Doskonale popoludnie (2005) Reviews

• Wonderful heartlifting film

  icetang852006-05-06

  I watched this film at its premiere at the Berlin Film Festival. Its a story about a man, Mikolaj, who is about to get married and the events leading up to his wedding. It is also a story about Poland, and struggles the country has had to go through in the years following the collapse of Communism. As Mikolaj makes his final preparations for his wedding, the film diverges on two stories, one, about him and his fiancé, Anna, and one about his divorced parents. Through a series of interesting and comical events (including a political discourse at a McDonalds), the film traces the two stories over the course of a few days through both Mikolaj's eyes and the eyes of a documentary filmmaker (which, although interesting and providing a lot of unique editing opportunities, is somewhat extraneous). A Perfect Afternoon, as this film was referred to in English gives a intimate, heartwarming look at the struggles of two generations within the greater struggle of Poland as a country, of what it means to be Polish and what it means to be a young person finding his place in that country--the film's energetic editing style, and cheerful yet not contrived mix of music makes it fun to watch alongside. This was the first film I saw at the Berlinale and one of my favorites. Doskonale Popoludnie tells a great story, and it tells it well, without being over-the-top.

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