[UPDATED with English version of the trailer.]
Paweł Borowski's Zero is a film I've had a good feeling about for a long time. With the wave of young directors that is rejuvenating so much of European cinema knocking on Poland's door, Borowski is looking like the likely candidate to be the one to open it, his debut feature already drawing comparisons to the early work of Hungary's Georgy Palfi, and considering Palfi came out with the stunning Taxidermia as his second effort that's no small praise.
So, first time director, why show interest? Well, first of all, the primary production company - Opus Film - is one of the best in the territory and, second, they had the good sense to bring in top notch animation / post production house Platige Image to handle the effects. And considering Platige filled that role on Lars von Trier's Antichrist ... well, you know what sort of quality you're getting. And, finally, check out this head scratcher of a synopsis:
Yes, the film travels in a complete loop, the action constantly tracking the last person to speak. It's a fascinating idea if Borowski has the chops to pull it off and if the just-released trailer is any indication, that's a resounding yes.
Paweł Borowski's Zero is a film I've had a good feeling about for a long time. With the wave of young directors that is rejuvenating so much of European cinema knocking on Poland's door, Borowski is looking like the likely candidate to be the one to open it, his debut feature already drawing comparisons to the early work of Hungary's Georgy Palfi, and considering Palfi came out with the stunning Taxidermia as his second effort that's no small praise.
So, first time director, why show interest? Well, first of all, the primary production company - Opus Film - is one of the best in the territory and, second, they had the good sense to bring in top notch animation / post production house Platige Image to handle the effects. And considering Platige filled that role on Lars von Trier's Antichrist ... well, you know what sort of quality you're getting. And, finally, check out this head scratcher of a synopsis:
A big modern city. Morning. The office of a Thickset Businessman. A model of Newton's Cradle set in motion sits in the foreground (it's a characteristic gadget composed of suspended metal spheres). The phone rings. He hesitates for a moment. Then Thickset Businessman takes the call. It's Scruffy Fatso, a private detective, on the line. The Thickset Businessman makes a final decision to place someone under observation and gather compromising evidence against them. Scruffy Fatso hangs up and the action shifts to the inside of his van...
This is the start of a story which rests on the narrative principle of the camera following the character who speaks the last word in the dialogue. It's the story of numerous characters and of whose fate we will learn as much as this narrative principle allows. The film tells the story of 24 hours from the fragments of the lives of: a Thickset Businessman, a Scruffy Fatso, a Mental Case, a Skinny News Vendor, a Sweaty Cabby, a Tired Bloke, a Filigree Blonde, an Elegant Lady Doctor, a Poorly Boy, a Dolly-Bird, a Huge Geezer, an Energetic Old Man, a Bearded Fella', a Pale Woman, a Slight Teenager, a Trim Sex-Pot, a Dressed-up Chap, a Sympathetic Young Man, a Slim Woman, a Tall Barman, an Old Lady and others. Sometimes their fates entwine naturally, and sometimes as a matter of coincidence. The different threads of the story often entangle in a completely unexpected way. Sometimes we abandon them at the most intriguing moment only to return to them later in a completely different place. The camera's progress is unyielding. We follow it into a story of love, hate, betrayal, sex, violence and decay. To the bottom.
The hellish 24 hours come to an end. It's morning. The Thickset Businessman arrives at his office. He sets the model of Newton's Cradle in motion. The Cradle sits in the foreground. He takes a pill. The phone rings. He hesitates for a moment.
Yes, the film travels in a complete loop, the action constantly tracking the last person to speak. It's a fascinating idea if Borowski has the chops to pull it off and if the just-released trailer is any indication, that's a resounding yes.