The Polish Film Festival - every time I mention it people chuckle. I'll admit, it does sound a little like a punch line to a bad joke.
But make no mistake - this is serious, professional, wonderfully conceived and executed filmmaking on a par with anything that Hollywood has ever churned out.
Take "Trick" the film I saw this afternoon at the Regency South Coast Village Theater. Simply excellent. Directed by Jan Hryniak from a screenplay by Michal J. Zablocki, nothing in the film ever made me think it wasn't produced at the highest levels of filmdom. Trust me on this - had this film been in English and you didn't know it was a Polish film you'd think it came out of the best film minds available from Hollywood.
Acting, cinematography, direction - all great...the plot was insanely complex and yet simply presented and easy to follow. I cannot wait to see it again to catch all the little nuances I missed on first viewing.
It's a subtle film at times that continues to lead you back along the plotlines like some sort of narrative switchback. The characters are engaging and the story keeps you on the edge for the entire time. There is simply no fat in the plot anywhere and the director handled the shots and storytelling expertly.
The plot - what I'm willing to reveal so as not to spoil the film - begins with a police bust and then switches to a government minister being kidnapped by terrorists. A six million dollar ranson is demanded of the Polish government. One of the crooked government men in charge of handling the situation decides to grab a world-class counterfeiter out of 
prison to make the money - American money - to pay the terrorists ("not counterfeit,." the counterfeiter says, "a replica.") Then the crooked minister will just keep the real money and no one will ever know. Great concept for a heist film.
But that's just the start of what turns out to be a series of fun and interesting double-crosses that are all revealed and wrapped up in the last fifteen minutes of the movie, including one last image that made me laugh aloud - you'll know it when you see it. It's priceless.
This is a really good film that completely entertains you and leaves you hungry for more of the same. I spent the last week at the Newport Beach Film Festival - I saw nothing that really compared with this little gem.
I'm going back tonight and tomorrow for a few more films. Unfortunately, there's only tonight and tomorrow left here in Orange County. These films have been playing all week up in L.A. But you can probably rent these films soon and next year, if you can't get out this weekend, do yourself a huge favor and attend this event.
The films so far have been world class...
More movie reviews tonight or tomorrow including an interview with the organizers.
