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Reviews
Down, But Not Out! (2015)
This small but to the point of documentary full of heart, tension, grip,...
I've started following this director since he worked with one of the Polish actors I most admire and respect, Piotr Adamczyk. When I write following, I'm not meaning in a positive way, once this first "Second Life" (2009), was an absolute non-sense in on hand, while on the other a skillful directing was note worthy. After watching it, I really wanted to understand if indeed he would had a "second" chance to direct again. By 2013, I saw a extremely good surprise, again working side by side with a great Polish Actress, Agata Kulesza, called Desire for Beauty", but this time, instead following fiction he had turned to the documentary genre. In fact this second film, but first documentary, had the honest intentions in bringing some light to the shaded theme of "plastic surgery", were the skin was more than flesh and had some true human textures. Simple and honest, good but sometimes unbalanced, but indeed took me to the ride and will not be a movie that soon I will forget with god memories in my head. As I enter the smallest cinema room, of a multiplex cinema, were the New film (Down, But Not Out!) was opening, I question to myself what was coming ahead, once I had only seen a B&W poster with red titles that reminded me so much of my beloved Scorsese's "Ranging Bull". This made be prepared for the worst! But, and a B on the but, once the film started I was pulled in as the beautiful imagery that was presented to me was echoing in sync with the amazing soundtrack from this name to follow called Vincent Lagadrilliere. Down, But Not Out! is from this pure rawness that resonates from the true deep of the filmmakers as a simple camera guides you thought the raw reality of amateur box. It's a delight to follow during the 70m (for me felt short, would like to see more), were you just feel there, along with the fighters and a inspiring young coach that trough the victories and failures of one day models them in aspiring young fighters, still with a long road ahead. This small but to the point documentary is full of heart, tension, grip, frustration and a lot of surprises and I will not write mores to avoid bringing up spoilers. It has my 10.
Desire for Beauty (2013)
A complicated theme handled with reason and sensitivity.
Extremely surprised and satisfied after the screening of this film. I was thrilled and compelled into this four ordinary life's. I felt a bit of everything, and he truly moved me towards the end. The story is definitely engaging and in the end of it, few hours talking with a friend over it. It's a loving piece of filmmaking. Very simple, extremely well shoot but overall you feel a sense of honesty on all of it. I think this is the most accomplished fact on this "little" movie; on his simplicity you can feel the camera being honest with the characters. The interviews are smart and some of them even unexpected on the nature of how some questions are replied, mostly because of the good choice of the "guests". Agata Kulesza is perfect on the role of the one who listens the others. And its her honesty has a human being and not an actress that Miguel's cameras captures here. Music is wonderful and is one of the engines behind the film. A film definitely to watch, consider and then discuss. Myself I will be waiting to see it again on the big screen when it opens. A complicated theme handled with reason and sensitivity. Truly recommended.
Mala Moskwa (2008)
"The army sent you to Poland, but that doesn't mean that you are in Poland!"
1967, Legnica (headquarters of the Soviet forces stationed in Poland from 1945 until 1990). The city, with the largest Russian army, is a Soviet enclave closed to outsiders, including Polish citizens, during this time. Yuri (Dmitry Ulyanov) is a young Russian pilot and failed astronaut posted to Legnica with his even younger wife Vera (Svetlana khodchenkova). Vera learns Polish and becomes fascinated with Polish music and poetry. At the Polish-Soviet "friendship song contest" she meets Polish officer and musician Michał (Lesław Żurek). The story inexorably leads to tragedy as Vera desperately tries to stop herself from falling in love with Michał, equally desperately tries to hide her infatuation when this fails. For starters I need to say that when I start watching Mała Moskwa I was not expecting the emotional ride that was ahead of me. As foreigner living in Poland for more than half decade I can say that only now I start to be aware of the background and story on this country, and It's obvious us that the II world war left scars that even time will not heal. When the great Wajda picked up the theme of "Katyn" I was anxious to see this emotional twirl of muffled hurtful feelings come on screen, but I was disappointed by how the excess of a big production made it look just an expensive visual document of an historical event, but washed of any human emotion, distant and cold. Now on the hands of Waldemar Krzystek, we have again the Russian occupation theme, but in such a deep poetic human way that your reaction watching it it's just speechless. Tears fall inside and outside as Krzystek leads you into an emotional reconstitution of what this times where. Trough is remarkable direction the "unreal" and poetic performances come so close to your heart and brain. Like a drug that Hypnotizes you, is the best way for me to describe the images that Krzystek produces. Mała Moskwa is for sure a high standard piece of cinema which for me it belongs only to master pieces and this is without doubts one of them. A special word for the stunning performances for all cast but specially for the unique Svetlana khodchenkova, which the word brilliant is not enough to define.
Rezerwat (2007)
Wonderful depiction of Poland
This film is cinema as it best. Solid story, great characters, tight direction...all forces working for one goal...tell a good story. All in this film is so believable as the depiction of a poor neighborhood in Warsaw is depicted with extreme good sense, passion and humanity. Marcin Kwasny shows here enormous potential as actor and I believe that he will be one of the great Polish actors of this new generation. The perfect characterization of Prague neighborhood and the fact that he is co-writer makes me think that the actor/screenwriter has a true knowledge of what that place is all about. "Truth" is what breathes in every pore of this film and that is what makes him so special and unique. It's a movie to write a lot about it...just pick it up, and let the ride begin :) One last comment to the brave actress Sonia. She is amazing!!!
Fighting Tommy Riley (2004)
J.P. Davis wrote a compelling human script
It's true that a boxing movie theme can sometimes be a trap. You never know what to expect and in the most of the cases you end the movie with a huge feel of disappointment. I had this movie with me for quite a few time, on my "to watch" list but always pushing him back for several reasons, and the biggest one was something called "Million Dollar Baby"
need to say more? Well time passed and one night I decided to give it a try, and I just can say that I was knocked out by it. Everything from the beginning to end just fall into the right places, and especially I was impressed with the fact that dealing with a theme like this you can easily fall into common places, situations, dialog's and characters. J.P. Davis wrote a compelling human script, much more beyond that any other boxing movie that I ever saw, with the exception of the brilliant "Million Dollar Baby". In fact, boxing sequences you have few, they exist but on a far dimension. The true battle here it's other; loneliness, redemption, forbidden love, shattered dreams, commitment and honor are themes that J.P. unbelievable well explores on his own script. The performances are amazing, and Eddie Jones just throws a show. In my opinion the fact that it's a very low budget production, less than half of million, helps a lot on the way that the movie portraits reality and also the way that he gets under your skin. Shoot on digital, the rudeness and cruelty of the video, make you smell the pictures on the screen, and other factor is the absence of spectacular shoots (crowds watching the fights, technical sequences) which makes you only care about the main characters and the way that they fight and act between themselves. Well done J.P. can't wait to see what comes next.
Prime (2005)
Love isn't enough to hold even the strongest burning desire relationship
This movie seems at a first glance a simple and a kind "not to much to expect" romantic comedy
but goes in a surprisingly way much more beyond that. Not going very in depth, cause all the fun it's discovering everything by yourself, we are presented with the story of Rafi (Uma Thurman) a 37 year old Divorcée looking for something more in life that the everyday disappointment. She meets in David, 23 year old (a surprisingly good Bryan Greenberg) all what she didn't believe that anymore could exist. This is the basic plot of Prime that unravels a lot more beneath. Rafi is a much older person and she already knows what she wants from life, while David it's still growing up and trying alongthe way to find what he wants to be. This two lines crash eventually along the plot and show how love isn't enough to hold even the strongest burning desire relationship. The entire movie is constructed over the sign of comedy with punches, here and there, of great subtle emotional moments. The performances from all main actors are just superb; Uma Thurman and Merly Streep give a total show with amazing moments of genuine comedy. The script is simple and funny, and Ben Young (Director) holds all the narrative with strong wrist, letting the storytelling breath and the actors flow on their performances. And without revealing much more about the plot I must add that the ending is brilliant, and made me wonder if today's Hollywood movies couldn't take this one as an example of how to not destroy a story?