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IMAD'S CHILDHOOD

Recommended. Shocking how badly you can corrupt a child. A 4-year-old in love of rifles and slaughtering dogs who finds killing "normal" - after two years with ISIS. Can the damage be reverted?

E STATA LA MANO DI DIO (THE HAND OF GOD)

Recommended. As usual in Paolo Sorrentino's movies, it's not about the story but stunning  images and memorable scenes. Sensual Patrizia acted by Luisa Ranieri, excellent Filippo Scotti as Fabrizio are the engines of the tale. The World Cup of 1986 enlivens the time. The scene where the director tells the boy he needs to have something to say to make movies should be shown in all film schools as an instruction tool. Stunning views of architecture of and of the Bay of Naples are entirely compelling. Cinema topography, acting, the 80s make this movie irresistible. 

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I'M SO SORRY

Watchable. I learnt that: 20 cm of top soil was removed in the Fukushima cleaning, living being severely deformed is agony, mass abortions were conducted after the Chernobyl catastrophe, people who stayed there were living alone for 30 years. But the whole thing drags badly.

THE CAVIAR CONNECTION

Recommended. It'll get you immediately interested in Azerbaijan. And Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. You'll hear of international singers who get $1m for a three-song gig, of how the rulers bribed the European Council, their dynastic presidency where the family members own the oil, hotels and major industries, foreign observers describing ballot stuffing as well as organized elections. An eye-opening, top-notch investigative documentary, with excellent cinematography and good pace. 

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ENEMIES OF THE STATE

Watchable. Who trumped up evidence? US secret service or the hacktivist? Is he a master of deception himself? Or both a hacktivist in possession of secret information and an Internet pedophile? Engaging, well-paced. A bit convoluted though and open-ended.

The file was a bit too quiet at times, I had to resort to subtitles. 

EL SILENCIO DEL TOPO (THE SILENCE OF THE MOLE)

Watchable. On the slow side. It details the work of a real life of a double agent too humdrum to thrill. Several scenes are pointless, don't bring anything to the narrative, just protract it. The film definitely could do with some trimming. Family memoirs and long passages should go.

IN HIS IMAGE

Watchable. Shocking from the start but for most of the film you trudge after widows and grieving parents. The whole process of getting the baby conceived appears only to prolong the mourning. Extracting someone's sperm after his death - possible up to three days, reaching out to a bereaved family to suggest such an extraction, having 6 children and considering it normal by the society - an effect of the ongoing war? The whole motivation to  have children is appalling as well: "otherwise what's the point of meeting each other".

החייל הטוב (THE GOOD SOLDIER)

Watchable. The film's not entirely clear and it's only gradually that you learn who the Break The Silence are and how they operate.

THE KING'S MAN

Watchable. A touching opening leads to a Bond-scale blockbuster. Some scenes render the cliffhanger term an understatement. As with previous parts, it's a comedy. Though some jokes are heavy handed, there are plenty of better little gags, e.g. with accents or the hilarious climb. Historical events are woven into the action, e.g. the attempt to poison Rasputin with cyanide. Meticulously enacted reality is seen and heard also in the period language or uniforms. Too many protracted fights didn't quite appeal to me. There's a mid-credit - luckily a sequel's on the cards.

AFRYKAMERA

JUJU STORIES

Recommended. Set in Lagos. Based on juju news from newspapers. 3 totally different, yet all engaging stories. The tummy trope combines the three. But the film plays with its own structure also with props: in the first story she pays for mortuary water, in the second he picks it up. Top-notch acting. Surprisingly Vivaldi's score is played out at some point. Riveting and unusual in its form.

A Hausanist's presentation followed. The golden era of Nigerian cinema was in the years 1950-1980. Later Nollywood came in: hand-held camera, edited while shooting, without post-production - 1000 such films per year. "Juju Stories" were shot like back in the golden era. The Africanist went on about magic in African culture. A curious fact is that Nigerian politicians wear fetishes from a babalao round the arm.

 

STOP FILMING US

Watchable. Barely. I do agree some things are unacceptable, e.g. filming a child naked. There's an interesting mention of the Congolese who wouldn't believe Ebola was real, thinking it was invented by the white man to make money. The main topic of who should film and photograph Africa and how poses a vital question. Silly it's discussed years after Ngugi wa Thiong'o's "Decolonising the Mind". The whole thing though is overtalked. At some point you think they're going to compare two directors' footage - that does not happen. They rabbit on about it again. It drags awfully, made as if they haven't heard of cutting. In fact, this is a very French way of making films, especially documentaries. So they haven't decolonised their own  minds.

LOKATORKA (THE TENANT. YOU CAN'T BURN US ALL)

Recommended. Gripping from the opening and repeatedly shocking with the scale of lawlessness. Łukasz Targosz's music is unnoticeable but builds tension almost surreptitiously. Perfect cast. Creepy baddies, even Piotr Głowacki acts and is made to look evil, like an apex predator. The story's harrowing, on the edge of being tear-jerking. Worst of all, it's based on facts. Skillfully written witty banter is even more impressive in the context. A curious fact is the tenant is watching "Wieloryb z Lorino" ("Whale from Lorino" in one of scenes - a documentary I've written about before which depicts a very poor community in the north of Russia which is abandoned by the system just like the eponymous tenant. 

JULLEMANDENS DATTER 2 (ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU)

Watchable. The first instalment was very pleasant but lacked the touch of magic. This one is a mixed fare too. The first half comprises of a quest. The characters are quite stiff and even the good ones, including the mum, look hostile. At least the Santa Claus academy has a fairy-tale location: Harry-Potter-like, even an owl and cats are there. The second half takes place in an icy land, where the Sami save the protagonists' lives. Yet the best bit is a subplot of a mother with a spoilt kid - a great depiction of contemporary narcissistic mother kind.

AFRYKAMERA

MOTHER, I AM SUFFOCATING...

Watchable. An artistic, poetic slow film. Shot in black and white, it makes use of contrast, e.g. in the mesmerising shots of swaying crop, but also of light and texture, e.g. mud on the road glistens. The content is a letter of a refugee to her motherland. Evocative acting adds to the atmosphere. Imagery draws on Christianity, sound on Islam but also VR porn is implied at some point - it taps into Africa of many cultures. It encourages a search of interpretations. Still, its ambiguity and slow pace make it a difficult watching and it was no surprise when many viewers walked out in the middle. 

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ARICA

Recommended. The documentary watches like a thriller. Outrageous how hard it is to obtain justice. It also ruins your image of Sweden as a state in the forefront of environmentalism and equality. Frightening how manipulative and callous Boliden's managing minds are. Hidden racism may partly explain the indifference to the victims.

AFRYKAMERA

LINGUI, LES LIENS SACRES (LINGUI: THE SACRED BONDS)

Watchable. A Chadian drama showing that women can only rely on each other. A positive message makes it heart-warming. Beautiful attires. Cinematography occasionally makes use of perspective which renders the images almost 3D.

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ON THE DIVIDE

Recommended. While the documentary presents both sides of the abortion divide, the picture that emerges is one of hypocrisy and even hostility of the 'pro-life' activists and of the Church community's superficiality. Certainly the pro-lifer who used to be a tattooist is all about appearances - up to a point. On the other hand, the pro-choice folks seem more inclusive socially and more commonsensical in their thinking. The film is undoubtedly some food for thought. 

AYA

Watchable. I'm not sure how much of it is a true documentary and how much is staged. It portrays a lazy teenager living an idyllic life, except for minor family squabbles, on the island of Lahou which is going to be devoured by the rising sea. Her new life in Abidjan is fun again. Aya's vexingly numpty which hinders the environmental message. The images of human remains which need to be moved from the flooded cemetery are stronger. Songs and local customs depict unhurried, traditional life. Still, my biggest problem with the film is showing Aya's naked breasts - how old is Marie-Josée Kokora for real? Anyway, she plays a teenager so her nudity just feels inappropriate.

AFRYKAMERA

MAKONGO (CATERPILLARS)

Watchable. An ethnographic documentary about the Pygmies living on the border of the Republic of Central Africa. You learn about their lives. That's it. Ah, I enjoyed their music.

AFRYKAMERA

AFRICA MOVING

The set comprised of 5 short dance films:

ZOMBIES

Recommended. Techno mixed with African rhythms, flashy costumes, humour, e.g. when a hairdresser comments on a  spiky hair-do: "With your hair you could receive TV."

MUDANCA (UPHEAVAL)

Recommended. Poetic, hypnotising, with beautiful golden make-up.

INABITAVEIS (THE UNINHABITABLE ONES)

Watchable. The Brazilian film deals with homosexuality and the actors aren't particularly attractive. But the history behind it is thought-provoking: rebels got killed, other slaves stayed

MATATA

Recommended. Astonishing use of waste: flares in a scrap yard, wonderful dancers. Bizarrely exciting.

COMECA A FICAR TARDE (UNTIL LATE)

Recommended. History of the Congo depicted with artistry, appealing cinematography.

The set of 5 short films included as many as 4 mesmerising dance videos - wonderful on the big screen, less impressive when I tried to see them again online.

KING RICHARD

Recommended. The incredible true story of Venus and Serena Williams, who went from neglected by the tennis world black area dwellers to sports superstars, is brought to the big screen in an engaging family biopic. Sport tension is there. But it's years of hard work and planning ("If you fail to plan, you plan to fail") and the incredibly (I'm using the word on purpose) strong Richard's motivation not to have his daughters junked-up on the streets of gang-ridden Compton that make an impact. His viewpoint not to mind others but to make others mind you as well as tactics in career planning prove the best bet for success. Will Smith adopted original Richard Williams' stance, posture and speech manner (with the help of a dialect coach).

1970

Watchable. The first half of this Polish documentary is tedious, you need to listen hard to the 1970 phone conversations recordings, with no clue of who is who in the authorities and no certainty of what they're talking about. Doll animation doesn't show much - just people on the phone.  Archive footage is not that clear to a modern viewer either. But mid-way through the film you realize how dispassionately they're discussing the use of chemicals, firearms, letting people burn alive, their only concern being how Western media will show it. The archive footage doesn't reveal much of the massacre. The written information at the very end describes the full scope of the cold-blooded pacification.

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

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THE TROUBLEMAKER

Recommended. A video manual on how to organize a rebellion. Sadly, it's only going to work in a democratic country. Air view images make it visually attractive as well.

Seen online, cinematic reception might differ.

GDY KWIATY NIE MILCZA (WHEN FLOWERS ARE NOT SILENT)

Watchable. Frightening stories of torture in imprisonment and violence at protests. Very informative and down to earth. Incredible how supportive of each other people are in Belarussian prisons. Only babies crying in one of the homes mar the film. It's black and white but that's perfectly sufficient. Shot in 2020-2021.

Director Andrei Kutsila says now shooting with a normal big camera in the street would be impossible. The protests are over too, out of fear of violence or jail - 5, 7, 10 years for nothing. But the determination is still there. No one will forget it now. People feel Lukashenko's over. Only uniformed forces support him. Sometimes OMON or the police refuse to obey an order.

AFRYKAMERA

أميرة (AMIRA)

Watchable. Shot in Jordan, set in Palestine, scripted and directed by an Egyptian, it's a rare take on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The storyline offers all possible reactions and solutions to the presented identity drama within one movie which is engaging but feels over the top all the time. At the same time the guard's motivation remains unknown.

NOFINOFY (DREAM)

Watchable. It drags awfully and is all over the shop. The main story revolves round a barber and his dream to own a salon - like anywhere in the world. What stopped me from walking out were occasional bits of Malagasy life reaching the viewer from the backdrop: music - mostly Arabic rhythms, news broadcasts - the piece about 400 workers dismissed for an industrial action and made take off their uniforms and walk home naked is so outrageous it deserves its own documentary, climate: frequent rain and a flash flood from a swollen ocean, police brutality, prisons serving as money-making machines, a lesson on bringing up an unruly child. What should be in the front is in the back of this film. Pathetic.

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EN ROUTE POUR LE MILLIARD (DOWNSTREAM TO KINSHASA)

Recommended. The Kisangani's Six-Day War of 2000 was fought by Rwanda and Uganda over Congolese resources. More than 1000 locals were killed and 300 maimed. The disabled are fully functional - just watch the lady pounding food with the trunks of her arms, wear beautiful, colourful clothes, sing, dance - joie de vivre. Clear cinematography by director Dieudo Hamadi is stunning. The first half shows their inner strength against adversity, the second wrenches your heart at the indifference of those in power. 

AFRYKAMERA

ONCE UPON A TIME IN UGANDA

Recommended. I want Polish movie makers to travel to Wakaliwood and learn how to shoot action comedies for $200. They look more like computer games rather than films from a Kampala ghetto. The presented actors' movie scenes are tongue-in-cheek, just like the documentary itself. It blends genres, it's almost a documentary comedy. Top entertainment and proof that true talent knows no limitations - penye nia pana njia, as a Swahili proverb says. The film plays with cinematography, e.g. makes use of human silhouettes against spectacular landscapes and awe-inspiring light, "Coming soon" is written on two goats and Isaac Nabwana shoots "Bruce U" in China.

UN FILS (A SON)

Recommended. Curiously shot in area of Tataouine. This time it's not "Star Wars" but the story focuses round fatherhood too. It's not Tunesian law that shocks you in the film.

LE DERNIER REFUGE (THE LAST SHELTER)

Watchable. The last shelter is the Caritas centre in Mali. The title pertains to the fact only 1% migrants cross the Sahara successfully. The documentary is slow, though that reflects the slow pace of life in the centre and occasionally you're rewarded with picture-perfect shots of the desert at day or night. The migrants are between 16 and 48 years old and, especially the young ones, are so naive some go on to traverse the desert, though some return home, instead of risking being robbed, whipped or raped in Algeria or getting lost in the vast sands.

SNEKKER ANDERSEN OG DEN VESLE BYGDA SOM GLOMTE AT DET VAR JUL (FORGOTTEN CHRISTMAS)

Watchable. The set-up is a hamlet of awfully forgetful people. This unusual plot is marred by partly inadequate cast and by Polish dubbing. The film has all the Christmas atmosphere: a quaint village covered in snow, an Advent calendar, a big Christmas tree and people, Norwegian way, dancing round it. And here comes Santa - one of the worst ever: looking like a drunk and speaking, in Polish dubbing at least, in high pitch. Some other dwellers look and act too hostile for a tale for children. The quirky story saves the picture though. And you also get to hear a Norwegian Christmas song. 

ANIMAL

Recommended. Even the opening of this documentary consists of gruesome images of animals being killed. But the documentary is much more than the shock factor. Some serious food for thought about humanity.

HUMAN DOC

NOWE MIASTO

Recommended. A beautifully shot documentary about a futuristic project of moving Metro Manila to New Clark City, i.e. protecting the capital from earthquakes and typhoons while creating a smart city without current problems of Manila like traffic congestion or smog. But the dazzling facade hides very basic problems of resettling the deprived. Will the poor foot the bill of this amazing transformation? And who'll benefit? The documentary asks valid rhetorical questions.

UKRAINA! FILM FESTIVAL

ПЛОХИЕ ДОРОГИ (BAD ROADS)

Switched off. It drags and consists of people standing and talking or sitting and talking in humdrum voices, going round in circles on whatever the conversation subject is. 

ZHANYM, TY NE POVERISH! (SWEETIE, YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT)

Switched off. Remember "Borat! Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan"? This actually Kazakh comedy represents the same level as the American flick of 2006 which mocked the Kazakh nation. Gross, less sexual, more class B horror style brutal, yet equally dumb. 

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

RIFKIN'S FESTIVAL

Watchable. Woody Allen dissects romantic relationships again. The lead is a neurotic man who's into classical black and white movies which he relives as his night dreams mixed with his own fears. So, if you're fond of French or Swedish classics, you can play spotting the references. But at face value it's just your regular Woody Allen all over again. With summertime San Sebastian in the background. 

TRANSATLANTYK FILM FESTIVAL

BOILING POINT

Recommended. A mastershot of behind-the-scenes of a posh restaurant. Very realistic as numerous work issues mix with the staff's personal problems. Totally engaging since it's also a picture of customer behaviours. It becomes so heated I thought I was going to pass out myself. The post-credit shows the picture of the group selfie from the film.

The festival all took place conveniently at one cinema. KinoGram was a comfy choice since you could stretch on a couch - and try not to fall asleep. Sadly, the festival staff, though courteous, rarely wore masks and basically flouted all Covid safety rules. As for the films seen by me, 12 were superb - an exceptionally high percentage. However, most translations from English were off, sometimes translators wouldn't even get the tenses right. There was no catalogue. The printed schedule clearly demonstrated which movie or event took place where and which overlapped. The problem was with the legibility of small print on colour backgrounds in the dimmed light of the concourse.

TRANSATLANTYK FILM FESTIVAL 

PAOLO COSTELLA Q&A

The Q&A followed a screening of "Per tutta la vita" - the film in which he wanted to offer viewers a chance to reflect on relationships. The story originated from the news from "Cronaca". Certain couple met a priest on holiday. A few months later they asked him to marry them off but he turned out to be an impostor and the wedding was cancelled. When I probed, he admitted he was generally suspicious of people, believing they have double lives but he was well-meaning for his characters, approaching them without judgment. He likes multithreaded, choral stories because the threads shed light on each other. That was the case also with "Perfetti sconosciuti" ("Perfect Strangers") which was written first separately, next weaving the threads together. He likes diverse films. But his movies are about one generation because it's his so he knows it best. He also thinks Italian urban middle class is experiencing an existential crisis. It's a crisis of values as well as distancing from the rest of the world - the loss of the values the class used to be based on. Church weddings aren't that obvious in real life. He's seen "Boże ciało" ("Corpus Christi") - a Polish production also tackling a false priest - he's drawn to melancholy but wanted to tackle many topics in his film. His actors' backgrounds represent various worlds too: TV, entertainment, theatre. He refused to explain the ending of "Perfetti sconosciuti" ("Perfect Strangers") insisting that the audience do their job. Both finales were to end with emotions, not events. Paolo Genovese directed the previous one, now he did, they just swapped. They both wrote together. Often the ego got the better of them but here they got on like a house on fire. Next coming is "Supereroi" ("Superheroes") about a struggle of a relationship with time and of what superpowers you need to have for a relationship to survive.

FLUGT (FLEE)

Recommended. This animated documentary is the Danish Oscar candidate. The story's incredible, with the protagonist living a secret life, having to hide the fact he has a family, now scattered all over Europe. Great music choice - Western and cheerful at happy moments of Amin's life - demonstrates where he felt good. Most importantly though, his case shows serious flaws within the asylum system. All refugee aid and protection is illusory, on top of huge numbers of people exploiting the vulnerable in the several countries they need to traverse. Powerful.

HINTERLAND

Recommended. Many returned from the Great War disturbed and changed men. So is their world. Distorted shapes and dark colours are German expressionism perfectly recreated in the 21st century. The set design and cinematography are Oscar-worthy. Even end credits transmute from German to English.

TRANSATLANTYK FILM FESTIVAL 

NORTH HOLLYWOOD

Watchable. Set in sunny No Ho but the coming of age issues and dilemmas the boys face are the same as anywhere else in the world. The film presents a very masculine world but the life choices necessary to take at such an early stage: career, friendships, love interests, family objections are versatile. Only the fracases and altercations aren't everyone's norm. At the same time I was impressed by how maturely the boy speaks to his father in one scene. Altogether it's an intimate look, sometimes annoying, sometimes touching, always understandable. 

TOUT S'EST BIEN PASSE (EVERYTHING WENT FINE)

Watchable. Not as emotional as it would seem. Factual rather. If you're a rich French person willing to commit an assisted suicide, you'll learn what to do. It doesn't sound exciting and it isn't, even with the father's dry sense of humour.

L'EVENEMENT (HAPPENING)

Recommended. What suspense! Keeps you on the edge of the seat as you follow Anne for 12 weeks during which she's trying to get an abortion in France of the early 1960s when it's illegal. She's impeccably organized and determined. The film's quite graphic: from female nudity to the umbilical cord but never crossing the barrier of good taste. I nearly closed my eyes at one point and had tears in them a few times, so intense it was. 

PIG

Watchable. It's like having haute cuisine served by a chef with a beard with dried up blood on it. Literally. It's in the movie. Sophisticated dining, illegal fights in the basement of an old hotel and exchanges about power and hierarchy - masculine cinema for sure but also a serving of a clashing mixture of ingredients. The music is also a peculiar combination of nostalgic songs and classical bits. Yet the whole dish is surprisingly palatable. Nicholas Cage endears you to his character: mentally stable, determined, devoted. The picture's dark but his personality brightens it.

STILLWATER

Recommended. Whether you followed the case of Amanda Knox or not you're going to understand this gripping crime drama. It's inspired by the case but the action takes place in Marseilles, France, not Italy. 

WEST SIDE STORY (2021)

Watchable. Dance movies have gone a long way since the 1961 original which Spielberg hasn't noticed. Only innocent-looking cutie Ansel Elgort as Tony kept me through this antiquated musical. Leonard Bernstein's original music, Janusz Kamiński's cinematography provides such texture as if it had been shot in 1957 when the action takes place. By the look of the film you won't tell the movie versions apart. Costumes, including browns with pastels, look like designed by Paolo Gucci. Outdated dance routines, aged music - Atmos doesn't help, though makes dialogues crystal clear. The Polish translation where Jets become jets like those sewn on clothes also appears like from a few decades ago when Poles didn't know English. Speaking of language, the movie's half-Spanish with no translation, half-English, often with the Puerto Rican accent. The story's old-fashioned too, though I admit the trans boy's recognition touched me and I shed some tears at the finale.

TRANSATLANTYK FILM FESTIVAL 

MASCHILE SINGOLARE (MASCARPONE)

Recommended. A saucy gay flick with serious undertones of finding your true self  professionally and your true love. Anyone who has tried to find their feet after a break-up can relate to it, regardless of gender and sexual orientation. All characters are amiable even if the first encounters take you aback. It's an engaging, touching story without sappiness.

TRANSATLANTYK FILM FESTIVAL 

MASS

Watchable. The title may refer to the mass murder or to a church service or both. Also, the structure of the meeting and the planning may reflect a mass with its specific order. The ultracareful preparations indicate the meeting is going to hang on the edge. The thing's superbly shot and acted. The only problem is it's neither unheard of nor relatable. Mass shootings happen in the US but are such rare incidents it's hard to put yourself in the shoes of the family of either party.

ICH BIN DEIN MENSCH (I'M YOUR MAN)

Recommended. Top-notch science-fiction: plausible, thought-provoking, clever and entertaining. Dan Stevens as Tom is so hot I had to watch from the shadow. Relationships with machines always serve manifesting the human condition and what makes us human in the first place - these topics are explored here with a surprising conclusion. The career subplot is also far from trivial. It offers a different idea of what constitutes an achievement - a machine represents a broader, historical approach, hence renders human ambitions petite and mercenary. Yet what you love this movie for is the fact Tom is any woman's ideal partner. Worth seeing one. At least at the cinema.

A FELESEGEM TORTENETE (THE STORY OF MY WIFE)

Watchable. It could do with cutting since the same situations repeat and for nearly 3 hours you go round in circles. At least Léa Seydoux and Gijs Naber are convincing in the leading roles.

TRANSATLANTYK FILM FESTIVAL 

MY SON

Watchable. Scottish remake of "Mon garçon" set in grim, misty Highlands. The mountains physically close, appear permanently distant and unscalable through the foggy haze. Their unreachable beauty, though dark, gives respite from the heavy action. While the plot of the thriller is not very original, you follow the action without batting an eyelid because of the atmosphere: solitude, a riddle to solve, the feeling of entrapment. In this respect the remake is better than the French original which, most importantly, failed to thrill and was more like a budget drama, without the vistas. 

A curious fact from the distributor is James Mc Avoy didn't know the script and ad-libbed.

ليكن صباحا (LET IT BE MORNING)

Watchable. The Israeli Oscar candidate is a Palestinian drama based on the novel by Sayed Kashua. It successfully conveys the helplessness of the occupied nation but doesn't bring much to the subject matter, especially now that the whole world has learnt how a lockdown turns your life around. No wonder it didn't even make it to the short list. Both Jews and Palestinians are presented as ordinary folk, with the Arabs sometimes being worse to their compatriots than the occupiers. Arabic music is a plus in the film.

VORTEX

Walked out. Like Haneke in "Amour", this time Gaspar Noé bores you to death with old people, suffering from Alzheimer's in addition, in this snail-paced drama. It's Gaspar Noé like I have never seen before: dull.

LES CHOSES HUMAINES (THE ACCUSATION)

Watchable. The pedestrian pace and philosophical analysis typical for French dramas actually work here as a rape accusation is looked at at all angles. I felt envy seeing the amount of understanding and compassion for the victim in the French society and institutions. But even that much progressive and liberal country is not free from prejudice. Film-wise, it drags and overphilosophises minutia the French way.

PER TUTTA LA VITA

Recommended. Paolo Costella's new drama follows his tried and tested formula: a few couples - in theory 4 but depends how you count - with secrets that come to play in an extraordinary situation. His previous "Perfetti sconosciuti" ("Perfect Strangers") had many remakes. This one is a perfect remake material too. My Polish association was that the events could take place a few years on from "Boże ciało" ("Corpus Christi"), had the false priest not been caught, with the difference Costella's film has the flavour of frivolity of a romantic comedy and ends so cheerfully you leave the cinema with a broad smile. Perfected formula, new movie.

MAYA THE BEE: THE GOLDEN ORB

Watchable. Maya and Willi embark on a quest in this run-of-the-mill adventure in the insect world created from basic colours and a handful of forgettable songs. 

I can finally type here again almost normally after weeks of a serious technical issue. I have 39 screens and 26 paper pages of notes on dozens of films I saw in the meantime so it'll take many days for me to catch up but that also means you can expect a number of long posts on several movies coming up shortly.

POWROT DO TAMTYCH DNI (RETURN TO LEGOLAND)

Recommended. About alcoholism. You can't deny realism of the picture - confirmed by addicts present at the screening. I closed my eyes at times although normally I don't, even at horrors. But here he pees himself, lies in his own vomit - it's painfully realistic. At the same time Maciej Stuhr is superb in the role. The first act though just sets the ground depicting the 90s - another down to earth representation, including lines like: "Zapraszam cię do siebie na komputer." ("I'd like to invite you for the computer at mine.")

Nowadays alcoholics get more help than in the 90s, there are highly skilled psychotherapists who turn around the way the addicts see themselves and the world. Also help for families is provided. All free. Experts claim there's less social permission now. So many people drink in hiding, especially women. They want to get respite from daily fear. 30% of the ACoAs are fine later in life due to internal resilience. But many suffer from generalized anxiety. More men than women drink. In the past people would seek help in their 40s, now they do in their 30s. Since the awareness of the problem is bigger they reach out for help earlier. The director's real story didn't end the way we see in the film. In 1998, just after matura (the final secondary school exam in Poland) he moved out as far as possible - to Australia for 6 years. His mother left the flat, fell in love with a German and was married to him for 15 years. His father stayed OK when taking care of his grandmother but his last drinking string killed him. His aorta got clogged and he died. He had been living with no electricity, with rubbish in the flat. Addicts list good and bad points of drinking in AA sessions. In his 'plus' notes he had put: "lepszy kontakt z synem" ("better contact with my son"). As for the movie world, Aksinowicz saw Nicholson's character in "The Shining" as an alcoholic. In "Powrót do tamtych dni" ("Return to Legoland") his flat was recreated one to one, Stuhr looked like the director's father. The actor would turn round and round to deceive his labyrinth in preparation for shooting. Since finishing the film Aksinowicz has had no more nightmares of his father drinking. Teodor, the boy actor, had no experience of alcohol in the family, his reactions to the father character's changing behaviour were natural and spot on.

KNERTEN OG SJOORMEN (TWIGSON AND THE SEA MONSTER)

Watchable. A children's tale on friendship. Costumes in wonderfully matching colours, quirky characters, quality CGIs, an 80s song over the end credits make it pleasant, though on the silly side. Only the Polish dubbing version was available in this country. 

KARSTEN OG PETRA PA VINTERFERIE (CASPER AND EMMA'S WINTER VACATION)

Watchable. Norwegian winter: deep snow, a night in an ice cave in subzero rated sleeping bags on beds lined with spruce wigs and reindeer hides, wooden cottages on pillars, a ski jumping grandma, waffles for children. Delightfully matching costumes and interior decor - it's cosy at grandparents' - warm up the frosty winter. The story's simple, with the same mascots as in the rest of the film series. The visual layer is more attractive than the mediocre plot. Only the Polish dubbing version was available in this country.

PITBULL

Recommended. The same director (Patryk Vega) but a totally different story of the policeman dubbed "Gebels" than in the 2005 film of the same title. Famous Polish gangsters like "Masa" and "Pershing" form the background to "Nos" who leads the story. Andrzej Pałucki "Nos" ("Nose") was responsible for the documentation for the movie. Both the cold-blooded mob boss and the shrewed, experienced cop play cat and mouse with each other. Who outsmarts who keeps you in suspense till the every end, especially that there are more players in the game. If only all crime films could be so inventive. This one is the Sevres model of how gangster cinema should be made. 

قصیده گاو سفید (BALLAD OF A WHITE COW)

Recommended. Iranian. The first act studies the repercussions of death penalty on the family and the outcomes of its irreversibility on everyone involved. But this intimate drama soon reveals the second bottom which makes it so intense it watches like a thriller. And it offers two versions of the ending.

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE

Watchable. Ivan Reitman is peddling his most successful franchise to children. The first 1.5 hours is all tedious plot development, horribly predictable, poorly acted, with unfunny skits. The plot tries hard to convince you Summerville in the middle of 'nowhere' Oklahoma is the most boring place on earth and Phoebe's odd. The result is you feel the cinema is the most boring place on earth and the movie's odd. Wrecks of the van and equipment, ghosts of the past. The "Who ya gonna call?" catch-phrase is a given. About the only funny exchange is: "I'll be 16 in February." "It's June." Big names, like Dan Ayckroyd, Bill Murray, JK Simmons, Sigourney Weaver only make cameos and all the fun takes place in the last half-hour, including the mid- and longer end-credit.

HOUSE OF GUCCI

Recommended. It starts with cinematography looking as if the film was from 1978 when the action begins. Star cast sees Lady Gaga and Adam Driver in the leading roles and Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Jared Leto in supporting ones. Director Ridley Scott is in top form as he tells the story of a woman who lost her senses first conniving to promote her husband in the clan, next trying to hang onto the heir to the Gucci empire. She's not the only one to blame. Never wrong a woman, as they say. The brilliant line: "Father, Son and the House of Gucci" has a double meaning in the story. Yet the movie has a lucid plot. The events are accompanied by well-matching music whether it's dynamic pop or sombre opera. The rich and the famous act the rich and the famous and the plot keeps you in suspense.

DONNE MOI DES AILES (SPREAD YOUR WINGS)

Watchable. Polish dubbing sounds so warm and natural you barely notice it's a French-Norwegian co-production. This actors' film is very informative ornithologically and offers plenty of air views of barren Norwegian landscapes. The land's cloud-clad and foggy so it's not really impressive. The tale is simple and the main storyline predictable.

BENEDETTA

Recommended. An erotic movie about nuns? Paul Verhoeven does pull it off. Who else would? The "Basic Instinct" and "Showgirls" creator has made a career out of racy content. This time the provocative thinker chucks his hat in the ring saying what other people are thinking about the Church and nuns. His approach is a lot more liberal than his predecessors'. It's already the third burning at the stake at cinemas this year, after "The Reckoning" and "Lux Æterna". This one's the best of the three and it's based on facts - quite accurately.To the point he never makes it clear if she's cunning or a saint. Or both? Verhoeven has a mercifully realistic understanding of the timeline dynamics of human relationships. But also of a lockdown during an epidemic, suppressed sexuality, sadism towards women, a woman being a sex predator. While based on historical facts, it can be viewed as an allegory of modern-day conflicts. Very entertaining: with suspense, intrigues, sex scenes, visual effects, but with serious undertones. Curvy Virginie Efira stars in the leading role.

ALINE

Recommended. Céline Dion's biography: informative, imaginatively presented, even hilarious at times, but most importantly totally engaging even if you've never been a fan. Superbly written, directed and acted by Valérie Lemercier as the singer. 

UKRAINA! FILM FESTIVAL

This year I watched everything online, on mojeekino.pl, in spite of the hybrid form of the event. I skipped the three I had seen and reviewed here before: "The Earth is Blue As an Orange", "U311 Черкаси" (U311 Cherkasy) and "Носоріг" ("Rhino")

МОЯ ВІЙНА (INNER WARS)

Watchable. This year's festival continues observing the people fighting in the ongoing war. It talks about war invalids and deceased ones. The bits where the protagonists react to the fact of filming them are needless, as are protracted passages between the scenes. Still, in spite of the poor concept for the documentary, it's worth learning what the Ukrainian war looks like. It's certainly not what one imagines.

РОЗИ. ФІЛЬМ - КАБАРЕ (ROSES. FILM-CABARET)

Recommended. Dakh Daughters enthrall. These petite girls have powerful voices and are amazing actresses and singers. Their costumes, make-ups, hairstyling, decorations, large scale sculptures and other visual effects are stunning. Their shows, often political, draw crowds. I'm just happy that in Poland I could see them at least in this musical documentary featuring fragments of their spectacles.

Polish subtitles were white, English greyish white and much smaller, barely legible even up close. At least both films had good sound volume.

MYSTERE A SAINT-TROPEZ (DO YOU DO YOU SAINT-TROPEZ)

Recommended. Starts with a catchy tune and there are more to come. Bright light of Cote d'Azure, the rich and playful, extravagant attires, a residence with a pool and plenty of gags. Some scenes are hilarious e.g. when Boulin nods off just before revealing the culprit's identity. The finale appears to announce a sequel, possibly set in Portofino where the baron and his wife are going. After all, the inspector has 3 days to catch the culprit's partner in crime. 

UKRAINA! FILM FESTIVAL

СІЛЬ FROM BONNEVILLE (SALT FROM BONNEVILE)

Recommended. I was astonished by the opening: black and white footage from decades ago. No, I did not mistake films. And archive footage returns later. But the documentary is contemporary and, even though I know nothing about motorcycles, whether modern or vintage, the story of two Ukrainians following their dream is uplifting and the cinematography outstanding. The film offers numerous tantalising views of the US, all breath-takingly shot.

Big white subtitles on black, yet transparent, background enable watching and reading from a distance. 

STOP - ЗЕМЛЯ (STOP-ZEMLIA)

Watchable. A complete portrayal of secondary school students' lives: school - looks like at least they teach them something useful in biology in Ukraine, friends, family, future choices, bodily changes, emotions. A bit protracted at times and with no beginning or ending but with decent music. The film is so realistic and contains to-the-camera utterances that it's almost a documentary. The music and the games they play are different from Polish ones so it's interesting for cultural knowledge. Also, it's quite warm. The bunch can rely on one another at all times. 

ЗЕМЛЯ ІВАНА (IVAN'S LAND)

Recommended. An idyllic village, Ivan's lovely naive paintings, loving dogs and kittens, natural living, artisan toys. At night his house looks like a fairy-tale hut. The artist is an admirably positive-thinking person. Soothing.

Too quiet and too small subtitles.

ЦЕЙ ДОЩ НІКОЛИ НЕ СКІНЧИТЬСЯ (THIS RAIN WILL NEVER STOP)

Watchable. This black and white documentary is a collection of impressions from Ukraine with a twist: some of inhabitants are Kurdish refugees from Syria. Little information is provided and it comes exclusively from the protagonists' conversations. Slow-paced but the spate of images is evocative enough. As for the title, a flash flood hinders going back to the country of origin.

Big subtitles, Polish only, on black transparent background.

CONTEMPORARY UKRAINIAN ANIMATION SET

ВІЙНА, ЩО ЗМІНИЛА РОНДО (THE WAR THAT CHANGED RONDO)

Recommended. A delightful land of a balloon-shaped person and a similar dog, with singing flowers - you just wish you could live there - destroyed by a war and then being rebuilt. Splendidly presented.

ТЕМПЕРАТУРА СПАЛАХУ

Watchable. A simply drawn story of love, running from anger, despair and a helping hand. Nothing special but nice.

НЕПОТРІБНІ РЕЧІ (UNNECESSARY THINGS)

Recommended. Science fiction based on my favourite author's short story - "The Old Curiosity Shop" by Robert Sheckley. The animation's superb, in the style typical for a sci-fi crime riddle, the story's tricky of course, as usual with this writer.

Я ДАВНО ХОТІВ ЛІТАТ (MY DREAM FLIGHT)

Watchable. A tale of family love disguised as science fiction. Engaging even though the animation style implies a children's cartoon and is on the ugly side. The family is shown delightfully warmly. 

ВІДПОВІДАЛЬНИЙ ГЕРОЙ (THE RESPONSIBLE HERO)

Watchable. Top-notch graphics and music theme, directly deriving from "Superman" but with an incomprehensible story. I've seen it twice and still don't get it.

ПРИМОСТИВСЯ МІСТ ДО МІСТА (BRIDGE TO THE CITY)

Watchable. Folk art and music in an inventive animation with no story to speak of.

ТИГР БЛУКАЄ ПОРУЧ (TIGER IS STROLLING AROUND)

Watchable. Admirably made out of trash brought back to life, it's a psychological film on self-deprecating thoughts. Sensible but artistically unsophisticated.

ЕМПАТІЯ (EMPATHY)

Watchable. A black and white animation with so many allegorical representations it's easier to understand emotionally than intellectually.

CATnBAT - ЕВОЛЮЦІЯ

Watchable. Simply drawn in geometrical shapes characters, in a handful of shades of white and grey and a tricky tale of human nature.

ГЛИБОКА ВОДА (DEEP WATER) 

Watchable. Drawn with quite simple lines unusual story, sadly a bit on the obscene side.

PAPIER-MACHE

Watchable. You can learn how papier-mâché is made. However, the visual story is incongruous with the narrative.

The 11 short animations represent a variety of techniques and subjects. Ukrainian animation has developed over the last few years impressively.

Я ПРАЦЮЮ НА ЦВИНТАРІ (I WORK AT THE CEMETARY)

Watchable. The gangster comedy parts are quirky and with some hilarious bits, e.g. when a chap rings to order for 6 people and realises it''s a cemetery, not a restaurant. However the drama about fatherhood and coping with a loss mars the fun. 

Clearly visible subtitles.

ІЗ ЗАВ’ЯЗАНИМИ ОЧИМА (BLINDFOLD)

Watchable. Watchable. A drama about living with a war in the backyard. The fact the lead woman is an MMA fighter doesn't make it a sports movie. No, it drags, there's next to none adrenaline, instead some romanticism, e.g. a guy (handsome Oleh Shulha) keeping half his shelves in the flat empty for his future other half, and a touching finale.

RIVALE (RIVAL)

Recommended. An engaging drama with a realistic story which puts a new angle on economic migration. Part of the plot is shocking but presented gently and plausibly.

MADRES PARALELAS (PARALLEL MOTHERS)

Recommended. Almodóvar's favourite actresses, typical use of colour in interiors, expressive acting are here. The plot is gripping like a thriller: deception, hiding a secret, suspense glue you to the screen. The film's relatively quiet and balanced yet ultimately profoundly emotional. Penélope Cruz is utterly convincing throughout. This story kind of sumps up why Almodóvar's creations are Spanish worlds without men but with strong women.