Jasminum

Jasminum

The film is about love: primarily about love or love relationship between a man and a woman. The viewer is gradually introduced first to Patricia's unrequited love to the movie star, and as the story unfolds, also to Jasmina's tragic love story with one of the monks, and finally the unhappy love story of Natasza, the main character. And the movie is about love in a more general sense, or similar feelings between human beings: exemplified in the unusual friendship between the little girl Genia and Brat Zdrówko (Brother Sanitas), or Natasza's friendship with Patricia.

Although the topic seems rather trite, "Jasminum" does a good job making it interesting by presenting it in the form of a fairytale for adults. The voice-over narration by a child and the waltz music mainly played by piano set the fairytale atmosphere. Jan Jakub Kolski, the director, obviously has a penchant for light, melodious but slightly sad waltz, as he made use of such music in his previous work "Pornografia (2003)." The difference is that in Pornografia the music is partially diegetic, while in "Jasminum" it is completely non-diegetic.

This is because in "Pornografia" the music directly relates to the main character's tragic past. In "Jasminum," on the other hand, the waltz mostly accompanies the young narrator's voice-over, helping to set the atmosphere: tragicomic, sad and comforting at the same time. When doing so, the music also functions as a separator between stages of the plot development, or a symbolic "curtain" between "acts" of the film.

As in "Pornografia," tragic love story and secrets from the past are important in Jasminum. The monastery itself holds a tragic love story from the past, and its spell still persists. The spatial setting of a monastery is quite adequate in this context because by definition the setting must separate men and women. Natasza, the altar-painting restorer and perfume maker on the side, turns out to have her own unhappy love story, no matter how absurd: a runaway bridegroom. Patricia, the hairdresser whom Natasza helps, has perhaps the most banal kind of sad love story: unrequited love towards a famous actor. The film, however, treats all of these love stories equally with "a sense of humor and attentiveness" as the director emphasizes in one of the interviews.

The precocious narrator Genia is the only person who does not have a tragic love story hidden in the past for obvious reasons. Therefore her narration of the story is fairly objective, with her adorable dryness adding to the humorous aspect. In the end, however, Genia experiences her own version of a sad love story when she must leave Brat Zdrówko.

The key to solving all the mysteries of love lies in finding the right aroma. The film is all about magical smell. This extraordinary idea also adds to the fairytale aspect of the film. The important fact is that Natasza's magic perfume works as a love potion only because the love is already there. She merely gives a little boost by caring and acting upon her sympathy. This leads to the final topic of the film: "saintliness," as the director comments.

The film's message is that the most important thing between people is love and caring, and acting upon one's caring for another person. When the caring and acting reaches a certain level, it qualifies to be saintliness. The final scene, when Brat Zdrówko becomes a saint, confirms this idea. As the viewers saw in the film, Brat Zdrówko is the one who cares the most, even about the piglets; he is the one who acts the most to take care of the entire monastery, silently and inconspicuously. This final message is conveyed again with "a sense of humor and tender attentiveness" as Zdrówko complains he cannot light the stoves with the stigmata his hands.

Jasminum by Jan Jakub Kolski is, to my mind, well described by the terms 'unusual' and 'charming' that have been applied to it by Polish reviews. Certainly, the backdrop of a small town and monastery both removes the story from Polish film of the second half of the twentieth century (most films involve one of the two cultural capitals or another prominent city such as Lodz) and tied it to Polish history and tradition (village life and the relationship o the Catholic Church to secular culture share this film's conceptual center). In addition to this, the content and themes in Jasminum interweave with those previously taken up by other Polish directors, most notably the theme of artist and artistic attitudes existing in conflict with religion and politics (addressed by Wajda in Man of Marble and engaged even in such blockbuster classics as Da Vinci) and the motif of broken or frustrated love and philosophical estrangement.

It is true that in Jasminum Kolski gives these topics a fresh airing, reinvigorating them with a slightly off-kilter, quirky narrative point of view and an enchanting cast (though Linda might have been better employed in a more demanding role). Everything from the botanically derived names of the candidates for sainthood down to the cinematographic details of verbal and visual perspective (the chiaroscuro lighting, music in the underground vault scene and knowing 'but-not-supposed-to-know' childishness of the narrator's commentary) adds to the eclectic atmosphere of this love drama. And whether Kolski was successful or not in pulling in off, a love drama it was apparently meant to be.

The film's preoccupation with smell would seem to provide some clue as to the director's essential vision of this tale of love. The heroine (whose tale is, charmingly, told by her daughter) discover piece by piece the secrets of the saints of older days and even of the monks currently living in the cloister. Birdcherry, Plum, Roch--finally, jasmine, the very 'heart' of love, as we find out along with Natasha--all provide the scent-addicted ladies of the town with something so essential they seem unable to bear life without it. What magic do these fragrances conceal, making them so seductive? It would seem they offer their wearers a certain distillation of the life-force itself, an irresistible attractiveness, self-confidence and perhaps most of all a renewed sense of life's possibilities. They transform reality in accordance with the wearer's will in the concentrations appropriate not to weakness but to saintly strength, fortitude and charity.

However, in the end it is the humblest of the monks--Sanitas--who, though tempted by the glory in a new pair of glossy boots, cherished his relationship with little Eugenia, the narrator, and with other small, helpless creatures above all else. While each of the monks is portrayed sympathetically through Kolski's lens (even Birdcherry, the source of Natasha's bitterness), the most penetrating and genuinely touching aspect of this narrative is the growing attachment between an old man and a little girl who, it turns out, have more in common than each originally believes.

The mother--the ostensible heroine, as she is verbally depicted by Eugenia--has her own tale, forming a second stratum of the film's treatment of love. Hers is a story of disappointment and bitterness distilled over time, and it is only slightly mitigated through her meeting with her runaway fiancée. While Natasha's unwillingness to place her own trust in a love potion (as does her own disciple) and consequent search for 'oblivion' in another concoction reveal her veiled motivation for working in the cloister, they also complicate and add a sense of authenticity to her character.

I wholeheartedly agree with the online review that bravely call the movie 'weak'--in the sense that what at heart is meant to be a love story is to a great extent undermined by the secondary plot involving Boleslaw Linda. In the layer of Kolski's message love is portrayed exclusively as sex without much elaboration, forcing Linda and his stage partner into somewhat superficial roles. Even if by this Kolski is merely attempting to represent various attitudes to love and the way individuals are taken by surprise, he fails to provide the internal logic of the rapidly-developing and 'out of the blue' relationship that evidently blossoms into marital bliss.

While Jasminum's atmosphere is engaging and the plot thought-provoking, I ultimately find it a mite contrived and more than a little bit mystifying. I would like to see this very deservingly popular director channel his energies towards even more of these 'modern fairy tales' (bajki), provided he remains faithful to the human reality as well...meaning, just as many fantastic oddities but alongside them a more nuanced and carefully handled human component.

Jasminum is a beautifully crafted film and a pleasure to watch. The relaxing pace of the movie is reminiscent of the pace of life within the monastery in which it takes place. A sense of mystery and a genuine fondness for the characters, particularly Brother Salinas and the young Genie, make this movie interesting to watch. With the exception of a few scenes, the majority of the movie takes place in a small monastery, but the mystery surrounding the monastery as well as the actions of its inhabitants keep the viewer compelled throughout.

Besides the prior Kleophas and the cook Salinas, there are three other monks in the monastery- Birdcherry, Plum and Sweetcherry- who are sequestered and silent. These three produce extremely desirable body odors, which Fr. Kleophas and the surrounding community regard as a miracle. The initial scene of the movie depicts the reception of the monks' dead bodies into the monastery -- five hundred years ago. This, along with Fr. Kleophas' belief in the coming fulfillment of a prophecy made by the apostle Barnabas, and the repeated appearance of a ghost around the monastery grounds, adds to the sense of mystery that keeps the audience captivated. Kleophas believes that the three odiferous monks are on their way to sainthood, a status that requires the performance of a miracle, but are their miracles for real? Are the brothers somehow reincarnations of their 16th century namesakes? What is the significance of the prophecy, and what secrets does the monastery hold? The issue of science versus faith is an important theme in the movie. The chemist and art restorator Natasha is working to restore a painting that Fr. Kleophas believed would be restored by a miracle, and is able to accomplish what no miracle had. In this sense, science is victorious, but Fr. Kleophas wonders what good a chemically restored painting is. Only a painting restored by a miracle would truly enhance the prayers of the faithful. Natasha seeks also to reproduce the scents of the brothers chemically. Her first attempt recreates Birdcherry's scent, but something is missing and the perfume is a failure. Eventually, she finds the missing ingredient Jasmine, which when mixed with Birdcherry's scent produces an odor Natasha calls "oblivion." The hairdresser Patricia then uses this scent to seduce the object of her affection. However, the seduced man cannot figure out why he is in love; he only recognizes an obsession that seems to be driving him mad, which leads to another theme of the movie: the search for happiness. Patricia believes that possession of Birdcherry's scent will lead to her happiness, because it will cause the actor to fall in love with her, but in reality he is only in love with the scent itself, which will eventually fade or run out. This raises the question of whether one really knows what one wants. Does the actor really want Patricia, or does he want her smell? Does Patricia really want the actor, of whom she knows very little, or does she want merely to be desired? Meanwhile the relationship between Sanitas and Genie exemplifies a healthier type of love, a caring reciprocating relationship where each member cares for the well being of the other.

The theme of science versus faith is a very timely one, particularly in Poland. Perhaps no other country besides Ireland stands out so much as the Church's last European stronghold of the faithful. Science is a wonderful and even miraculous thing, but faith is mysterious. As rational human beings, we are inclined to accept that which can be explained to us, but faith is required because we can never completely understand the deepest, most personal mysteries of the human experience. Jasminum was very interesting and thought provoking, and anyone interested in the themes of faith and happiness will find it very enjoyable.

'Jasminum' is a sweet and beautiful film about love, caring, smell, acceptance…hang on, it's not a romantic film. It's certainly not one of those conventional boy meets girls films. There are flying ducklings, sweating ghosts, and slices of bread that are either too thin or two thick. A fellow user has compared it to 'Chocolat' but 'Jasminum' is a lot more ambiguous and a far better film. The film is about acting upon ones loving feelings toward another person. In 'Jasminum' we are presented with three love stories. That of Patrizia and the Comedian, that of Jasminum and that of Natasza. All the broken love stories are treated with some humour without ruining the essence. We also see a love that builds between two unusual friends like that between the little Genia and Brother Sanitas and this two becomes a somewhat sad love story when Genia has to leave. Kolski's direction stands out as one can see how much heart he's put in the film-making process The cinematography takes us through the spectacular Polish landscape. The background score provides pleasant company and the set designs and special effects are very impressive. The child's voice-over gives it a fairytale feel and adds to the humour (e.g. during the sex scene, we here the child's voice saying 'I am not allowed to say what happened…) and it also appropriately narrates the story from a very objective point of view. The monastery itself provides an open atmosphere that reflects the loneliness of the characters.

Kolski also cleverly introduces (in a magical way) the idea of one of the five human senses: smell. In 'Jasminum' we are reminded of how important the sense of smell is and what significant role it has in the interaction of two people. Here in 'Jasminum' it the 'right smell' is the answer to the mystery. The character Natasza uses creates these magical smell through her perfume and uses them to heal the broken love stories. Note the love is there.

However, I thought Kolski could have shown more development between Patrizia and her actor lover. It looks as though the relationship was based on sex. Even though I do think that Kolski was merely trying to show something otherwise, a different attitude towards love, it remains for the viewer to assume and makes the film a little weak.

The performances, particularly by Blecka-Kolska, Gasiewska and Zdrówko are standouts. Blecka-Kolska's subtle expressions are noteworthy and Zdròwko's portrayal of the slow transition that takes place in Sanitas is sublime. It is Sanitas who values his relationship with all the small things (e.g. Genia and the little duckling). Gasiewska is absolutely cute (without trying to be so) and she brings out the innocence with Genia through her chemistry with Zdrówko.

In a few words, 'Jasminum' is sweet charming aromatic gem that is both a visual treat and a very pleasant viewing experience.

Well....to be honest I am a huge fan of Masters Gayos and Peczka so their participation was the main force that made me to get JASMINUM and my God! the movie is AMAZING! From the beginning to the end...I was embraced by a cascade of colors, sounds and scents...yes - SCENTS for as one of previous reviewers said - You can literally FEEL the scent of the mysterious fragrances! I'd compare my impressions to those I got after watching "Amelie Poulain". Sound - amazing Picture - incredible Actors - superb! Without a doubt I can predict a bright future to Polish cinematography if there would be more that one of a kind (IMO - so far) movie I am talking about!

If you are looking for something different, if you are tired to the all like Hollywood "matrix" movies - JASMINUM is the very right answer!