L'officiel des spectacles 22.10.2008






TRICKS
by Andrzej Jakimowski
TRICKS (Sztuczki)
(2007 - lh32)
Polish film in colors by Andrzej Jakimowski with Damian Ul, Ewelina Walendziak, Rafal GuŸniczak, Tomasz Sapryk

• Drama: Stefek, 6 year, splits his holidays between his little habits of a dreamer and walks in the company of his sister, Elka. The young, beautiful girl, hardened by her life, tries as much as she can to work and take care of her younger brother. One day at the train station Stefek discovers a man that he believes to be his father, who abandoned the family several years before. In order to bring him back to his mother, he creates a staggering architecture of chance and puts all his small rituals at the service of a happier destiny. With their mother absent and accompanied by her friend Jerzy, Elka tries to prevent his from falling into the emotional traps.
• Contrary to the stereotypes of dark and sad Polish cinema, Andrzej Jakimowski gives us a film on the possibilities of overcoming obstacles. Here we have a sharp director’s cut, original screenplay of an amusing sobriety and the skilful use of the actors (for example, the character of the lonely boy, depicted with charming ease). This feature-length film, awarded with Label Europe Cinema, brings up themes like hope, expectation, without going astray into unwavering optimism or sentimental naivety. Thanks to its softness and its courage to evoke difficult subjects in an intelligent and fabulous way, the film works on the possibilities to be happy in the Polish post-industrial scenery. - L.C.
Reflet Médicis 5e (vo). Lincoln 8e (vo), Bastille 11e (vo), Sept Parnassiens 14e (vo). Boulogne 92 (vo), Chatenay-Malabry 92 (vo), Montreuil 93 (vo)