Schwarzarbeit

This film is a mesmerizing and strangely addictive story about a man who buys a dilapidated condo in London and hires and transports several Polish builders to London to renovate it because they will work for a cheaper amount than the unionized English workers. Except for the foreman (in an early role by Jeremy Irons) none of them speak English and the foreman doesn't tell his employer or his co- workers when they overshoot the budget and run out of money.

Trying to figure out HOW he will get the job done and WHY he is going to such great lengths and pains becomes all consuming mental and emotional puzzles as you become sucked into this well written story and tour de force performance by Jeremy Irons. By the second half of the film, you can't bare to watch but can't stand to look away. (It's as if you meant to eat only a few peanuts to suddenly discover you've consumed the entire amount and didn't even notice) I think this film is best described as "Escapism" rather than "Enjoyment" but either way you won't be focused on anything else while you're watching it. In fact the "taste" of it lingered with me for days after I saw it. It's full of a quiet yet constantly building tension, with a capital 'T'. No car chases, big explosions, explicit sex, swearing or violence. Just a well constructed screen gem that seemed to have fallen through the cracks when it was released in the early 1980's.