Aniol w Krakowie

A very nice and touching film for the whole family, produced by the journalists of the famous "Tygodnik Powszechny" weekly, prestigious magazine of the Polish liberal catholics. Great debut both by the director Artur Wiecek and Ewa Kaim, actress of the National Old Theatre in Krakow, for whom this is the first major movie role.

The great thing about angel Giordano, who visits Krakow, is that everything is brand new for him, even the very basic things like the radio, a car or a cow. He helps us to realise, that the world around us is really impressing though we quickly get used to it and we don't pay attention any more.

The discussions between Giordano and his friend are very interesting. She is just a human so she has many questions and doubts but no answers. He is an angel so he is certain that the heaven really exists and God isn't just an idea of some other people.

And I very much admire the quote from "Highlander's Philosophy" by Jozef Tischner, that's being shown in the film: "Don't look for truth, look for friends". I thing this entire movie is a great example of how a philosopher can inspire film makers.

While Hollywood has a number of movies about angels, Polish cinema has a couple. Angel in Krakow is film about an angel named Giordano (Krzysztof Globisz) who is sent by his superiors on a mission to Earth to help its people. They believe Giordano is the perfect one to send to bring some cheer and hope to the people because he likes to spend most of his time mingling with those in purgatory. After getting instructed on the basics of the ways of the physical world and how to interact with people, he is sent on his way.

Although Giordano was supposed to get sent to Holland, a slightly jealous angel sends him to Poland instead -- giving him a more difficult task. Giordano takes it all in stride and is thrilled by everything before him. As Giordano interacts with people and the world they live in, which are all new experiences to him, we get quite a show. While his demeanor is a combination of naive, honest and innocent, Giordano also has this "just born yesterday" way about him that is hilarious. His actions are almost childlike, but give one pause to see how we take everyday things for granted. Furthermore, he seems like everything and his excitement over mundane things like a passing train, a cow eating grass on the side of the road or just riding in a car listening to music get funny reactions from those who observe him.

Without a doubt, Angel in Krakow is family-friendly and would rated "PG" by American standards. It is an enjoyable comedy, but also has a few serious moments, such as the ending which sets the stage for the sequel Angel in Love. Although the film is about angels, Heaven and God, it is not an overly religious film. If you are looking for a humorous film for the entire family, Angel in Krakow has something for everyone.