I caught this movie on TV and I liked the story very much. Whenever I can I try to watch European movies. Maybe to escape from all the American ones that TV in Croatia is filled with or maybe just to confirm once again how we (Europeans) can make excellent movies. This Polish drama is great film and it goes on the list of successful Europe movies, along with movies from UK, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic, Russia and even Croatia (of course that list is way longer, so I left out some lands). Most of the Europe lands have very good movies and this is one from Poland.
Plot is about Jozef Koziol (Jerzy Stuhr), a man who left his family to live in a monastery. After 17 years Jozef gets out into real world with catholic band, because he sings good. His wife recognize him among his catholic friends and soon Jozef is expelled from monastery. After 17 years he meets his children Kinga (Roma Gasiorowska), Marcin (Maciej Stuhr) and Ola (Barbara Kaluzna). Kinga works on live show, where all people can see all that she's doing in the little studio room. Marcin works for politician Jan Cichocki (Andrzej Chyra) and he is Cichocki's campaign leader. Ola's boyfriend is a drug dealer and Ola is also familiar with drug. Jozef's wife Renata (Malgorzata Zajaczkowska) doesn't know what are their children doing and she blames poor Jozef for everything.
I admit Jozef left his family and that was wrong thing to do, but he's the only one who is trying to help his children, now when he's back. Director and main actor Jerzy Stuhr excellently shows us what are people capable of doing to earn money. From Marcin, Kinga and Cichocki to that man who took all of Jozef's money for identification card. What Jozef says that is absolute truth: "At least this didn't change.". That what's movie about. Times are changing but people stay the same, with only one goal. To make more and more money. No matter if that way is right or wrong. At the end Jozef gave everything to his children and he erased his former actions (when he left the family). He is the only character who is clean and innocent in the whole story. But he had to sacrifice his life for life of those who didn't care about him. Is that right or wrong you decide after you watch this movie.
