Bogowie

I came across this under-the-radar film today, read the only review already on IMDb, heard from a Polish friend that it was quite good and couldn't really find anything else on it before going to see it.

I was expecting it to be good, but it turned out to be possibly the most enjoyable film I've seen all year (I see at least 30-40 new releases each year, and with a reasonable degree of research before watching, almost never see a terrible film - the only awful film I've seen in a theatre in the last two years is The Counselor where I didn't research the film and went in because of the cast - never again!).

A biopic made in a typical European style - understated drama, lots of subtle as well as some black humour and emotional depth. Riveting from start to finish, it is the story of the man who pioneered the first heart transplant in Poland after wading through the obstacles thrown at him by a sceptical medical fraternity and lumbering bureaucracy (he later went on to become a prominent politician though the film focuses purely on the events leading up to the event that made him famous in Poland).

Tomasz Kot is brilliant playing Religa, and the entire supporting cast are very good. There is a reasonable amount of medical jargon used (I was following English subtitles) which worked for me as a fan of medical dramas.

The depiction of Poland and life there in the 80s is very well done - there are subtle homages to the period setting (through the soundtrack for example) but you never get the feeling the director is getting carried away with the setting and the events of the story remain the main focus.

Technically the film is very well shot and edited (some of the surgery scenes are fascinating in their detail) and the script is excellent. Highly recommended!

Great biopic. It shows to achieve great things in life one has to be dedicated and crazy also it shows that you must never tired of trying again and again if you really want to achieve some thing in life. Great movie.

I was waiting for a good Polish movie for a very long time. They were serving us lots of crap for the last few years.

I would recommend this movie to any adult in the world. It should be easy to translate, because the value of life is known to any human on the planet. Moreover the fight to keep people alive is very immersive and you feel like you are standing next to a real doctor, watching his hands. It is moving, quite dramatic on moments yet filled with jokes so you are not kept tense for the whole time. The mix of victories and failures make it very realistic. All the setting, exteriors, interiors, clothes, furniture, cars are period correct. Everything looks exactly as it should except some music tracks are ahead of it's time, but they fill the theme quite OK. I hope we can finally see the rebirth of Polish cinematography and more movies as good as this one.

Great acting. Great uniform theme of the 80's in Poland. The best doctor movie I have seen in my life.

Had time to watch such convincing actor and what an inspiring story as well.

Magnificent acting by the protagonist and stunning balance of ethics (due to sensitive matter), humor, seriousness , drama, comic.

I remember thinking during seeing this film that when someone is just brilliant and really likes and believes what he does, he is unstoppable. And moreover since we currently are in the era of startups, the film reveals a perspective of a Medical Clinic startup in an era when there is no context for incubation but rather hostility towards individual ambitions.

Food for thoughts, inspiration and heart.

Highly recommended

The music is very good, the male actors are also very vivid, but the decadence of frustration is a little worse. There are still many unsolved problems in human life. This road needs understanding and courage.