You will always be a nobody to them. “The Hater” (“Sala samobójców: Hejter”, 2020)

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directed by Jan Komasa
© 2020 Kino Świat. All Rights Reserved.

If you follow the Academy and the films that get nominations in other categories than Best Picture, I guess you might be familiar with Jan Komasa. He’s the director of “Corpus Christi” (“Boże Ciało” – you can find a post about it on my blog) that was nominated for Best International Feature Film this year. Unfortunately, it lost to “Parasite”. Well… I’m an honest person, so I’ll say it – in my eyes, Komasa won this year and I do believe his film was the best. Period. Anyway, this year Poland had another chance to win an Oscar and… blew it. Komasa made another film called “The Hater”, which is more or less connected to his film from 2011 “Suicide Room”. The fact that Poland is not sending “The Hater” for the statuette is probably the biggest mistake in the Polish cinema industry in 2020. In my opinion, “The Hater” is so relevant for us these days that it would be hard to beat it. Anyway, let me tell you a bit more about the plot. The main character is Tomasz (Maciej Musiałowski), who’s a law student coming from a poor family. The man dreams of living like this one upper-class family that support him financially, so he decides to start working for a PR company. Working there, Tomasz realises that in order to promote one person, he should destroy the image of their rival. And since we’re all living online in our times, it’s incredibly easy to manipulate and troll people. The man get sucked into this hate world so much that he starts using his skills for personal reasons as well. What can I say? Magnificent cinematography, directing, acting (Maciej, chapeau bas!) and the screenplay… the screenplay hits you so hard that I bet you’ll be thinking of it for the next few days. I had chills and if you think “Social Dilemma” (2020) is something worth seeing, “The Hater” should be your cherry on top. Too bad it won’t have a chance to win an Oscar, but I hope you’ll watch it anyway.

My rating: 8/10
S.

Loss has been part of my journey. “Message in a Bottle” (1999)

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directed by Luis Mandoki
© 1999 Warner Bros. Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Perhaps Monday isn’t the most romantic day of the week, but let’s change that, shall we? Today, I’d like to recommend you a very specific romantic drama, which can make the sensitive ones cry a river. The main character is Theresa (Robin Wright Penn), who works for the “Chicago Tribune” newspaper. One day, she finds a bottle on the beach, inside which there’s a typed letter. The author of the letter wrote to some Catherine, who was the man’s biggest love. Unfortunately, according to what could be read, the woman died and the author misses her incredibly. Theresa is very much moved and after sharing with her colleagues, the “Chicago Tribune” prints the letter in one of their newspapers. At first, Theresa isn’t happy about it, but then she receives more very similar letters found by the readers and decides to contact the man responsible for writing them. His name is Garrett Blake (Kevin Costner) and he lives in North Carolina with his father Dodge (Paul Newman). The woman meets Garrett, but somehow tells him nothing about the letters. Those two start having some chemistry between each other that there’s no point of mentioning how Theresa really ended up in North Carolina. However, it’s not one of those stories where after several days they want to get married, have children, buy a house, plant a tree and adopt a dog. Not at all. Garrett is actually so much in grief after losing Catherine that it’s very hard for him to open up to another woman, even though he likes her. Those who don’t like romances might be a little bit bored, but I still think that, considering the message coming from this film and the ending, you should check it out. I was moved at the end and this story will stay with me for some time for sure. Besides, you can see Paul Newman in a quite interesting role. I didn’t recognise him at first, but the character of Dodge was definitely outstanding. And which woman doesn’t dream of finding such letter in a bottle…

My rating: 7/10
S.

Can I be honest with you? I am bad fucking news. “Zero Dark Thirty” (2012)

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directed by Kathryn Bigelow
© 2012 Sony Pictures Releasing. All Rights Reserved.

This film was a huge challenge for sure. I think that films critics were divided like never before, because whatever you mention about this production, there’s always another side and a lot of arguments against. Anyway, it’s definitely a film that you should find some time for. But get ready for your brain to boil, especially while reading the comments and reviews after watching. The film presents the 10 years of special forces hunting for one of the biggest criminals in the world, Osama bin Laden. And the whole production is probably as controversial as any topic about this man. Firstly, some countries were offended that the filmmakers lied about their culture or that they even shot some scenes on their territory, even if there was absolutely no connection. Well, hard to be surprised, I guess no country wants to be associated with war and murder. Secondly, the film presents a lot of torturing, which had to take place in order to gain the needed information. On one hand, we all know that it happens and no matter if you’re the good guy or the bad guy, you sometimes have to use such methods. Welcome to our world, there’s no white and black, but a lot of shades of grey. However, many people consider this production to be, well, torture-friendly. Meaning that torturing is presented as something absolutely natural and acceptable. I do agree it looks so, but on the other hand, we’re living in the world where instead of stopping wars we post hashtags with “pray for XXX”. Hypocrisy alarm? I guess so. Personally, I didn’t find this film spectacular, but it was well-done, well-acted and I think that the filmmakers had had a lot of brainstorming in order to make this production as politically and socially correct as it’s possible. And I believe they managed. I wouldn’t watch it for the second time, but I’m glad I did once. I hope so will you.

My rating: 6/10
S.

The most difficult thing is trying not to forget who you really want to be. “Beautiful Boxer” (2003)

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directed by Ekachai Uekrongtham
© 2003 GMM Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Today’s film is… not the best production I’ve seen in my life, if I can put it in such words. However, it tells the story of a real human being, who, in my opinion, should get a bit of your attention, so I decided to write about this film. Perhaps if you’re from Thailand or you’re a fan of Thai boxing, you might know who I’m talking about, but for all the rest: today’s film is about Parinya Charoenphol. She’s a beautiful woman from Thailand, who’s become a Thai boxing champion, a model and an actress. What’s so specific about her except the fact that she’s a marvellous boxer? Well, she was born in a male body. Perhaps it’s not such a big deal in out times (at least in some countries), but she was born in 1981, so you can imagine how controversial her situation was. The woman, back then yet in a male body, wanted to undergo sex reassignment surgery, but she hadn’t come from a wealthy family. That is why she decided to start training Muay Thai and become so good at it that she could earn money and manage to pay for the surgery. As you can guess, it wasn’t easy for her to be trapped in a male body and enter this sport’s male world in order to fight for her own self. Small spoiler, Parinya is now long after the surgery and she’s still boxing. She’s in fact training children in Thailand. And I find her story very touching and inspirational, so that’s why I’d like you to see this film. The reason why I don’t like the film that much is because it’s overdramatised and it looks a bit like a cheap soap opera your grannies are watching on TV. Still, Asanee Suwan, who played the role of Parinya, did a good job and you could really feel for the main character. So if you want to learn about an interesting person, you should definitely check this one out.

My rating: 5.5/10
S.

There are two paths you can take, yours, or the path others choose for you. “Enola Holmes” (2020)

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directed by Harry Bradbeer
© 2020 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

I have to be honest with you – I’m against creating female protagonists just to have more women in leading roles. Boom, I said it. There are so many wonderful actresses, who’ve played in many films and their roles were magnificent. But they weren’t forced. I feel like creating female protagonists is now a trend, which is slowly destroying the magic of cinema, in my opinion. Same with mixing races without any particular reason but “let’s mix”: a black-skinned Princess Ariel? Seriously? So I want Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog” to be a white-skinned redhead. AND A MAN! Wow! Bang! Have I just started World War III? Anyway, back to Enola. When I heard that they want to make a film about Sherlock’s sister, I rolled my eyes hard. And I seriously didn’t want to watch it at first. But you know what? If you share my opinion about forced female protagonists, I still believe you might like this film. It’s about Enola Holmes (Millie Bobby Brown), the sister of Sherlock, who’s much younger than her brothers (there’s also Mycroft). She lives with her mother Eudoria (Helena Bonham Carter) and is being raised in a very specific way. Her mother isn’t a typical woman who spends her days on looking pretty and embroidering in the garden. Both ladies are interested in science, martial arts and gaining knowledge, which was quite unusual for women back then. One day, Eudoria disappears and Enola has to contact her brothers. The men decide that Enola should continue her education in a school for girls, which is the last thing she’d like to do. Instead, she runs away and wishes to find her mother. Personally, I loved Millie in this role. I think this girl has so much charm and, despite her young age, talent that it’s difficult not to look at her on the screen. She really made me like Enola very much. Helena Bonham Carter as her mother – could there be a better choice for a Victorian feminist? However, Sherlock and Mycroft are a huge mistake in this story. I’m not surprised that even the Conan Doyle Estate sued Netflix for making Sherlock so… emotional, I’d say. Still, if you forget about Sherlock, you may actually enjoy this story, because it’s a quite decent action and adventure production. They think about making a sequel and I say “please do, why not!”. Just remember to change the guy who photoshopped Millie in the film poster – she looks over 20 and a bit like Zosia Mamet.

My rating: 7/10
S.

You need a license to catch a fish, but they’ll let any butt-reaming asshole be a father. “Parenthood” (1989)

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directed by Ron Howard
© 1989 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

Have you seen Joaquin Phoenix as a cute child and Keanu Reeves as a young rebel? Then you must see this film. Before watching, I thought it’s actually a family comedy as everyone says it is. IT IS NOT. Don’t listen to them. Yes, we have a lot of funny moments, jokes, children doing weird stuff and parents trying not to lose their minds. However, maybe there’s something wrong with me, but in my opinion, it’s a very complex drama about parenthood and what it means to be responsible for another human’s life. We follow the Buckman family, where the siblings are already grown-ups and they have their own families. I’m not going to tell who you is who and what they do and what kind of drama is going on in each house because you’d probably forget that anyway. But there are several different problems in this story, such as prioritising work over family, worrying about having a bigger family, divorce, children growing up without both parents, taking away childhood from children, abandoning children, adopting children… generally, every possible topic that is somehow connected to raising children. And I believe each problem could be presented in a separate film, so the fact that they put them all in one is already impressive. Perhaps a bit messy and you may feel like not every topic was developed enough, but for me, all of them at once were a very strong message. It’s like watching all children-associated fears in 2 hours. As I said, you may find certain elements funny, but if you think about them, they are also quite depressing. Still, if you’re a parent or a parent-to-be… or a parent-to-hope-to-be-one-day-if-you-finally-find-someone and you’re worried about parenthood, this film is a must-see. Despite the fact it’s full of difficult topics, in the end it gives a motivational kick in the butt, and I guess that’s what’s most important. Oh and Joaquin Phoenix was the most adorable child ever, I swear.

My rating: 7/10
S.

How do you wake up from the matrix when you don’t know you’re in the matrix? “The Social Dilemma” (2020)

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directed by Jeff Orlowski
© 2020 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

I find it quite ridiculous that I’m writing a post about this film, because soon after publishing it, I’ll also post about it on Facebook and Instagram, where you can find my blog’s fanpages. And if you still haven’t heard of this film (wow, you must have a lovely cave, my dear), then let me explain why this situation is strange. “The Social Dilemma” is a documentary about how social media has been playing with us. Unfortunately, even after watching this film, I still have my accounts and I’m not planning to delete them. However, I do believe this is an important thing to see in order to realise how much we spend in front of our computers or other screens. Secondly, how much we’re being stalked and manipulated based on our personal data. And also, how addictive and dangerous social media can be when it comes to sharing hate speech, fake news or conspiracy theories. Personally, I’m aware of that and this documentary wasn’t eye-opening for me. Still, it’s a very well-done reminder to stay cautious and not let social media replace our lives. Obviously, we’re all surrounded by phones with numerous apps that are somehow important for us. Personally, I can’t imagine not having certain social media, because that would mean losing contact with many people I know. Or not having the access to some information that is shared way faster on such apps. So yes, I’m aware that it would be very hard for me to delete my accounts. Still, I believe that everything can be used the way we want it and even if those apps are addictive and manipulative, we can still make the best of them. Some people find jobs on Facebook. Some people find new recipes or inspirations on Instagram. Some people find out about interesting artists on Twitter. And so on and so on. Yes, social media is full of… you know, but if we set certain personal rules and priorities, I think that we can avoid such a rapid influence it has on us. At least I hope so. When it comes to the film itself, it’s very well-produced, we can listen to people who work/worked for all the big companies (such as Google) and find out how it looks like from their perspective. The only thing that I found unnecessary were the fictional scenes. Cringy and pointless. But at least they chose Skyler Gisondo to be the main character and I believe this young man should be seen more often, so I’m glad he’ll get some attention thanks to this production.

My rating: 7/10
S.

I don’t want you buying me, period. “Flashdance” (1983)

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directed by Adrian Lyne
© 1983 Paramount Pictures. All Rights Reserved.

I can’t imagine this film being produced now. How much has changed in only 40 years, huh? I mean, this film is generally considered as a romantic drama, but I’d add “very much erotic” to that. There aren’t any naked people running around, but there are many incredibly sexy actresses dancing and the camera is way more focused on their body parts than the dancers in total. Anyway, I think this film is slightly overrated and quite boring, but I guess I love the 80s too much not to recommend it, because it’s a lovely postcard from those times. The main character is Alex (Jennifer Beals), a young woman who wishes to become a professional dancer. She’s already dancing, but not in the way that some people would consider “decent”. Meaning, Alex is working in a bar, where she dances to a bunch of drooling men. However, in her free time, she practices a lot and her friend encourages her to apply to a dance conservatory. Alex, intimidated by her social status, lack of proper education and, in her opinion, insufficient skills, struggles to follow the idea. But hey, a romantic drama without any romance? Of course there’s romance! One day, dancing in the bar, Alex meets Nick (Michael Nouri), who’s a customer and also the owner of a steel mill. What a coincidence! Alex’s second job is at that exact steel mill. This can happen only in films, right? Generally, I find the plot too simple and a bit boring, but as I said before, this is the 80s. And the 80s means awesome music. I’m an absolute freak when it comes to the 80s music, so no matter how bad this film would be (and it’s just average), I’d still watch and enjoy it. So I did and I hope you will too. But I bet you won’t scream “She’s a maniac” louder than me. Anyway, fun fact: when you’ll be watching the film, notice that Alex is often wearing an oversized sweatshirt. In fact, it’s not oversized. The sweatshirt they used had shrunk in the wash, so the actress needed to cut out a larger hole at the top to wear it. Some call it fashion, some call it survival.

My rating: 6/10
S.

Did we make you wrong? “Lola” (“Lola vers la mer”, 2019)

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directed by Laurent Micheli
© 2019 Les Films du Losange. All Rights Reserved.

What would you do if your child told you they want to change their gender? I know a lot of people who say it’s just a phase or that it’s ridiculous and such children need help. There are also those who say that it’s absolutely okay for people to be transgender as long as those aren’t their own children. I’m not sure what’s worse – hating or ignoring. However, if you find it difficult to accept trans people, I recommend you to see this film. It tells the story of Lola (Mya Bollaers), who’s 18 and transgender. She’s not living with her parents since her father couldn’t tolerate his own son wishing to be a woman. One day, Lola’s mother dies and the girl and her father Philippe (Benoît Magimel) have a chance to see each other at her funeral. The man still cannot accept Lola’s decision and those two can’t communicate, even now. Catherine, the mother, had one last wish – she wanted her ashes to be dispersed to the North Sea. Both Philippe and Lola want to fulfil the wish, but at the same time they can’t stand each other. However, since they’re both horribly stubborn, they finally go together in a car full of hate, contempt and anger. First of all, I think both actors did a really good job and I was surprised that it was Mya’s debut on the big screen. Very promising! Second of all, I like productions where we have a chance to learn about both sides of the conflict. It’s not a film saying “you should all go and change your gender and people who don’t accept that are assholes”. Not at all. It shows how difficult it is for both the child and the parent. For the child, it’s a way to feel good in their body, to finally discover themselves. For the parent, it may feel like some kind of defeat, that they failed raising them or made some mistake. Both are scared and unsure about the situation, so the point is to communicate and make sure there’s mutual support. If you want to change your gender, obviously, it’s your choice and your body, but it’ll affect your loved ones, so don’t push them away from this process. If your child makes such decision, discuss with them as much as possible to make sure you both feel well. This film is a big bowl of food for thought and I hope a lot of you will decide to see it.

My rating: 6/10
S.

Some people are born just so they can be buried. “The Devil All the Time” (2020)

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directed by Antonio Campos
© 2020 Netflix. All Rights Reserved.

I know that this film is based on the novel and I’ve been told that the book is much better. Well, it’s quite popular to say so about almost every film based on a book. So just so you know, I haven’t read the novel, but I’ve seen the film and I believe it’s very good. Perhaps I saw something different in it than the ones who’ve read the book and seen the film, but I was surprisingly satisfied, so I can’t complain. I wouldn’t like to tell you much about the plot, because I think you should discover everything yourselves, without even small spoilers. Everything takes place about 60-80 years ago in the USA where we follow several people and learn about their reality, life, family etc. It looks like a soap opera, where we have a narrator showing different people and telling us about them. From the very beginning you may feel uncomfortable, because even though the characters are acting natural, nothing seems to be normal. The atmosphere in this film is incredibly tense even if the action could be described as boring, I swear. I don’t know how they managed to do it, but they did and I’m totally thrilled. Anyway, at some point we understand that the protagonist is Arvin (Tom Holland), a man who has gone through hell when he was little and wants to make sure that nobody will ever hurt him or his loved ones. Unfortunately, despite being big-hearted, Arvin has to accept that in order to protect ourselves and live peacefully, we cannot always be good. The rest is for you to see. However, I have to tell you that this is probably the best production made in 2020 when it comes to acting. Absolutely marvellous performance done by Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson (that accent!), Bill Skarsgård – you may find compliments towards them very often, but there’s one actor who totally stole my heart and he’s Harry Melling. What that man did in this film is unbelievable. I had chills, so clap-clap-clap and please I want more such quality acting! And about the film… well… perhaps it will open some people’s eyes and make them realise that everything “good” we might believe in is actually the reason we all constantly fight with each other. And it’s up to you how you’ll understand my post and this film. 

My rating: 8/10
S.