Katarzyna Bargielowska Movies
Written and directed by Artur Urbanski, Bellissima follows aging femme fatale Elzbieta (Ewa Kasprzyk) in her efforts to push her daughter, Maria (Maria Goralczyk), into the media stoplight she believes she herself was denied. Maria, however, does not have the same desire, and goes as far as to walk out on the filming of a TV commercial which would have involved kissing the boy with whom Elzbieta is having an affair. Maria eventually runs away, even if it's only to the house of her next-door neighbors. Though she does become successful in the long run, a twist of fate leaves her taking care of her mother's most recent child. ~ Tracie Cooper, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Maria Goralczyk, Ewa Kasprzyk, (more)
Following up on his cult anime masterpieces Patlabor 2 and Ghost in the Shell, Mamoru Oshii makes his live-action debut with this virtual reality thriller set in a near-future cyberpunk wasteland, in which the youth of an unnamed central European nation are enthralled with violent and illegal virtual reality computer games. Ash (Malgorzata Foremniak) is a ruthless "Class A" fighter and reigning queen of the games. She's itching to move to the next level of playing. Aside from her gaming, she lives a loner's life with her pampered dog. She learns from a former team member, Stunner (Bartek Swiderski), that former game master Murphy (Jerzy Gudejko) was crippled after entering the game's most rarified level, "Special A." The level is only accessible under the right set of unusual circumstances. Once admitted, there is only one way out -- to win. Ash can't wait to prove herself and conquer the game. This film was screened at the 2001 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Malgorzata Foremniak, Wladyslaw Kowalski, (more)
- 1989
The English title of the Polish Gwiazda Piolun is The Star Wormwood. You'd never know it from that name, but this is a glowing tribute to a theatrical giant. The subject is Stanislaw Ignacy Witkiewicz, one of the leading lights of the Polish avant-garde theater movement. The film chronicles the last days in the life of the amazing "Witcaky." Much of Gwiazda Piolun has been adapted by Wladislaw Terlecki from Witkiewicz' own works. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Tadeusz Huk, Katarzyna Bargielowska, (more)
