The Dress

A strong performance by an extraordinary actress about the ordinary life of one little person. So well played by Anna Dieduszycka. The story is a real one for so many, tall or short. 10 stars to the writer, Tadeusz Lysiak and 10 stars to all actors in this film.

Greetings again from the darkness. For lonely folks, the dream of companionship is ever-present. Wondering if the right person will ever come along is a weighty burden to carry, and it's one that Julka has toted her entire life. Writer-director Tadeusz Lysiak and lead actor Anna Dieduszycka only need 29 minutes in this short film to convey the hope and pain that accompanies loneliness.

Ms. Dieduszycka gives a strong performance, and her dwarfism comes into play as Julka, a cleaning lady at a truck stop motel. Julka rarely smiles and only speaks when her co-worker and lone friend Renata (Dorota Pomykala) talks to her. Otherwise Julka is all about smoking and slot machines ... at least while she's not fantasizing about being "normal" and having true romance that leads to the loss of her virginity.

A truck driver named Bogdan (Szymon Piotr Warszawski) shows some legitimate interest in getting to know her better, and Julka's excitement mirrors that of a schoolgirl. Filmmaker Lysiak places Julka in a situation that seems to be her ideal romantic encounter - a sure sign that life rarely allows these moments to play out as we hope, which ironically, provides her with a taste of the downside of normalcy. The film is from Poland, and it earned the honor of being Oscar nominated.

The Dress is a short film in which Julka, a hotel maid with dwarfism, longs for romance, or at least a sexual experience. Julka has dealt with cruelty from strangers, and can be a little defensive about her size, but is capable of friendliness and soon attracts the interest of a truck-driving hotel guest. Things don't go as well as we hoped (actually, pretty awfully), and it would be interesting to know how this affects Julka, but unfortunately the filmmakers already used up the entire running time of the film with things that aren't very interesting.

A maid in a rundown motel, her friend, a truck driver and a drop of Bovarysm. The great virtue of film - the acting , especially admirable young Anna Dzieduszycka. At the first sigh, a film about first, terrible sexual experience, bitterness of marriage, friendship, dream/ desire becoming true in awful manner. The splendid detail - the untold stories, only suggested but in sketches with precise traits. Short, authentic gem.

An acceptable idea and storytelling.

I was with the main character of the story until the final moments. I was saddened by the tensions in the lives of these types of people, and an unfortunate truth was revealed to me.