The Taming of the Shrewd

In this post-Hollywood world, Americans are having to range further afield for their entertainment. I have not seen a lot of Polish entries here in the states and I am glad that streaming services like Netflix will give actors/actresses in other countries the opportunity for wider exposure.

This is a cute little romantic comedy with decent acting, believable chemistry between the leads, beautiful costuming, and stunning vistas. While is is next to impossible to match the multi-billion dollar budgets of legacy Hollywood films, I would argue that's a good thing. There is something fundamentally unreal and plastic about Hollywood productions and though that's fine for science fiction and fantasy, it simply fails to make up for a lack of good storytelling and just basic ENTERTAINMENT, which is the point of the whole endeavor. I look forward to seeing more productions from Poland.

Love watching the scenery of different countries with a 4k UHD tv, it's like travelling without leaving the comforts of your own home or exposing yourself to Covid-19 in a country where your travel insurance for health is not honored because your country has put travel bans everywhere you want to go. Unlike the previous Wyrmwood movie I just watched, the quality of the picture is fantastic in this movie...it's the finer details you see that makes watching low picture quality flicks unbearable to watch now. Like eating delicious home cooked food, then having to go back to canned food that may or may not be expired sitting in your pantry for God knows how long. I am assuming this film is shot in Poland, the landscape with the mountains and valleys look awfully like what the lower mainland of BC in Canada looks like though but the housing architecture is very different. It's much better watched in the original Polish with English subtitles, it sounds more natural and you aren't distracted by the lip synching though you have to be able to read which some people find too much an effort to do these days. Polish sure sounds like Russian though to the untrained ear. I find foreign film directors have very different styles in making a movie and to watch the subtle differences in them doing so makes it worth watching for that experience alone.

Is this a comedy? If so, it's not funny, it's boring and full of cliches. The acting is horrible as well. Anyway, don't waste your precious time with this horrible film.

If you are in the mood for something that requires little cerebral activity and have an escape from the day to day, this is a decent watch. A retake on the classic but with the female still maintaining her persona rather than being a submissive, mixed with some Polish culture and cinematography makes this a harmless, sometimes funny film. It has a plot and stays pretty much on track and it ties up at the end.

Don't try to overanalyse or think you are some big shot movie critic but take this movie at face value. It's simple and playful, it has funny anecdotes - some that get lost in the translation - and it's innocent fun.

I loved this movie. The wardrobe, level of acting skills, and scenery made this one of my favorite movies this year. At first I was hesitant to watch it because I had to view it with English subtitles, but don't let that distract any potential viewer. It's well made, and left me having good dreams, and a desire to know more about Polish culture.