15th Polskich Nagród Filmowych Orły (Eagle Awards) Winners

More interesting is to learn this year's Eagle award winners as the Polish Academy spread the wealth among many films.

Big winner of last night ceremony was Manhunt by Martin Krzyształowicz (photo) which collected four awards including the high profile Best Picture.

Best Picture: Oblawa (Manhunt), Martin Krzyształowicz

Best Director: Roman Polanski for Carnage
Best Screenplay: Wojciech Smarzowski for Drogówka (Highway Patrol)

Best Actress: Agnieszka Grochowska in Bez Wstydu (Shameless), Filip Marczewski
Best Supporting Actress: Joanna Kulig in Elles, Malgorzata Szumowska

Best Actor: Maciej Stuhr in Poklosie (Aftermath), Wladyslaw Pasikowski
Best Supporting Actor: Arkadiusz Jakubik in Drogówka (Highway Patrol), Wojciech Smarzowski
Discovery of the Year: Michael Urbaniak in Mój rowe (My Father's Bike), Piotr Trzaskalski

Best Cinematography: Arkadiusz Tomiak for Oblawa (Manhunt), Martin Krzyształowicz
Best Production Designer: Allan Starski for Poklosie (Aftermath), Wladyslaw Pasikowski
Best Costume Design: Magdalena Rutkiewicz-Luterek for Oblawa (Manhunt), Martin Krzyształowicz
Best Music: Krzysztof Komeda and Mariusz Ostański in Komeda, Komeda ..., Natasza Ziółkowska-Kurczuk
Best Sound: Barbara and Peter Domaradzki Domaradzka for Oblawa (Manhunt), Martin Krzyształowicz
Best Editing: Jaroslaw Kaminski for Jesteś Bogiem (You are God), Leszek Dawid
Best Documentary: Wirtualna wojna (Man @ War) directed by Jack Bławut

Best European Film: Amour, Michael Haneke

Audience Award: Jesteś Bogiem (You are God), Leszek Dawid

The honorary Eagle for Lifetime Achievement was awarded to celebrated actress Danuta Szaflarska. To read news go here.

Elles

A film promoted to be about student prostitution that ends up being an examination of society, loneliness, and sexuality. Which is absolutely fabulous as movie turns out to be all about Anne and Anne is none other than Juliette Binoche. It's been a while since I see Binoche in such an intense role, a role that allows her to showcase her immense greatness as an actress.

There are few scenes that are stuck in my mind and know that will replay them often as her face says so much that's unbelievable how Binoche can deliver so well emotions with subtle eyes and mouth movements. This is her movie and well, is not the regular kind of movie she has been doing lately.

Film tells about Anne, a journalist for Elle, that his latest assignment is about student prostitution. But Anne works at home and I have the impression that most of the movie happens in or nearby the kitchen. Film is not sequential and the only way I could follow what was going on is noticing the costumes; but there are three basic storylines, one is the park interview with Charlotte (Anaïs Demoustier), another is the living room interview with Alicja (Joanna Kulig) and the third is what happens to Anne after those interviews. Charlotte and Alicja answer Anna's questions and most are recreated, so in between you will see quite graphic sex. If you ask me the recreations are done to show what Anne was thinking while trying to work on the article, as that's exactly how the movie starts. Won't say more as you have to watch movie to see what happens to Anne.

As a film is good but editing, even do I know was used to show how Anne compares her world and life with that of the girls, was on the too-much side. Sometimes scissors are better in the kitchen than in the editing room and this one is one of those occasions. But tech specs are impeccable with some great compositions that showcase Juliette Binoche splendidly. So Malgorzata Szumowska has composed an interesting film if you enjoy what I'm going to call a very French story/film in the hands of a developing Polish director; a film that shows her talent and tells about a possible bright future. Film was screened at the 2012 Berlinale in the Panorama Special section and Anaïs Demoustier collected the 2012 Etoile d'Or for the Best Female Newcomer, an award given by the Presse du Cinéma Français.

This is not a lesbian interest movie but then maybe, as the living room interview is one of the most incredibly hot scenes that I have seen lately but unfortunately when something surely happens camera goes blur and all is left to your imagination; but you get some clues, like when Anne is in the kitchen cleaning the coquilles, that will allow you to pinpoint whatever you imagined. So I'll give the label, but be aware that there is a lot of graphic sex between the young women and their customers.

No need to tell you how much I enjoyed film, mainly because has an incredible performance by Juliette Binoche in an intense role and if you have to see everything with Binoche -like me- then this movie is absolutely must be seen for you. Nevertheless I know that many will not like the film that unfortunately was sensationalized by absurd marketing that promotes story as student prostitution when film has not much to do with it.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

14th Polskich Nagród Filmowych Orły (Eagle Awards)

Recently the Polish Academy announced the nominees for this year and no surprise the film with more nominations is W ciemności (In Darkness) by Agnieszka Holland that’s Poland submission to Oscar that made the shortlist of nine and is nominated for Best Foreign Language film. Winners are in *BLUE.

Best Film
*Róża (Rosa), Wojciech Smarzowski
Sala Samobójców (Suicide Room), Jan Komasa
W ciemności (In Darkness), Agnieszka Holland

Best Director
*Wojciech Smarzowski for Róża (Rosa)
Jan Komasa for Sala Samobójców (Suicide Room)
Agnieszka Holland for W ciemności (In Darkness)

Best Actress in a Leading Role
Roma Gąsiorowska-Żurawska in Ki (My Name is Ki), Leszek Dawid
*Agata Kulesza in Róża (Rosa), Wojciech Smarzowski
Agnieszka Grochowska in W ciemności (In Darkness), Agnieszka Holland

Best Actor in a Leading Role
Marcin Dorociński in Róża (Rosa), Wojciech Smarzowski
Jakub Gierszał in Sala Samobójców (Suicide Room), Jan Komasa
*Robert Więckiewicz in W ciemności (In Darkness), Agnieszka Holland

To check nominees in all 16 categories go here.  Award ceremony will be on March 5 and will be broadcast live on Channel 2.