Rewers (Borys Lankosz, 2009): Poland

Reviewed by Nicole Muhlethaler. Viewed at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival.

This quirky comedy starts out feeling like a romantic comedy and quickly crosses over into dark comedy. Set both in the 1950s and modern-day Warsaw, Rewers follows the life of Sabina, a shy and waifish woman who works in the poetry section of a magazine. Having just turned thirty, her mother and grandmother, whom she shares a flat with, are convinced that she needs a man in her life.

As Sabina is subjected to her mother’s set-ups with potential suitors, the tone is a light romantic comedy. Awkward and strange men come to the dinner table as we watch Sabina squirm and make awkward conversation. The humor is very modern, and the music is light and jazzy, fitting the mood perfectly. Finally, one night on her way home from work two muggers approach her, and out of the darkness steps a handsome, brave, man to rescue her. Immediately charmed, Sabina finds herself swept off her feet for the first time by a man. He is, however, not who he seems to be, and Sabina finds herself in a desperate situation leading her to murder him during a dinner date at her flat. From this point onwards, the movie takes on a hilariously dark comedic edge, as the three women must deal with the body and the aftermath of the killing.

The movie is filmed in black and white as we follow Sabina in the ’50s, yet when we catch glimpses of modern-day Sabina, an old woman in an airport, we see color. This technique adds to the antiquity of the feel of ’50s Warsaw, along with a few archival footage shots. The cinematography feels dark and gritty, creating a truly old feel to the story. The music is also the perfect blend of light, modern-feeling jazz. It creates an atmosphere of playfulness which remains throughout the movie.

The acting is superb; Sabina’s mother and grandmother are perfectly hilarious, endearing, older women, whose comedic timing is right on. We want these women to succeed and to get away with murder. The end of the movie is just as modern and playful as the beginning. We meet Sabina’s son, a homosexual man, and his partner, who speak English and take good care of their Polish-speaking mother while joking with each other at the same time. It is light-hearted and sweet, and a surprisingly modern ending to an old tale.