Presented by the Society for Arts, the Polish Film Festival in America runs Friday, November 8, through Sunday, November 24, at Facets Cinematheque, 1517 W. Fullerton; Rosemont 18, 9701 Bryn Mawr, Rosemont; and Society for Arts, 1112 N. Milwaukee. Unless otherwise noted, tickets are $14; passes are $75 (seven films) and $150 (15 films), excluding the opening- and closing-night programs.
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Floating Skyscrapers In this bleak second feature by Tomasz Wasilewski, a closeted, ultramasculine professional swimmer (Mateusz Banasiuk) falls head over heels for a younger man (Bartosz Gelner), which complicates the athlete’s relationship with an unsuspecting girlfriend and distracts him from his intense training. The guys forge ahead despite these obstacles, not to mention Poland’s general antagonism toward LGBT people, though the film is hardly optimistic. Washed-out cinematography, coercive camera work, and a tragic narrative stifle any sense of hope for the wayward lovers. I was discomfited by Wasilewski’s clinical assessment of the characters: his hackneyed explanation for their sexual orientation (overbearing mothers, naturally) and his cold depictions of their courtship (and lovemaking) suggest a punitive attitude. —Drew Hunt 93 min. Tue 11/12, 8 PM, Rosemont 18; Wed 11/13, 7 PM, Facets Cinematheque
Lasting This Polish-Spanish coproduction strives for the elemental power of silent melodrama, but its characterization is vague and its emotional displays register as merely hysterical. Two Polish college students fall in love with each other while working summer jobs in Spain, but a heavy-handed plot device forces the boy to end the affair prematurely. The girl falls into a debilitating malaise and so does the movie, grinding to a halt once the characters return to Poland. Things eventually pick up again, thanks to a few more contrivances, and the film concludes with an overwrought epiphany that feels totally unearned. Jacek Borcuch directed his own script. In Polish and Spanish with subtitles. —Ben Sachs Sat 11/9, 7:15 PM, Facets Cinematheque; Tue 11/19, 8 PM, Rosemont 18
