"Mr. Cars and the Knights Templar" is a Polish film that tells the story of Tomasz, a narcissistic art historian who embarks on a treasure hunt alone.
It wouldn't surprise me to see this film in theaters, as the lighting, color palette, framing, and camera movements are excellent. It's evident that the people behind it knew what they were doing and have a deep understanding of cinema. The performances are also great, especially the protagonist, who effectively conveys the character's emotions.
Now, the screenplay, in my opinion, is one of the weakest points of the film. The main character, Tomasz, is well developed throughout the film and is even the central focus of the plot, but lacks depth. We don't know anything about his family, which doesn't necessarily worsen the film or leave us feeling like something is missing, but it certainly could have been better explored to create a stronger connection between the viewer and the protagonist. If the main character lacks depth, the secondary characters are even worse. Surprisingly, the children present in the story seem to have more depth than him. The "villain" also suffers from the same issues, being bland and forgettable.
It's worth noting that depth and development are two distinct things. Character depth refers to the exploration of their traits, motivations, backstory, and relationships. On the other hand, character development refers to the transformation, evolution, or growth that the character undergoes throughout the story.
As for the story itself, it's simple, but as I mentioned before, the main focus is on showing Tomasz's development, which is done masterfully.
I highly recommend watching this film, especially if you've never had the experience of watching a Polish film. You might be surprised.
