Petla

Polish (genre) cinema has set clear trends in recent years. The Oscar for the film "Ida" shows this most clearly. In the genre sector, director Patryk Vega has particularly stood out in recent years with his shrill and provocative films, which do not shy away from violent sex and violence scenes.

This film is about a provincial policeman (Antoni Krolikowski) from an anti-corruption unit who, through chance circumstances, rises to become a brothel boss and then gradually to a mafia boss in the Subcarpathians. The film is staged like a shrill satire that often changes key. Comedic interludes alternate with hearty sex and hard action scenes. What is remarkable, for example, is how the corrupt police officer deals with one of his toughest opponents (Piotr Stramowski, known from "Polizeiruf 110: Das Beste für mein Kind / The best for my child"), who is certainly not an orphan. Violent and blatant!

The film shows a thoroughly corrupt and unrestrained society, with provocative images! If only German genre cinema were as courageous and uncompromising!

Katarzyna Warnke, Piotr Stramowski's wife in real life, is there as a busy prosecutor.

This film certainly won't be to everyone's taste, but it gives an insight into why Polish cinema is so exciting these days. This film goes where it hurts. And even in its partial failure, it is still extremely interesting.

If you are looking for a regular movie, a movie with a regular hero, don't waste your time on this movie. It is anything but "normal". It's tone is going up and down and spinning all around. You have a main character that you probably learn to hate over the course of time. Which is quite a hard thing to demand from the viewers. Especially considering we are laughing at first with him. We are maybe even connecting with him. From his birth (literally) we follow him ... who would have thought the path he'd take? And the atrocities he'd commit - but that is just what you get served here.

And topping everything off, something I wasn't aware of, this is based on a true story and real people. The depravities in this, be it sexual or violence wise ... not easy to cope or digest. Some of the sex scenes go beyond .. really almost all the way (without showing something explicitly), but feeling as if they are real. Not for the squeamish for sure and really takes a toll on the viewer. If they decide to take the ride with a man who seems beyond redemption ... or is he?

I was a big fan of Mr. Vega's productions. Yeah, I was. Unfortunately, every next one of the last 3 productions is getting worse and worse. Poor script, bad dialogues, worse and worse playing - you can see that Patryk Vega, who finances his productions, goes for quantity, not quality.

There are strong, niche films that still remain an art.This one has nothing to do with it.

With this film I finish watching Mr. Vega's production. You decide for yourselves, I do not recommend it at all.

Very entertaining movie. action, nice girls and not very P.C.. Acting and camerawork is pretty descent