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Day of the Wacko

Original title: Dzien swira
  • 2002
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
13K
YOUR RATING
Marek Kondrat in Day of the Wacko (2002)
Dark ComedyPsychological DramaSatireComedyDramaRomance

24 hours in the bitter life of a frustrated divorced teacher who stays in the vicious circle of his numerous obsessions.24 hours in the bitter life of a frustrated divorced teacher who stays in the vicious circle of his numerous obsessions.24 hours in the bitter life of a frustrated divorced teacher who stays in the vicious circle of his numerous obsessions.

  • Director
    • Marek Koterski
  • Writer
    • Marek Koterski
  • Stars
    • Marek Kondrat
    • Janina Traczykówna
    • Andrzej Grabowski
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    13K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Marek Koterski
    • Writer
      • Marek Koterski
    • Stars
      • Marek Kondrat
      • Janina Traczykówna
      • Andrzej Grabowski
    • 21User reviews
    • 2Critic reviews
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 5 wins & 6 nominations total

    Photos4

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    Top cast71

    Edit
    Marek Kondrat
    Marek Kondrat
    • Adas
    Janina Traczykówna
    Janina Traczykówna
    • Matka
    Andrzej Grabowski
    Andrzej Grabowski
    • Sasiad
    Michal Koterski
    Michal Koterski
    • Syn Sylwus
    Joanna Sienkiewicz
    Joanna Sienkiewicz
    • Byla zona
    Monika Donner-Trelinska
    Monika Donner-Trelinska
    • Ela
    Aleksander Bednarz
    Aleksander Bednarz
    • Sasiad z dolu
    Zbigniew Buczkowski
    Zbigniew Buczkowski
    • Dozorca koszacy trawnik
    Dorota Chotecka
    Dorota Chotecka
    • Dog owner on the train
    Maria Ciunelis
    Maria Ciunelis
    • Wariatka w pociagu
    Krystyna Czubówna
    Krystyna Czubówna
    • Spikerka
    Bozena Dykiel
    Bozena Dykiel
    • Wlascicielka psa
    Piotr Fronczewski
    Piotr Fronczewski
    • Lekarz w TV
    Anna Gornostaj
    Anna Gornostaj
    • Klientka w kiosku
    Joanna Jedrejek
    • Dziewczyna reklamujaca 'wyciag z fiuta'
    Jan Jurewicz
    Jan Jurewicz
    • Polityk
    Joanna Kurowska
    Joanna Kurowska
    • Kobieta wychodzaca z supermarketu
    Piotr Machalica
    Piotr Machalica
    • Psychoanalityk
    • Director
      • Marek Koterski
    • Writer
      • Marek Koterski
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews21

    8.112.5K
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    10

    Featured reviews

    10moquaj

    Society-Critical film especially funny for polish people!

    The film does not consist only of flat humor as of vulgar speech and behave of the protagonist but has a very deep social critic (as for example the popping up of 3rd world scenes or showing how neighbors treat each other or in general how people talk to each other). The protagonist appears as a freak but compared to the rest of the world he is the most normal one, it is the behave of the society which leads him to his abnormality. An other strong critical emphasis is put on the consume-society of our world. TV advertisements are shown totally ridiculously and the products they advertise are totally non-sense. It may appear quite funny, but if we think about this fact it is shown like it is in reality. Profit and consume dominate about rationality and humanity. It is one of the best movies I've seen in the last year, the humor is not typical American slapstick or "Al Bundy -like" but the vulgar talking of the protagonist calms the pathetic style and makes it easier to watch and also very funny. A+!!!
    9yohan_nl

    Weird, but funny!

    I don't watch foreign movies very often. Day of the Wacko was an exception. But I was glad I saw it. Would not have missed it.

    The title of the movie contains exactly what the film is all about. A day of the life of a real wacko. Watch this strange man, doing everything in his own careful way. As he has been doing his whole life. The man tries to escape from his town, his habits.. his life. Will he manage to do this?

    A strange movie. But really good. And with some clear messages for all of us. If you get a chance to see this one, be sure to watch it.

    You will not be disappointed.

    It's a shame that this film isn't available on dvd in Europe.
    9MNMoviePaul

    Thoughtful and poignant meditation on the life we've lived.

    Even though I've lived in Poland for over a year now, I generally don't watch many Polish movies, especially newer ones, which I've found to be very derivative of American and British films. This movie however is a true gem. A rare film that makes you take stock of your own choices in life. The movie focuses on a day (though actually it has to be more than one day) in the life of Adas, a 49 year old high school teacher from Warsaw who's first words to us are "I'm afraid of waking up", and we soon learn thats not all he's afraid of. Adas is deeply dissatisfied with every aspect of his life. From his noisy neighbors, to his broken family, to the Polish government, to his own inability to climb out of his personal hell. Told mostly through narration voice-over which clues us in to Adas's thought process, the film explores the turmoil of middle age with an honesty and poignancy rare in film. While certainly hilarious in moments, this movie serves up an equal (or greater) amount of melancholy as well, balancing the two aspect, delicately. As Adas passes from compulsion to depression, to denial, to rage, we learn more about him, and come to empathize with him. The most striking feature of this movie for me, was the universality of Adas, and the relate-ability to him. Yes he is Polish, with some uniquely Polish complaints and problems, but he could easily be any middle aged man in any western society. While he's a wacko in his own way, what the movie says is, "aren't we all?", "aren't we all this man in some way?" This movie did for me, what hardly any movies do anymore; it made me think and reflect about my own life and my own choices, and any movie that can do that, deserves praise in my book.
    9BroadswordCallinDannyBoy

    Best Polish film in quite a while

    I think it definitely is. Recently Polish films were pretty much always with Olaf Lubaszenko and Cezary Pazura. A decent director/actor pair but nothing special. Their films like "E=mc2" and "Chlopaki nie placza" were funny but rather mundane, just vulgar humor followed by slapstick. It's funny, but you get sick of it after a while. Then there were movies like "Psy" which are Polish wannabe American crime thrillers and action movies. Again they were decent efforts, but not comparable to movies of the same genre from Hong Kong (Hard Boiled) or America (Resevoir Dogs). This film however is a true work of art. Not just made to look cool, but to express a directors point of view. I think it compares to Aronofsky's masterpiece "Pi," in that it's story about a man lost in the search for something. Granted is the fact that this is a very different film than "Pi" in its story, but artistically it's a good achievement for a Polish director who looks like he is on his way to be among Wajda and Kieslowski. 9/10

    No MPAA rating. Contains strong profanity
    10supernick-3

    Painfully true

    I'm not Polish, but I had the pleasure of visiting most of the country on multiple occasions, I studied there, I dated there. To all the critics who despise the use of profanity, the vulgar approaches of the protagonist, or the economical background, I invite them to take a closer look around Poland. If the described situations are unrealistic, then this is only half true. There are much worse and true facts that are either not mentioned or unexplored in this movie, like the feeling of unsafety, the neediness for capitalism and the exploitation hereof, and the careless and emotionless attitude of the young (men).

    Apart from that, this movie nails it. I saw it during a screening in my classes on Polish culture (braught by Polish teachers). I laughed out loud after the first words were uttered when the main character woke up. How sad, but how true his words were. Of course this is satire. What happens here to one person could at most be the combination of a hundred people involved. Still, the pain is real. It's not an easy life out there if you're a local. Everyday is a struggle, the English language is an unrealistic necessity, money is a key word.

    Keep an open mind when you watch this one. Seek out the good parts (I enjoyed all the dog references, since I'm not a big dog fan), and know that politically, economically, and privately, this does represent a part of Poland. I love that country though, with all its flaws. It's just not always easy.

    The movie gets a 10 from me. I haven't seen anything like it, and I've seen most.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Just like in two previous films about Adam Miauczynski, director Marek Koterski considered casting Cezary Pazura in the lead role. However, he changed his mind because of the fact that Pazura was then associated too much with popular sitcoms, and although the film had many comic scenes, it was not a typical comedy anymore.
    • Goofs
      When we see the dog shitting under Adam's balcony, it firstly does it on thick, green grass but in the later scene when the dog is with a woman, it stands on bare ground without any grass.
    • Quotes

      Adam Miauczynski: My dear friend on this journey. You built this dark mound to lead the life of a termite. Protected from the sunlight. Closed in your sad rigid rituals. Even if they make you mad, these rituals became your shield against the winds, the waves, against stars and feelings. Every day you struggle to forget your human condition. The clay you are molded from has dried out and hardened. No one will ever find in you an astronomer, musician, altruist, poet or human who lived for even one day.

    • Connections
      Referenced in Vdud: Andrey Ayrapetov (2024)

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    FAQ19

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • June 7, 2002 (Poland)
    • Country of origin
      • Poland
    • Official site
      • Official site (Poland)
    • Language
      • Polish
    • Also known as
      • The Day of the Freak
    • Filming locations
      • Debki, Pomorskie, Poland
    • Production companies
      • Studio Filmowe Zebra
      • Vision Film Production
      • Non Stop Film Service
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,277,521
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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