O Rei das Fugas

For a foreigner, watching a movie about Poland's well-known escape artist in the dying days of communist Poland is a curiosity.

But beyond this, it's an average movie with the obligatory car chase, pursuing detectives and love story.

As a Pole raised abroad, it's completely understandable to me when people judge post-soviet filmmaking on it's dissimilarities to western media, but this movie recreates an iconic time in Polish history in it's full truth. The set design and character costumes are beautiful reproductions of Soviet Poland, and the movies subtle references to the time period through architecture, interiors, props, language and even the use of fonts make the movie a genuine treat to watch.

Najmro is a cunning crime/heist film that utilises techniques from the 1980's it portrays in its production in genius ways - the use of lighting in all scenes, the convoluted and minimal dialogue and the films iconic soundtrack are a treat to watch and I personally feel sorry for all non-poles unable to enjoy it in its true original.

Or one armed jack, the polish ''gjest baardsen'' edition of the true crime world. Yes and gjest baardsen was the norwegian edition and together with ole hoiland the breakout kings in my countrys crime world, and they are both filmatized, in black and white unfortunately, but the films are fab's and highly recommended.

This polish glorification of a petty crime(measured in 2022 crime world) culprit has been made very well on the time stamp, its an action filled nonstop action made pretty hollywoodlic style, with split screens and ultra slow motion on the most critical parts, if you like old car models from the 80's this is a gold chest, theyve made a pretty good soundtrack, but the acting is merely what you expect outta a film this kind.

Its never boring, the comedy inbetween, and the use of irony towards the police force may make the poles polish the floor from laughter cramps, and gave me a smile here and there. So if you want some true crime stories from behind the iron curtain, or the warsawpact era, its a recommend, the grumpy old man knows that 2 mill zloty aint that lot of money, but its worth a watch.

Every once in a while it's nice to watch a movie that doesn't take itself too seriously. "The Getaway King" was one of those movies. I appreciated the humor, the soundtrack, and the overall vibe of the movie. Honestly, I thought it had a very "Ocean's Eleven" type of feel and rhythm to it. It was cool, it was entertaining, and it was easy to watch.

It was fun, funny, thoughtful (at times), and easy to watch. It's an interesting story told at exactly the right pace. The main character was likeable, the situations were funny, and the acting was good enough.

Most of the Polish movies and TV I've watched on Netflix have had a gloominess about them. This one was a definite departure from that trend. I think it's worth your time.

This nostalgic action comedy brings you back in time to the last days of the PRL. Where food shortage is part of everyday life, toilet paper is a luxury product and you need to wait in long lines to finally get to the shop where only with bribe money you can get the last piece of fresh meat which the butcher carefully hid under the counter waiting for the best offer so he can also make ends meet.

This is where we join the main character in his endless struggle to beat the system in their own game and with pretty great success. However the setup of the film doesn't show the cliché which one would expect. We can experience a very different and pretty shiny Polish nightlife and the everyday life of a criminal who can afford to buy 10 movie tickets or watch his 9 TVs in the same time. Even though he is getting caught by the police again and again, he always escapes and continues his illegal business until someone slowly changes him and his attitude to life.

The story is not a Coen mystery but it's sufficient to keep the events flow. The main characters are well written and complementing each other. The acting is great and the editing is superb. The cheesy visual aesthetic is probably not going to be some viewer's cup of tea, but I personally enjoyed a lot and I believe it really adds to the comedic atmosphere. The recurring visuals and phrases are well placed. The DP plays well with the lights, camera angles, while during the car chases we get the good old schematics of the 2000s action movies. I would highlight the work of the art director and costume designer doing a great job bringing back all the details of this emblematic era.

Overall it's obvious that the crew did their best to show what they are capable of and if you are willing to buy into the director's view of comedy, you are going to get an unforgettable experience.