This could have been a great movie, but it falls somewhat short, in my humble opinion. But please, don’t let me put you off – it has a lot going for it, not the least being the leads in the film. (Review by Barry Meehan)
The European Film Festival in South Africa goes hybrid for its 9th edition between October 13 and 23, 2022.
Director: Aga Woszczynska
Country of Origin: Poland
Languages: Polish, Italian, English, French
(English subtitles)
Leads:
Dobromir Dymecki and Agnieszka Zulewska
Silent Land,
which forms part of the forthcoming European Film Festival, is apparently the
first feature directed by Aga Woszczynska. Hopefully it won’t be the last, and
hopefully she will have learnt from her debut, especially as regards pace and
rhythm. This could have been a great movie, but it
falls somewhat short, in my humble opinion. But please, don’t let me put you
off – it has a lot going for it, not the least being the leads in the film -
a very attractive and obviously wealthy husband and wife duo, Anna (Agnieszka
Zulewska) and Adam (Dobromir Dymecki), who are on holiday in a luxurious villa
in a very picturesque part of Italy.
Both blonde, slim and trim with chiselled features, Anna and Adam could almost be brother and sister. They live a lifestyle that is almost prescribed for couples of their class – they eat healthily, exercise regularly, dress well, enjoy a healthy sex life and present their best sides to each other and the outside world – in one scene, we even see Adam shaving his chest while showering.
But on to the plot – When they arrive at the villa, the promised swimming pool is out of action, which causes some annoyance as they were promised, and paid for, a villa with a pool. The villa owner, after some hesitation, promises to fix the problem and sends round a young and good-looking handyman, who is probably an illegal immigrant. Although there is no communication between them, owing to the language barrier, Anna finds him rather attractive, but doesn’t take it any further.
A tragic event follows, which causes the couple to question their own and each other’s morality. Who is actually responsible for the tragedy, and could anything have been done to avoid it? Their inaction is the crux of the story, but the question is why did they do nothing, when they could possibly have saved a life? And then, if they were in no way responsible, why did they lie to the Police about it when they were being questioned, especially when the Police had CCTV footage of the incident from all angles?
Firstly, the inaction, and the later actions and realisations of who and what they have become, cause huge amounts of angst and soul-searching. And this is where (again, in my opinion) the film fails to live up to what it could possibly have been – a punchy drama which takes a serious look at the complexities of class and morality. Instead, we get a slow-moving study of their pain and anger as their relationship breaks down.
There is beautiful scenery on show, the ocean sparkling day and night, but many of the establishing shots are far too long, and become boring, like so much of the camerawork. The director obviously prefers static shots without too much camera movement, and long static shots at that. The movie runs for 115 minutes, but with some judicious editing and tightening of scenes, at least 20 to 30 minutes could have been left on the “cutting-room floor”, making Silent Land a much better and watchable experience for all. That being said, please watch it for yourself. You might have a totally different experience. – Barry Meehan
The European Film Festival runs from October 13 to 23, and all movies are screened for free. There are also some showings in cinemas in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
For more information, click on the Festival logo to the
right of this article or visit www.eurofilmfest.co.za
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