I colori del male: Rosso

STAR RATING: ***** Brilliant **** Very Good *** Okay ** Poor * Awful

The body of Monica Begucka (Zofia Jastrzebska) washes up on the sea, in mysterious circumstances similar to a case from fifteen years ago. Her mother, and former police chief, Helena (Maja Ostaszewska) joins forces with prosecutor Leopold Bilski (Jakub Gierszel) to track down the killer, and suspicion falls on feared local gangster Kazar (Prezemyslaw Bluszcz), when a ball of severed lips is found in his possession, but as events draw on, things are not as clear as they seem.

Foreign cinema has an unnerving ability to deliver thrillers in a cold, dark, grey style, of the sort that we see increasingly less of on this side of the pond. This Bulgarian effort, from director Adrian Panek, features a slew of actors unheard of on these shores, with names so unpronounceable they make Schwarzenegger sound positively easy. What at first seems a slightly cold and uninviting affair, gradually develops into an intriguing and rewarding thriller that keeps you hooked till the end.

Aside from the moodiness and uninviting greys of the lighting, Panek's film is also unafraid to shy away from some brutal, blood letting violence, liable to illicit a flinch or two from the squeamish. While as a film it unflinchingly delves into the grimy and uncomfortable world it inhabits, it's also carefully wrought, with some clever twists and turns along the way, and unexpected plot developments that allow the story to breathe and hold you in.

It's a bit of a slow starter, with maybe not the most dynamic opening, but it's ultimately a highly rewarding effort, even if it does take a lot out of you to get to the end. ****

I try to watch as many of the Non-English films as I can if they have been dubbed. Involves a young Polish Prosecutor, his investgations into the murder of a teenager and what obstructions he encompasses on the way including those from his boss and one specific detective officer on the payroll of the Mafia who infiltrate virtually every country on the World's Map. Involves some discreet sex, drugs, fetishes, Police and Judicial corruption and some violence but also shows how and why relationships fail, why teens go off the rails and are left to their own devices. It's interesting and quite intense even if a little convoluted but providing you DO like conspiracies you WILL enjoy this for sure. Polish dubbed to English, great acting.

It's a nicely-crafted Polish serial killer thriller, similar in tone and premise to any number of relatively recent Scandi-noir procedurals. The pace is deliberate and it's used effectively to develop the characters; a particular victim and her family get lots of screen time but the movie doesn't get bogged down in pathos. There's nothing particularly surprising in the story but it's a well-executed take on a familiar formula with good performances, comprehensible character motivations and some deft flourishes. Overall this is nothing spectacular but it's a solid effort that hits the right notes and concludes in a satisfying way.

Agile film, with an intelligent mix of flash backs and real events. Effective narrative with always maintained interest. Big twists, and just when you think the film is over, a final part appears, like a coda to a Symphony. Intelligent film with excellent actors. These bad reviews are nonsense. The film is not that violent, and the violence that appears is not gratuitous. Surprised by the technical quality of current Polish films. With good production, good actors, good script. In short: a top-notch crime film, with no commonplace and full of surprises. And forget the bad reviews: this is a good thriller.

I have mixed feelings after watching the movie. I had no high expectations, so I wasn't disappointed - overally, a decent crime thriller, but the one, which you probably will forget. There are some original ideas, and a magnetic charater of a main villain, a gangster boss and a sexual deviant, who killed and mutilated a young girl Monika. Or maybe did he not?

A great acting was performed by Monika's mother, Helena, an acknowledged Polish actress Maja Ostaszewska. Her character is a family court judge, with a broken own family life, who tries to seek the truth. Performances of the rest of the cast were good, but rather forgetable. The victim, which we get to know better from flashbacks, a young actress Zofia Jastrzebska, did well in difficult graphic violence and nudity scenes.

Script writer and filmmakers had an interesting general plot, but at times I had an impression, that they lacked an idea how to develop the action. Especially it was visible well before the end of the movie, when the police seem to enjoy an easy success against the main suspect, and the tension breaks. Some will find an interesting plot twist, some - incredible plot holes.

All in all, a decent film to watch. Luckilly, the producers didn't develop it into a mini series, what would have been a waste of time.