Palimpsest (2006)

Marek, the main character of "Palimpsest," is a police inspector, a man on the verge of psychological disintegration trying to solve an intricate case. The story is told on two planes. The ... See full summary »

Director:

Konrad Niewolski

Writer:

Igor Brejdygant (screenplay)

Stars:

Andrzej Chyra, Magdalena Cielecka, Robert Gonera

3 wins & 3 nominations.

Cast

Credited cast:
Andrzej Chyra	...	Marek
Magdalena Cielecka	...	Hanna
Robert Gonera	...	Tomek
Tomasz Sapryk	...	Maciek
Arkadiusz Bazak
Henryk Talar
Grzegorz Warchol	...	Neighbour
Adam Ferency	...	Malina
Miroslaw Zbrojewicz	...	Bury
Elzbieta Jarosik
Adam Kamien	...	Wazon
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Katarzyna Bargielowska	...	Nurse
Jacek Braciak	...	Marcin
Arkadiusz Jakubik	...	Bogdan
Jacek Lenartowicz	...	Second

Storyline

Marek, the main character of "Palimpsest," is a police inspector, a man on the verge of psychological disintegration trying to solve an intricate case. The story is told on two planes. The first one is a crime story, which constitutes the framework of the film. In the course of events, another theme appears - psychological experiences of the main character. Vivid blend of picture with sound and music will draw the audience into the deepest recesses of Marek's mind, making the viewers face questions: What is reality and what is only an illusion? Where is the borderline between the real world and our perception of it? What makes suffering meaningful and what is really important in one's life"?

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Plot Keywords:

police inspector | murder | husband wife relationship | doctor | 

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Genres:

Thriller

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Details

Country:

Poland

Language:

Polish

Release Date:

18 August 2006 (Poland)

Also Known As:

Palimpsest: A Hypnotic Mystery

Company Credits

Production Co:

Zebra Film Studio, TVP, Canal+

Technical Specs

Runtime:

80 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

User Reviews

Stylish but pointless

In the intro, a body falls to the ground, rather something does and only later we find out it's a body. Turns out it's the dead body of a cop. His partner is in charge to the investigation. But he also suffers from visions and nightmares. While he interviews and meets shady characters trying to reconstruct the dead cop's final day something becomes clear, that something isn't right with him and/or he's somehow involved. One witness is in a mental institution, another is a photographer with a weird neck brace. A girl he sees is also somehow involved. Because the viewer is warned that something is odd, when it is revealed it isn't so surprising but at the same time, the true scenario is a bit odd and rather weak. Coupled with the final scene that just increases the mystery we are left with little. With a movie like this where at end you have nothing then, the journey at least should be somewhat enjoyable. But it isn't. Sure, for a while you wonder how it will turn out and what the cop's involvement is. But the resolution is a let-down, perhaps the second worst in movies.

At around 80 minutes this movie is short. A lot of scenes are exceedingly drawn out, starting with the opening scene and the scene that follows of the photo of a face. Similarly, when a woman walks to a building, it takes forever. Clearly, there wasn't enough script for a fully developed movie. What the filmmakers decided to do instead of working out their idea was to work on style to mask the deficiencies. And this movie is somewhat stylish. It's filmed mostly in a yellow/green tone. The cinematography is pretty decent. But the music and sound effects are indeed too loud, intrusive, and pointless starting with the opening scene that musically tries to prepare us for something grandiose, but like the movie as a whole ends up being nothing special.