Symetria (2003)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Konrad Niewolski

Writer:

Konrad Niewolski (writer)

Release Date:

6 February 2004 (Poland)

Genre:

Drama | Thriller

Plot Keywords:

Criminal | Coincidence | Fall | Child Molester | Miscarriage Of Justice

Awards:

2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Arkadiusz Detmer	...	Lukasz
Andrzej Chyra	...	Dawid
Janusz Bukowski	...	Roman
Marcin Jedrzejewski	...	Siwy
Mariusz Jakus	...	Kosior
Borys Szyc	...	Albert
Kinga Preis	...	Dawid's Wife
Janusz Chabior	...	Warden
Elzbieta Kijowska	...	Lukasz's Mother
Weronika Brzezicka-Kaminska	...	Lukasz's Sister
Pawel Szczesny	...	Pedophile
Andrzej Andrzejewski	...	Zborek
Dariusz Biskupski	...	Adolf
Grzegorz Kowalczyk	...	Rapist
Aleksander Mikolajczak	...	Lukasz's Lawyer

Also Known As:

Symmetry (International: English title)

Runtime:

99 min

Country:

Poland

Language:

Polish

Color:

Color

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Filming Locations:

Warsaw, Poland

Company:

EM Jolanta Dobosz

Going through the motions

There was a time when Polish cinema ranked among the best of the world. Those days, inevitably and indubitably, are over. "Symetria" is a perfect example of why - a failure of a film, a dismal, boring, drawn-out, sentimental mess.

"Symetria" or "Symmetry" for those who haven't yet caught on, tells the story of a man who ends up in prison, entirely without reason, assuring us continuously of his innocence and ends up being corrupted by the system. In a word, true - this happens often, I do not doubt. In a world outside of society, people begin living by their own rules very much a la "Lord of the Flies." But what "Symetria" does is not explore this theme with a new angle, try to shed light on it or even portray the theme realistically. What it does is *attempt* to be art rather than actually *be* art. In other words, it becomes a grotesque, vulgar bore-show of long takes and clichéd dialogue and trivialized psychological analysis. The shift in personality that occurs in the main character I simply do not buy - especially when he turns on a man whom he has consistently, without fail treated as a friend (until this particular moment that I don't want to reveal.) This film is an insult to the intelligence of anyone who takes cinema seriously. It's tragic too because "Symetria" opens with a lot of potential, but it goes through the motions of a story and believable character development rather than actually accomplish these things. At the end of it I felt cheated, empty, unsatisfied - even dissatisfied. It's been a while since I've seen a dramatic film, that takes itself seriously, strewn together from parts of films and books far greater than itself - all to amount to a jumbled mess.

I won't get into specifics, but my main problem is with the corruption of the main character. It doesn't happen realistically, believably and a step at a time. It seems like he's a nice, shy, isolated guy at first and then suddenly, he turns into a prison-life-savvy vigilante. In fact, the film actually seems to imply what it tries to be dead set against: namely that jails, however horrid, actually instill a sense of morality and responsibility in an individual that is far beyond what people outside of jail can comprehend. Jail is good - the tough, who survive, are tough enough to take morality into their own hands and do it justly. Or so the film seems to imply through its final scenes - I don't want to spoil the fun for whoever wants to watch "Symetria" by revealing them.

Needless to say, this is a below-average film and I think I disliked it so much because it pretends to be about so much, while being about nothing, or failing to be about anything well. In that respect it's pretentious, self-involved, simplistic and forced.