Piotr Adamczyk Movies

His taste for the good life suddenly threatened by some pressing financial problems, Krakow bon vivant Marcin discovers that in order to tap into his wealthy aunt's vast fortune he will first be required to take a wife. Marcin may be a playboy, but he's no dummy, and quickly rushes out to find a fiancée. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

While the major American TV networks were jockeying to be the first to present a filmed biography of the late Pope John Paul II, cable's humble Hallmark Channel managed to beat everyone to the punch with the four-hour Karol: A Man Who Became Pope. Actually, this made-for-TV film was a Polish-Italian co-production, debuting on Italian television as Karol, un Uomo Diventato Papa on April 8, 2005, and subsequently released theatrically in Poland. Curiously, it had been filmed in English, so no dubbing was necessary -- thus enabling Hallmark to rush the production onto American screens as early as August 15, 2005. Piotr Adamczyk stars as Karol Wojtyla, whose tireless fight for humanity and basic fundamental rights begins with the German invasion of his native Poland in 1939. Appalled at the brutal treatment afforded his Jewish friends, Karol turns to religion as a means of making a difference in the world, and with the help of several other like-minded individuals mounts a nonviolent, but extremely effective, anti-Nazi resistance. Ordained as a priest at war's end, Karol finds himself fighting another form of godless totalitarianism, this one from the Communists who have overtaken his country. Ultimately, Father Karol Wojtyla's noble mission culminates in his being elected as Pope John Paul II in 1978 -- and it was surely no coincidence that Poland's liberation was now but a matter of time. Although A Man Who Became Pope looks lavish and expensive, it was very economically produced, and had made back its cost many times over before its acquisition by Hallmark. The film is also a "winner" in terms of its straight-on portrayal of the pontiff, and the commendably sincere, unadorned performances of virtually every actor in the cast. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Set in the 1950s when Stalin was in power, this thoughtful Polish story is an autobiographical account of filmmaker Krzysztof Zanussi's childhood. Hubert is a normal young boy living with his mother in the country. His father has been living in England since the war's end. As a result, the Communists frequently harass them to the point that Hubert's mother sends him to his eccentric Aunt Ida in Warsaw to insure that he gets an education. Ida welcomes her nephew and to help him get along teaches him the art of outwardly toeing the Communist Party line to survive. Ida is shrewd, charming and manipulative, qualities she uses to deftly exploit the government at every turn. The title refers to horseback riding, an activity that both Ida and Hubert enjoy. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi