By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Mariusz Wilczynski
Starring: Andrzej Wajda | Anna Dymna | Daniel Olbrychski | Krystyna Janda | Magdalena Cielecka | Maja Ostaszewska | Malgorzata Kozuchowska
Country: poland
Year: 2020
Running time: 88
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8387918/reference
Diane says: “This Polish animated feature is eliciting lots of divided critique. ‘Abrasive,’ ‘grotesque,’ and ‘grimy acid trip’ are some of the descriptors used, even when reviewers ultimately come down on the positive side. Since I expect animation to be weird, I wasn’t that thrown by it. First-time filmmaker (and self-taught animator) Mariusz Wilczyński started on this project a dozen years ago after the loss of both of his parents and a friend, a famed blues guitarist/composer whose songs permeate the film.
“The beautiful, raw-looking animation, well-suited to an industrial city, a floating giant, and old naked bodies, is done in monochrome with occasional elegant colored lights. The narrative consists of disjointed but related stories. Yes, there’s some gross stuff, much phantasmagoria, and probably plenty of material only a Pole would understand, but Wilczyński delivers on the feelings of regret, grief, and nostalgia in a sideways homage to the people he’s lost. Seen at AFI EU Showcase. 4 cats, if you’re in the right mood.”