Review by richteral

This is a film providing extraordinary insight into the jungle lurking behind the (still peeling & crumbling, as those houses in Cracow) façade of seemingly EU-standardised life in Poland. The scenario is totally believable, and the story may look like fiction only to outsiders. It is a very good piece of writing to start with, and the characters are well drawn. Come to think of it, it should be compulsory viewing for students of political history, especially in the countries that never experienced communism. This is a true artistic expression of reality; one only wonders how much of it is still as palpable now as it was 12 years ago. I suspect, a lot. This is not shallow entertainment but a deep, disquieting probe. One suspects the fairly low rating on this site may reflect the number of former SB officers (the Polish variety of KGB - if you know what that was; if not, try Gestapo for size) finding themselves in the movie & being sick at what they could see. Themselves, that is.