. The animation has a warm palette of distinct colours and plays heavily with light and shadow and with perspective. Story-wise, it consists of two equal parts and the second half is less ordinary than the first. Unfortunately the movie lacks lightness in visuals and in the plot or dialogues. It just feels heavy all the time.

Watched online. Cinematic reception might differ.

MULAN

Recommended. A beautifully enacted legend set in exotic China of the Tang dynasty and imbued with Confucian values. Lavish decor, costumes and make-up rich in saturated colours, breath-taking landscapes, natural-looking mythical birds, top-notch martial art choreographies - a visual delight. Add humour, suspense, emotions and it's easy to immerse yourself in Niki Caro's splendid vision. Jet Li is cast as the Emperor and new Zealandese heartthrob Yoson An as Honghui. Hua Mulan and Honghui have a crush on each other so I'm looking forward to a sequel. The end credits are accompanied by probably the same song in 3 languages: first local (Polish here), then English and finally Chinese.

PETLA 

Recommended. Patryk Vega's back on top form so expect sex and violence but also well-paced, involving action and distinct characters. The opening is weird for Patryk Vega's movies. It astonished me with its semblance to the opening of utterly religious biopic "Miłość i miłosierdzie" ("Love and Mercy"). At first you see the titular loop but rather on a cosmic scale, then you hear voices and can't see anything, and then comes a naturalistic picture of birth. Next, you fast forward through the protagonist's life till he reaches adulthood. The difference between "Miłość i miłosierdzie" ("Love and Mercy") and "Pętla" is he's no saint. He's a gangster. Or... police officer. Whatever. Well, his prenatal journey through life seems to serve a double purpose. Firstly, it shows an innocent at first baby can become anyone. Secondly, towards the end, you understand the religious tone of the opening since the story's one of a prodigal son. Yes, a religious story in a gangster form. This time Vega presents his version of the Podkarpacie sex exploits story persuading us Russian intelligence is behind the whole thing. He does it compellingly and I've taken his point. The club in the movie is called Imperium (meaning: empire) which mocks the grandiose names of the original clubs e.g. Olimp (meaning: Olympus) or Prince. The dumb policeman is a recurring character-type in Vega's productions. This time you also get a mockery of "The Ring" and "Grudge" - both in one scene. Parallel to the end credits Patryk Vega poses with the original twin brothers and other photos of the people involved in the scandal are screened - as usual, Mr. Vega is bragging of his successful research. 

JAK NAJDALEJ STAD (I NEVER CRY)

Watchable. A drama about a rough teenager bereaved of her estranged father. Well-paced and clear-cut. With an interesting music piece when the girl gets drunk in Dublin - the song doesn't sound European so no direct relevance to the plot but I loved the sounds. But the core story, however engaging, is bereft of emotions. Typical for Piotr Domalewski's movies. He's finally got the grip of the movie pace and organization but the film feels as empty as his earlier ones, e.g.: "Cicha noc" ("Silent Night"), "Historia Roja" ("The Story of Swarm (roj) Or You Hear Better Underground"), "Demon".

GULLREGN (THE GARDEN)

Recommended. That's one smart movie. Icelandic scriptwriter and director Ragnar Bragason, who had made a movie about children and also one about parents, this time created a feature about child-mother relationships. And sprinkled it with a dash of racism. It's hilarious at times, e.g. when the mother's best friend trips over, usually ironic, at times sad or hard-hitting. Most of all, it's a sharp satire about an overbearing mother who manipulates everyone around her but turning into a profound psychological drama when more family secrets are revealed and you see the light why she is this way. Her shrewd neighbour-friend is another brilliantly written character. A masterpiece of scriptwriting and acting.

Reviewed from a screener. Cinematic reception might differ.


17TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FESTIVAL

This time a real life, held in-cinema, conference on the documentary film festival at which the organizers all the movie makers and most of the media acted as if Covid-19 was fiction. I'm not planning on attending it this year. With so many individuals ignoring the distance and or not wearing masks it's going to be a horror-like experience. Maybe the later online version will be better but... I have no clue if the platform is going to screen the movies with a better quality than they did in the spring when the pictures stuttered and the sound was barely audible. Plenty of new Polish documentaries will be shown this year, hardly any enticing though. "Z wnetrza" ("From Within"), about painter Beksiński, perpetuates his cult in Poland. I've been looking forward to seeing "Blizny" ("Scars") but the cameraman referred to the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist group which mimics the Sri Lankan ruling regime's narration so now I'm apprehensive about the portrayal of the rebels. Dorota Proba, who's been creating the festival trailers for years, now has shot a documentary: "Między nami" ("Between Us") - this trailer hasn't encouraged me though. On the brighter side, TVP Kultura in Poland is going to show earlier festival editions highlights. A film on Tony Halik, famous in communist times traveller who respected all authorities, might be a gem due to the protagonist. Apart from screenings, in-cinema and online Q&As will take place after some films. A foreign documentary worth seeing is:

THE CAPOTE TAPES

Recommended. I've never read any of his books, I don't think I have ever watched "Breakfast at Tiffany's" till the end but loved this biopic. And it's not about his grandiose style either. The documentary is a comprehensive study both of the writer's personality and of "the beautiful people" as the New York elites are called. Turns out the rich are bored silly hence their penchant for extravagant guests. He received la dolce vita and a million-dollar advance on a book, they were entertained. While his veracity has often been contested, the shock at his revealing the jet set party's exploits hints at their truth. The film covers the length of his life and is both inquisitive and enjoyable. 

KINO W TRAMPKACH FILM FESTIVAL - ONLINE

I AM ELEVEN

From what I managed to see it was mediocre: the beginning didn't make sense and I still don't get why the 23-year-old decided to focus on this age. Later the 11-year-olds sounded the way they're bound to be when adult. You could tell their world view was fully formed and could easily picture them the same way as adults. That's profound but I'm not sure the director meant to convey this message since at face value the documentary is quite chaotic.

The streaming on mojeekino.pl, which showed it was going to be available for 48 hours, stuttered so badly the first 50 minutes of the film took nearly 2 hours and then it froze so I had to resign yesterday but thought I'd continue next day. Today I discovered the movie had disappeared from the platform. 

KINO W TRAMPKACH FILM FESTIVAL - ONLINE

DHANAK (RAINBOW)

Recommended. Too good to waste on the wee ones. Bollywood at its best: the story's clear-cut and complex at the same time, the pictures colourful with a mesmerising night scene in a village and, last but not least, lots of great music. Pure enjoyment.

NOWE HORYZONTY FILM FESTIVAL - ONLINE

The festival has tested its online platform and it barely worked. I, for one, wasn't even able to start the test movie. 

BREAKING SURFACE

Watchable. Relatively short. Filled with action and technical details, showcases snowy Norwegian landscapes as well. Succinct character background. The movie quickly gets straight to the point which is a diving accident and rescue attempts. It's a bit over the top, especially killing someone's dog, as difficulties pile up badly, literally nothing goes as it should. Of course the film's thoroughly engaging. But emptish. 

Reviewed from a screener. Cinematic reception might differ.

THE NEW MUTANTS

Watchable. Poor CGIs but plenty of mystery revealed gradually. The plot is a copy of "Event Horizon", "Flatliners" and a few less iconic pictures. Perfectly matched footage and "The Big Fight" music theme from "Buffy, the Vampire Slayer" as well as footage from "Logan" can be spotted on TV behind the protagonists. Anya Taylor-Joy is particularly impressive as Illyana Rasputin, about the only superhero from the original comic book, others don't appear in the film. The surname, though never explained in the movie - no idea about the comic book, implies she may be a descendant of Grigori Rasputin, famous and powerful healer and mystic in tsar Russia. Marilyn Manson voiced the Smiling Man. Judging from the end credits, Stan Lee managed to become the executive producer before his untimely death. No mid- or post-credit though.

TENET

Recommended. An innovatory and riveting story with top-notch sound. The opening is clearly inspired by the seizure of Dubrovka Theatre in Moscow with the difference in the movie terrorists use a chemical agent on an audience in Ukraine. Once you're glued to the screen, the yarn of time is spun forth and back several times. The plot is so complex, I quickly gave up on following the physics too closely and just enjoyed numerous twists and turns. The time inversion dealer whose hog-like look resembles Weinstein, is an ugly abuser with immense power and wealth. Robert Pattinson, in a supporting role, proves himself a versatile actor. Thrusting music and sound effects - surrounding and extraordinary - surpass "Dunkirk". The ending suggests a sequel is likely. No mid- or post-credit.

VALLEY OF THE GODS

Recommended. What a vision! An extraordinary story with amazing visuals: Monument Valley in Utah, Fontana di Trevi in Rome - where an aria concerto takes place with the singers standing in the fountain pools, mind-blowing interiors and a garden with sculptures of the people the "richest man in the world" knew. Add incredible outfits, especially women's dresses, playing with light the way Sorrentino does and you've got a masterpiece. The bottom is corporate greed, resource exploitation and the sense of life for those in power and those less capable. 

бАШТАТА (THE FATHER)

Watchable. What's it supposed to be about? Because the fact the titular father loses it after his wife's demise doesn't lead to any catharsis, regardless of what the film implies. When the elderly man goes missing, you want to know what happened and afterwards uncertainty rules. The loving son is convincing. But there's nothing more to maintain your interest. Most notably, the film's got no point. And yes, I did notice the satire on Bulgarian health service, police, traditional beliefs. But that ironic illustration of life is just a series of events on the way.

THE WISHMAS TREE

Recommended. A delightful cartoon with cute animals, where the main protagonist, Kerry, is a young possum discovering the world, crossing the safety zone, bearing the consequences of breaking rules imposed by adults and, in the process, learning to love strangers, be cautious with them at the same time, experiencing an evil influence on a friend - all in a child-level form. And it looks lovely, you'd just love to cuddle the possums, the turtle, not sure of the vampire. It's Australian hence the map and the possum's dream of snow. The story's universal though.

UNDINE

Recommended. The picture's so watery the rainy night was perfect to see it. Water is in a fish tank, in a large reservoir but also the smudged landscape watched through the windows on the train appears to flow. At some point my eyes started to water as well - due to the story. Director Ferzan Özpetek returns to the enigma he's best at. Undine, as tradition says, is a mythological water nymph who becomes human when she falls in love with a man but is doomed to die if he is unfaithful to her. The tour of Berlin architecture by museum guide Undine Wibeau mentions a phantom space. Is this why she fills her phantom space left after the man who betrayed her? Or is the diver the destiny she misses? Or have both men been unfaithful? Or has she? Two statues in the fish tank replace the single figure of a diver and deepen the mystery. Paula Beer and Franz Rogowski excel as the lead actors.

HERADID (THE COUNTY)

Recommended. An austere but surprisingly emotive drama by "Rams" director Grímur Hákonarson who returns to his portrayal of Iceland off the beaten track.  A co-operative in a rural area north of Reykjavik and one woman's struggle against it. Why is it engrossing? Partly because it's so dark, realistic, with the camera trained at her most of the time. Neither she nor her job are pretty but you can't take your eyes off the screen. But also because the Icelandic microcosm stands for something bigger. The co-op tactics resemble those of multi-national banks or GMO crop selling corporations. The drama delves into the financial enslavement mechanisms as well as bullying tactics. It's feminist too since men start to encroach on her property as soon as she's widowed. To-the-point music use: a mechanic, rocking-the-boat piece in one scene or a cheerful, melodious pop song in another. Finally, the film makes use of the country's landscapes presenting sweeping views of the vast plains and patched-snow-clad black hills. Yet, it's not a postcard. Dull light creates a picture of an ugly locality and isolation. Weather conditions reflect the atmosphere in the woman's heart. There's no more snow in the final sequence. 

SWINGERSI

Watchable. The narcissistic celebrity is brilliant. The comedy is engaging, with a number of riveting songs in English. The shooting locations listed mention only two towns in Latvia, where the writers, director and the school kid extras come from, but a panorama of Warsaw and I think the exterior of my former secondary school are used too. Polish actors, clearly handpicked for comic talents. I had fun most of the time. Unfortunately, typical for Poland of late, profuse swearing makes it considerably less funny and certainly less romantic. Not many loud laughs, apart from maybe the kidnapee running, but makes for a nice night out anyway. There are scenes along with the end credits.

MILITARY WIVES

Recommended. I could listen to them time after time. A masterclass in effective and affective cinema. Humour, emotions, sorrow and lots of hit songs in angelic voices. Perfectly acted too.

Reviewed from a screener. Cinematic reception might differ.

DIVORCE CLUB

Recommended. Exuberant and frivolous fun that will make you want to divorce and/or stay single forever. Arnaud Ducret in top form as the main protagonist. The movie feels like attending a party. Lots of music, mostly by perennial Kool & The Gang. Constant joie de vivre, facilitated by life on wonderfully shot splendid estates. Light-hearted caper never crossing the line of good taste. Dragging someone on the floor - usual in horrors - here creates a comic effect. Being attacked by an animal - a lemur in this case, hiding from someone, drugs, a spoilt kid and the most amusing: Ferrari ride are all well-known comedy tropes but they don't detract from entertainment in the slightest.

Reviewed from a screener with excellent sound but cinematic reception might always differ.

MANELYST I FLAKLYPA (LOUIS & LUCA - MISSION TO THE MOON)

Watchable. Models and dolls are not my animation style. As for the plot, a little bit of astronomy drowns in the flood of far-fetched details focused around an invention and social structure alike. The characters and most of the story are meant for children but with some winks to parents, e.g. an enterprise is a failure because Greece bankrolled it. Also, one of the main protagonists has paid a lot of VAT in alcohol  - that's presented as if it was normal, I seriously doubt its pedagogic value.

Reviewed from a screener, cinematic reception might differ.

LIBERTE

Watchable. Writer and director Albert Serra goes back to his favourite pre-Revolution French aristocracy - though here mingling with German and Italian upper classes - set-up but this time to create porn. Guilty pleasure it may be but stretching it to the 'Liberté' slogan to pass the smut off as art seems over the top. Is the movie deeper than body orifices? Numerous men and two women take the liberty of engaging in activities based on permissive violence where they take turns to abuse in extreme ways, e.g. urinating on lovers, or be abused for erotic pleasure. The aristocrats' preferred pastime appears to be the experience, physical and mental, of both unlimited power and unrestrained freedom and being subjected to treatment which in other situations would be unequivocally inhumane. Here's the core: what constitutes freedom for the upper class is what their subjects would call torture and therefore seek liberté a few decades later. The form of the picture is also peculiar - its voyeurism is two-fold: the participants observe others in between their own sadomasochistic acts and the film viewers feel like hiding in the woods to watch the sex exploits themselves. So the film's a bizarre sort of porn with a second bottom.

Watched from a screener, cinematic reception might differ.

FOUR KIDS AND IT

Watchable when seen for the second time. This time was at the cinema which did make a difference: I noticed that the girl was planning out her publication thoroughly, e.g. a memo sticker shows she was thinking of her book cover. Psammead's fur looks greenish. You can clearly hear the sounds of nature at some point. I realised the movie was shot on locations in London and Ireland. I still had fun, e.g. when the creature made shark-like circles in the sand before appearing for the first time and the lines were brilliant, e.g. "That's not what friends are like. That's what a police mugshot looks like." The whole thing however, did not keep me on the edge of the seat any more. The book author Jacqueline Wilson herself approaches the young author in the early end credits scene which is such a touching detail.

SAMSAM

Watchable. A simple and cheerful tale for nursery-age children. Visibly inspired mostly by...  peas but also echoing "Batman" and "Avatar". Planets and creatures are distinguished by their own colours. Buildings, creatures and devices have toy-like shapes and people have unproportionally big heads which will make it relevant to very young kids. It wasn't much involving for me  but a girl from the audience was dancing to the music running at the end credits so it's clearly one for little ones.

In Poland, all children movies are currently screened with Polish dubbing only.

MADE IN ITALY

Walked out. Every scene looks like taken off another movie and off other few before that. And overly intellectual Liam Neeson bidding at sentimentality is an overkill.

ENDINGS, BEGINNINGS

Walked out. Awfully bland. The scriptwriter had nothing to say and the director found no way to shoot it interestingly. It's also poorly acted. She applies for jobs as if she couldn't care less if she gets them. She gets laid with a guy who appears to have nothing better to do than to drink and have sex. And the erotic scene looks plain ugly, as if she had veiny breasts, on top of being fat. Ah, and dialogues about nothing. Why do they open their mouth at all?!

CHARTER

Watchable. A peculiar film which evokes boredom - a parental topic - and suspense - will she be apprehended by the police? - at the same time, with a few touching moments and a heart-breaking car chase towards the end. By the director of "Sameblod" ("Sami Blood") but without the previous bite. The movie looks pretty realistic and very Swedish - the way it's quiet and on the slow side. Is parenthood difficult? I knew it without the picture.

Reviewed from a screener, cinematic reception might differ.

UNHINGED

Watchable. The opening scene is brutal but intriguing. Then the broadcast pieces of news create a fascinating background where you'd expect riots or even large-scale lawlessness like in "Robocop". The social set-up quickly gets dissolved when "Duel" meets "Falling Down" only to turn into road-rage fuelled class B slasher caper. It's engaging enough, decently executed, fast-paced and, luckily, only 91-minute long. By the time rubbish has piled up, it blissfully ends. Doesn't make good use of the Atmos sound it's recorded in - it's fine but with no edge, at least when in 5.1.

SCOOB!

Walked out. What a load of nonsense! Characters appear out of nowhere, robots make no sense in the plot, dialogues spread fake news, Covid-19 safety precautions are ridiculed. The movie's on the verge of being harmful. And so chaotic children don't get it either and become bored instead.

LA GALLINA TURULECA (TURU, THE WACKY HEN)

Watchable. Turu isn't wacky. She's cute. The beginning is all filled with the love of animals and kindness between people. Then, about 20 minutes in, a circus appears. Does the institution of a circus even exist any more? Why is the idea of reviving one peddled in children movies over and over again? That ruins most of the plot. What saves the picture, are songs - in 3 languages: English, Spanish and translated into Polish - all characters are dubbed in Poland. Remastered hits like "Funky Town" and "Macarena" make your feet dance. Sadly, it's recorded in 5.1 but even in this system, a knocking on the door sounded so realistic I turned back. Ah, and the hen remarks she's more than just the eggs she's expected to lay - a nice nod towards career-oriented women.

메기 (MAGGIE)

Switched off. I loved the big white Polish subtitles on dark grey background. And that's it. Because it's one weird film. I kept wondering if the scattered narrative was a reflection of someone's scattered brain. The story's built around sex in an x-ray room and told with captions and by a narrator - every bit of it was annoying. Also, the movie gave an impression of being an amateurish production.

Reviewed from a screener, cinematic reception might differ.

UN DIVAN A TUNIS (ARAB BLUES)

Watchable. I can see where they attempted comedy. 'Attempted' is the key word. I might be a biased feminist but what struck me from early minutes was sexism in the depicted Tunisian society and at some point even sorrow. Tunisia is portrayed as a country at crossroads between tradition and modernity, very much like Poland now but with the added economic and legal chaos smacking of Poland of the 1990s. Little in terms of a plot either. The whole thing is shallow and simplistic. Wasted potential.

ROSSZ VERSEK (BAD POEMS)

Watchable. Not bad. The few actual verses recited in the movie aren't inspiring. But the film's truly poetic because of its lyrics and rhythm and that's what constitutes poetry. Fascinating camerawork, zany set piecies, e.g. a chamber orchestra with passengers turning out to be musicians one by one is a delight. The lead actor tripled as additionally the scriptwriter and also the director which explains the personal feel permeating the movie. The subject of lost love is nothing new but his search for it, in younger years mistaken for sex, is compelling.

JUST MERCY

Recommended. Harrowing and shattering. I needed several hours to pull myself together after the screening. When Johnny D fells a tree in the opening scene he doesn't know yet next it will be him going to be felled. The movie's released hard on the heels of African Americans' riots which spread across the US like wildfire. It may seem swift marketing but the importance of such a project made while so many white people don't get how inherently racist they are cannot be underestimated. What real life hasn't changed, such blockbusters can. Especially the US deep-fried South gets to see itself in a black mirror. The movie's set in Alabama, "the home of "To Kill a Mockingbird"" as the welcome road sign boasts and which is sarcastically used in the picture. But it's only the more chilling since the portrayed white locals find pride in a work of fiction blind to the horrors of reality. Plot-wise, it's a character-driven story from the director of Christian movie "Shack". No wonder the title carries religious connotations. But the topic's versatile and a church is only mentioned a couple of times as a social activity of the part of population which is offered help only in their final hours on the death row. Unlike "Shack", "Just Mercy" is heavy and loaded. "The opposite of poverty is justice."

THE HUNT

Watchable. Engaging action, with decoys and twists but the back story based on a ludicrous idea that "the liberal elites" "murder people for fun". Action? A mixture of: "The Purge", "Hostel" and "The Hunger Games". I loved the opening where a text message is zoomed till the title appears. The first murder comes way too early - the protagonists agree. Fortunately, the rest rewards you with new revelations at each stage of the action. The very last scene is a delight. I loved the music over the end credits too. But the rightist agenda portraying the left as bloodthirsty psychopaths screeches in the game mechanism. Some ordinary rich hunting poor "deplorables" would have been more convincing.

LA BONNE EPOUSE (HOW TO BE A GOOD WIFE)

Watchable. Is Juliet Binoche in every French movie? OK, she's great in this one but I had seen too much of her elsewhere. The nun is fun - the best character and the picture's saving grace. One of 600 housewife schools existent in the early 1960s in France and the schooling depicted is fine. But the second half of the film is a far-fetched fable with Prince Charming turning up out of the blue and Princess Charming discovering her homosexuality all of a sudden as well. A rapid lesson in feminism turns old school obedient girls and adult women into revolutionary feminists overnight - hardly plausible. The finale goes bonkers with a silly dance ending in Juliet Binoche waving her arms like a windmill.

10 GIORNI SENZA MAMMA (WHEN MOM IS AWAY)

Watchable. It's Italian so, unsurprisingly, about mamma. OK, the set-up is versatile and there have been comedies about men forced to take care of children aplenty. Yet here you feel the celebration of the position of mom in Italy. It's predictably entertaining and raises quite a few laughs, e.g. the whole teeth situation. And the perfect employee Alessandro is a hilarious and wonderfully exaggerated comic character. Even with fine performances all round, it's Niccolò Senni who just blows you away as the nasty rival at work. The career subplot is weaved through the narrative and its ending is not 100% predictable. Funny lines include war terminology in childcare: "Don't give in!" "My children aren't my enemies." Unfortunately, at times it turns cringeworthy and superficial with over-used bad jokes, e.g.  about menstruation. At least nappies don't recur as another recycled attempt at amusing. Although the whole film is skillfully constructed, with the second act starting satisfactorily early, the supportive office worker subplot lacks conclusion.

Reviewed from a screener. Cinematic impression might differ.

Cinema City has re-opened. It's comfy and friendly as ever and safer than most other venues due to higher seats (at least in the locations which have retained the soft, plush ones). I can see that the Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a superb repertoire too.

ONWARD

Recommended. No wonder it's such a hit in the current Polish box office. It's delightfully imaginative. The Realm is completely worked out - toungue-in-cheek - and painstakingly created. A family of elves keeps a little pet dragon - which behaves like a dog and even kinda barks. A genial centaur cop, cyclops, hooligan pixies and plenty of other magical creatures inhabit a world looking like our contemporary reality. Two brothers embark on a quest filled with adventures. Their journey through the Realm is rich in detail, e.g. a plane can be seen on the sky when the heroes traverse the plain. Quip lines, Harry Potter way worded spells and a nod to "Back to the Future" provide extra fun. The messages the picture conveys are: authenticity pays off in business, a family together will conquer anything - that line of the story leads to a touching ending, I had tears in my eyes. It also tells about confronting your fears and anxieties. It caters to teenagers but will be appreciated by younger and older audiences too. "Sound created in Atmos" so it may be better listened to in that system, in a regular screening room you only hear one line coming undoubtedly from the side at some point. In Poland, the production's dubbed in Polish.

VIC LE VIKING (VIC THE VIKING AND THE MAGIC SWORD)

Recommended. I want such a squirrel! The smart, feisty, independent and cute animal aside, it's a visual fest: making use of a wide range of colours, catchy shading, like in the squirrel's fur, and textures, e.g. red hairs on a Viking's chest and legs. The whole thing is light in tone and witty, with masterful dialogues, in Polish - only a dubbed version available - translated by truly expert Bartek Fukiet. The sound surrounds you all the time. The tale is lovable, with music trappings, including " Ride of the Valkyries" which, in the cartoon, gives a comical effect. The picture has a reference to movies for slightly older audiences, since the action takes place in the realm of the Vikings and Asgard.

THE HIGH NOTE

Recommended. Have you ever felt like a PA to a superstar? Shoved around and put down at every step? Dakota Johnson sheds her erotic image, dons a T-shirt and jeans and excels in the role. Her character is someone who grew up among musicians which reminds of herself coming from an acting family. But it's not just her, there are fine performances all round. Kelvin Harrison Jr. shines as the budding star. And the self-absorbed, narcissistic celebrity Grace Davis is wonderfully scripted, also Tracie Ellis Ross is superb as the chuffed heroine of the stage. As for a flick about fictitious singers, the music sounds admirably professional. The deeper message is that it's those downtrodden people that make each star's success possible. But also how patronising men can be when offering career opportunities to women. As corny as the storyline and women power may sound, the film does not dumb the subject down and makes plenty tart observations.

17TH DOCS AGAINST GRAVITY FESTIVAL

4-18 September (taking into account all 7 city locations, e.g. Warsaw will be 4-13 September) instead of usual May - cinema screenings, afterwards: 19 September-4 October online, without "cinema rooms", it's going to be available all over Poland with no restrictions. Against Gravity's earlier online Docs Against Isolation was a huge success: 113 000 times movies watched in full. After the online festival, all of October will be devoted to online screenings, including previous editions films and workshops for schools. October ones will be available free, after collecting a virtual entry ticket. Over years the festival has grown to become one of the biggest documentary film events in the world. This year the whole program consists of almost half and half male to female movie makers' ratio. In the main competition, there are 15 female and 8 male directors - a result of purely artistic value, the festival programmers are of both sexes. From what I've heard in the (online) conference, my subjective interest is in the following films:
"Blizny" ("Scars") - a Polish documentary about former female warriors of the Tamil Tigers,
films about cinema: on Forman, Tarkovsky, Kubrick, Tarantino, Friedkin, the romantic comedy genre,
a section on various aspects of China, including the problem of smog,
Hubert Sauper's "Darwin's Nightmare" about Tanzania and how the game of global empires affects the poor.
Among potentially interesting events there'll be one devoted to the phenomenon of disbelief in science, replaced by a belief in conspiracy theories and creationism. And another one will delve into how rom-coms affect our partner choice. We can expect also a workshop that will cover dealing with the need of personal peace and the simultaneous need of activism.
There'll be a new section of home-made films - one I'm not going to follow closely. I don't expect content quality from those.
The conference, however convenient for typing notes, wasn't free from technical interruptions. I hope they'll won't hinder watching the online festival part. Also the film screened at the end was too quiet for a laptop and with interruptions:

NOMAD: IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BRUCE CHATWIN

Watchable. The bristly fur of a brontosaurus in the beginning turns out to belong to a kind of prehistoric giant sloth. Chaos ensues for the following half the protracted film. The second half is still disorganized but lets you find trivia like a replica of Magellan's ship in Punta Arenas, hear of horrors - to the natives treated like animals - of the era of geographic discoveries, extending until 20th century, learn of free solo climber Stefan Głowacz and of King Nsein who personally acted in a feature movie on West African slave trade. I still don't get what the whole thing was to be about.

EMA

Recommended. "Firestarter" comes to mind first. Later, the book of "I Ching" where the fire sign means it can either provide you with warmth or burn you. Ema is the heat and does she burn! She's a natural dancer, expressing everything with her body, oblivious to any potential barriers, e.g. she offers 1 litre of her blood to help out. She ignites both men and women, feeling completely at ease in her "big, dysfunctional family". Her actions appear impestuous and visceral. But she proves to be the best mother ever when you come to realize the whole intrigue. She choreographs everyone around her. Captivating music adds gravity, profundity or passion when needed. The main song "Destino" is in the rhythm of famous "Despacito" shifting the tone to lighter notes for the sake of pure pleasure. And the bit when a song tells part of the story feels almost like Bollywood. The movie has Atmos sound so it had even better be heard in this system where available. From the end credits you learn Gael García Bernal was treated like a star on set but in the picture, he's merely an addition to the magnetic Ema's (marvellous Mariana di Girolamo) flame. As is the town of Valparaiso, Chile where it was shot over 2 summer months by Pablo Larraín who had earlier produced "Una mujer fantástica" ("A Fantastic Woman"). You leave the theatre replaying the music in your head.

I got used to having the mask on at the cinema, barely noticed it this time.

KAPSALON ROMY (ROMY'S SALON)

Switched off. No action to speak of. Just a girl helping her grandma in the most mundane daily duties. In Poland, it can be seen only with Polish dubbing.

Watched from a screener. While my cinematic reception might differ, chances are I would still walk out.

BABYTEETH

Watchable. I try not to read about a movie before seeing it so I didn't know it was going to be about yet another teenager with cancer. Normally even a thought about this worn, tacky subject makes me sick. However, this candy-coloured Australian caper managed to resist slushiness for long enough to prevent me from walking out. The corny ending ruined it but she finally died - no spoilers here, it's just the rule of the genre. When Moses staggers (attempting to swagger) onto the platform he resembles a drunk British tourist so much it's no surprise the actor (Toby Wallace) is British. His eyes look stoned and his demeanour is so addict-like you have to make sure the actor is not a junkie himself. But Ben Mendelsohn as the girl's father out-acts everyone. This widely experienced actor is the highlight of the picture bringing in humourous tones and lightening the mood. The topic is treated admittedly originally. Still, it appears to applaud drug use - all the four main characters do and even their pregnant neighbour smokes. The whole thing feels weird. And the picture could do without chapter titles - no reason for them.