ulefk

I've started following this director since he worked with one of the Polish actors I most admire and respect, Piotr Adamczyk. When I write following, I'm not meaning in a positive way, once this first "Second Life" (2009), was an absolute non-sense in on hand, while on the other a skillful directing was note worthy. After watching it, I really wanted to understand if indeed he would had a "second" chance to direct again. By 2013, I saw a extremely good surprise, again working side by side with a great Polish Actress, Agata Kulesza, called Desire for Beauty", but this time, instead following fiction he had turned to the documentary genre. In fact this second film, but first documentary, had the honest intentions in bringing some light to the shaded theme of "plastic surgery", were the skin was more than flesh and had some true human textures. Simple and honest, good but sometimes unbalanced, but indeed took me to the ride and will not be a movie that soon I will forget with god memories in my head. As I enter the smallest cinema room, of a multiplex cinema, were the New film (Down, But Not Out!) was opening, I question to myself what was coming ahead, once I had only seen a B&W poster with red titles that reminded me so much of my beloved Scorsese's "Ranging Bull". This made be prepared for the worst! But, and a B on the but, once the film started I was pulled in as the beautiful imagery that was presented to me was echoing in sync with the amazing soundtrack from this name to follow called Vincent Lagadrilliere. Down, But Not Out! is from this pure rawness that resonates from the true deep of the filmmakers as a simple camera guides you thought the raw reality of amateur box. It's a delight to follow during the 70m (for me felt short, would like to see more), were you just feel there, along with the fighters and a inspiring young coach that trough the victories and failures of one day models them in aspiring young fighters, still with a long road ahead. This small but to the point documentary is full of heart, tension, grip, frustration and a lot of surprises and I will not write mores to avoid bringing up spoilers. It has my 10.

Extremely surprised and satisfied after the screening of this film. I was thrilled and compelled into this four ordinary life's. I felt a bit of everything, and he truly moved me towards the end. The story is definitely engaging and in the end of it, few hours talking with a friend over it. It's a loving piece of filmmaking. Very simple, extremely well shoot but overall you feel a sense of honesty on all of it. I think this is the most accomplished fact on this "little" movie; on his simplicity you can feel the camera being honest with the characters. The interviews are smart and some of them even unexpected on the nature of how some questions are replied, mostly because of the good choice of the "guests". Agata Kulesza is perfect on the role of the one who listens the others. And its her honesty has a human being and not an actress that Miguel's cameras captures here. Music is wonderful and is one of the engines behind the film. A film definitely to watch, consider and then discuss. Myself I will be waiting to see it again on the big screen when it opens. A complicated theme handled with reason and sensitivity. Truly recommended.

1967, Legnica (headquarters of the Soviet forces stationed in Poland from 1945 until 1990). The city, with the largest Russian army, is a Soviet enclave closed to outsiders, including Polish citizens, during this time. Yuri (Dmitry Ulyanov) is a young Russian pilot and failed astronaut posted to Legnica with his even younger wife Vera (Svetlana khodchenkova). Vera learns Polish and becomes fascinated with Polish music and poetry. At the Polish-Soviet "friendship song contest" she meets Polish officer and musician Michał (Lesław Żurek). The story inexorably leads to tragedy as Vera desperately tries to stop herself from falling in love with Michał, equally desperately tries to hide her infatuation when this fails. For starters I need to say that when I start watching Mała Moskwa I was not expecting the emotional ride that was ahead of me. As foreigner living in Poland for more than half decade I can say that only now I start to be aware of the background and story on this country, and It's obvious us that the II world war left scars that even time will not heal. When the great Wajda picked up the theme of "Katyn" I was anxious to see this emotional twirl of muffled hurtful feelings come on screen, but I was disappointed by how the excess of a big production made it look just an expensive visual document of an historical event, but washed of any human emotion, distant and cold. Now on the hands of Waldemar Krzystek, we have again the Russian occupation theme, but in such a deep poetic human way that your reaction watching it it's just speechless. Tears fall inside and outside as Krzystek leads you into an emotional reconstitution of what this times where. Trough is remarkable direction the "unreal" and poetic performances come so close to your heart and brain. Like a drug that Hypnotizes you, is the best way for me to describe the images that Krzystek produces. Mała Moskwa is for sure a high standard piece of cinema which for me it belongs only to master pieces and this is without doubts one of them. A special word for the stunning performances for all cast but specially for the unique Svetlana khodchenkova, which the word brilliant is not enough to define.