843 Contributions by: Renee Cuisia (Page 54)

You don’t really have to watch the first two movies to get this third installment of the rom-com trilogy. Squared Love Everlasting is largely about how two people who are settled and secure in their relationship deal with a major curveball, in this case, the revelation that Enzo has some unfinished business with his ex, Ewa. The film works, in many cases, because the leads are charming, the script is lightweight, and the scenery is exquisite. It’s also not too focused on love as it touches on parenthood, too, and the potential trouble it poses to someone as bright, ambitious, and independent as Monika. In fact, Monika’s own story is so strong on its own that it often feels like it could be its own film. But sadly, this isn’t her film; it’s Enzo’s too. And his story, one of former and current flames, just never reaches the same level as Monika’s. It’s plain and generic, elevated only by his easygoing appeal and Ewa’s oddball antics. Apart from those, however, Squared Love is just your run-of-the-mill romcom you can stand to not watch.

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Actor: Adrianna Chlebicka, Ina Sobala, Mateusz Banasiuk, Monika Krzywkowska, Tomasz Karolak

Director: Filip Zylber

Rating: PG-13

Nothing happens in Soultcatcher that you haven't seen before. There is an evil scientist who creates a weapon of mass destruction. There are government officials fighting to obtain the weapon for political gain. And of course, there is a rugged team of mercenaries, each with their own distinct identifier, tasked to save the day. None of these elements are inherently bad; often they’re even needed in a solid thriller. But Soulcatcher fumbles these elements with lousy, uninspired execution. The action sequences are terribly paced, the plot is riddled with fillers and cliches, and there are too many confusing moments that take you out of the moment. This is a shame, because the acting is not bad at all, and the production value is decent, impressive even. If only the producers allotted more of that budget to supporting the writing, then maybe Soulcatcher would’ve turned out much, much better. 

Genre: Drama

Actor: Jacek Koman, Jacek Poniedzialek, Piotr Witkowski

Director: Daniel Markowicz

Fear the Night has an exciting premise and finds a competent lead in the ever-dependable Maggie Q, who delivers both heart and action in this home invasion thriller. But the film just has too many loose ends to be taken seriously. The attackers’ motivations, when the film finally reveals them, are plain silly and render the entire thing limp. The attempt at gender commentary is equally flimsy, and so is every other bid to be believable. In the wake of a shootout, for instance, you can clearly see the actress breathing peacefully after being supposedly dead. Moments like this make the film more funny than frightening, and much more tiresome than any slasher should be. 

Genre: Action, Thriller

Actor: Brenda Meaney, Gia Crovatin, Kat Foster, Maggie Q, Travis Hammer

Director: Neil LaBute

Boxer starts and ends with a reminder about Communist Poland and how difficult that time was for the country. “This is dedicated to the Polish immigrants who fled in the ‘80s, this story could’ve been real,” the intro reads. So one would expect just that, a film about the grit needed to succeed under an authoritarian state and the specific struggles immigrants go through as they assimilate into a new nation. Disappointingly, however, The Boxer is simply about a boxer, one so obnoxious and unlikeable that I wondered till the end why he was characterized in such a way. Are we supposed to root for this guy? If I was a Polish immigrant in the ‘80s, I’d be offended that he—a selfish, misogynistic, racist, power-hungry, violent man—was representing me. The Boxer could’ve done itself a favor by not pretending to be a film about migrant workers because it isn’t that at all. Instead, it’s a formulaic sports drama that doesn’t even redeem its hero. To his credit, Director Mitja Okorn seems to remember sometimes what the film stands for, and so the best parts are when it displays the discrimination Jedrzej and Kasia go through as non-English speaking European immigrants. But those moments are few and far between. What Okorn should’ve done to really save the film is make Kasia the lead. She is the only one who makes sense throughout the movie, and it’s her parts that are the most compelling. Sports movies starring an egotistical athlete are a dime a dozen, but to focus on the athlete’s partner and recognize their sacrifice and input? Now that’s exciting.

Genre: Drama

Actor: Adam Woronowicz, Adrianna Chlebicka, Eryk Kulm jr, Eryk Lubos, Waleria Gorobets

Director: Mitja Okorn

There are some things to like in this romantic comedy. It’s simple and cute, with Reilly delivering an endearing performance that recalls some of the genre’s best proponents (in many scenes, she seems like she could be the spiritual successor of Zooey Deschanel or Rachel Bloom, adorkable leading ladies with hidden depths). But too many parts of the film are simply outdated and offputting. The central conflict lies in the fact that Kip is “not like other girls” and too nerdy to be attractive, despite the fact that she is conventionally pretty and actually cool. She has a lot of friends, many of whom are POCs, but they have zero interiority and all revolve around her boy problems. If this film were cut and corrected, I could see it becoming a lighthearted filler episode in a romantic sitcom. As it stands, it just seems like a bland and forgettable entry in the genre. 

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Actor: Brian George, Charlie Clark, Georgina Reilly, Veronica Wylie, Wilson Bethel

Director: Marian Yeager