Dotknij mnie

'Touch Me' is a thoughtful film about a diverse group of characters searching for love, but it is by no means the gentle, sentimental tale that summary might suggest. At the beginning, we see a pair of comically clumsy actors struggling to shoot a commercial, and most of the words on the subtitles seem to begin with 'f'. After that the language gets more varied, but the overall tone of the film darkens.

Several of the intertwined stories are linked to the apparent shortage of paid employment in the impoverished-looking setting of Lodz, Poland. A well-meaning young man is reduced to taking a job as hired help in a brothel. Touched by the plight of one of the prostitutes, he tries to show her some real warmth - but can she accept it? Meanwhile, a lonely older woman is improbably courted by a good-looking younger man - but what does he really want?

The makers of 'Touch Me', Anna Jadowska and Ewa Stankiewicz, have said of it: 'We wanted to invite you to a reality which is funny, pathetic, not understandable, sometimes destructive and sometimes innocent - in short, to our small reality.' I think they've succeeded admirably; this is a film that feels all too real. 'Touch Me' is often uncomfortable viewing: people trust and are betrayed, and reach out only to find abuse. But there are glimmers of hope here, along with some sharp shocks. A painfully truthful, poignant film.