Molly's Way

Just saw this movie, and I love its magical atmosphere, and its not all too sad mood.

Yes, this movie *is* short on "action", but the plot is original, you can't help falling in love with "Molly" and the other actors, and the images of post-industrial Poland are simply stunning. Also the mixture of Irish/Polish/German cultures is very interesting.

If you do like movies that have a very simple, but emotionally strong story (although it *is* maybe somewhat slowly evolving), then this is for you. If watching the very sweet and adorable Mairead McKinley for 84 minutes is not enough, that is.

She is expecting his baby and she has convinced herself, that she has to find him for things to be alright again. She comes from a highly catholic Irish background and she has not managed to confront her family (and herself) with the fact that she might be a single mother.

A wonderful film. Highly intense, subtle and quiet. Molly's Way through this unknown city is very different from what she expects - but in spite of the the harshness of the surroundings an the rough path she has to manage, I found the film to be full of hope. The Polish actors are outstanding - among them Miroslav Baka, who was in the "Short film about killing". The locations are a revelation and I still carry many of the images around with me. Mairead McKinley as Molly is a sensation. She is at the same time grounded and naive, stubborn and strong. I haven't seen her in any other films yet, but I hope I will soon.

An Irish woman is on the search after the father of her unborn child. Unfortunately she doesn't know much about him, only that he can be found in the polish city of Walbrzych. His name is Marcin and he works in one of the many illegal coal mines in this city. The coal mines are a nasty reality in this city, what is very well known in Poland. But this movie only uses this on the sideline... Instead it's all about the sad Molly looking after Marcin,working as a room-service and living in a pension for prostitutes. It is a very long search,without any tension,action or anything else that would make this thing worth watching. Even when the story isn't great the location was a chance to show some polish social reality or something else of Poland, but it failed big time!! The only insight we get, is of the little hotel , where Molly is working and is wasting her time and yours too....

Young Molly travels the long the way from her Irish home to a shabby post communistic polish town, determined to find Marcin, a one-night-stand and the unknowing father of her unborn child. All Molly knows about Marcin is his first name and that he works in one of the many illegally operating coal mines around that town.

In the course of Molly's search we can observe a series of little anecdotes and encounters, mostly sweet ones, partly rough ones, and we see how some unexpected friendships are developing.

It is all about Molly's way to approach people. But her way is not the usual one like in many movies where the lively Mediterranean extroverted sunny girl instantly lifts the spirits and conquers the hearts of everybody around.

Molly's way has no sex appeal, no immediate beauty, no outbursts of laughter. It has some singing and dancing but it is rather clumsy, nevertheless so real and so warm.

Molly's way is quiet, slow and persistent. It is strikingly honest and with deeply well intentions and a thorough reliability. That's her convincing way which adds warmth, light, and color to the life of everybody around in that otherwise rather cold and depressive town.

And as a natural consequence those people around Molly reveal a little more of their own friendly streaks.

And then, oh my God, there comes Marcin, who spoils a standard happy end. So, Molly's way can not turn around that one. So the end turns into a life's lesson learned, authentically, sympathetic and optimistic. You are witnessing a wonderful story without the teachery morale of some other German movies.

Molly's Way shows the extraordinary beauty of a human being who has not one of the glossy, currently so fashionable, features of the main stream media heroines. What a refreshing reminder of what really counts in life!