Since the premiere of the very good series Watah and Pakt, we've got another Polish raisin from under the wings of HBO Europe. The dark, ruthless, terrible image of Warsaw before Christmas freezes blood in veins, and evil and debauchery goes deeper and deeper than it might seem. Is it worth to get interested in this title?
The main character, Kuba Nitecki (Kamil Nozynski) is a dealer with rules. Perfectionist, pedant, gentleman, these three adjectives perfectly match the created character. Known throughout Warsaw, "Kuba", because they all turn to him, supplies all the important personalities of the capital city with cocaine, but no one really knows who he is or where he came from. He tries not to mix personal and professional life. He tries because, with the ongoing action, it becomes more and more difficult ...
The great risk of director Krzysztof Skonieczny and producers who cast the debutant in front of the camera in the main role brings a twofold effect. On the one hand, the perfectly tailored characteristics of a guy, an unscrupulous perfectionist, give freshness and respite, from the well-known and recognizable actors known from other productions. However, the lack of conversation and experience in the profession leads to scenes in which it may seem that Kamil reads his issues from the prompter placed next to him. The apogee, in my opinion, was reached at the end of one episode, when the action takes place in front of the burning building. In one of the scenes, the serial Kuba hesitated and sounds like he literally forgot the text. It is not happening all the time, but also because such moments become noticeable. The sumarum sum meant that the final reduction of my TV series rating by one eyelet.
Much more, however, you can see the bright points of this title. A very good game known to all of us, partly compensates for the blows of the leading character. Phenomenal Jan Frycz in the role of "Dario", a former Warsaw gangster who just got out of jail and wants to build his position again in Warsaw salons. The brilliant Robert Wieckiewicz, playing the head of Kuba - the drug baron, also gave the character an amazing color. In smaller roles have been cast, among others Janusz Chabior and Cezary Pazura, who are on the level of the task and in a very good way add climate to the whole story.
The script for the series was created on the basis of a novel of the same title written by Jakub Zulczyk. History is multifaceted. He talks about the dark, ruthless criminal world on the streets of Warsaw, shows the internal transformation of the main character who, with a man who fully controls his own life, becomes a person falling into the trap set by himself.
The series is steeped in symbolism, and most often we deal with biblical references. The main character asks God for rain, which is emphasized already in the first appearing heralds. The rain, which, like the Egyptian plague, is supposed to "sink this city". The dark vision of the apocalyptic picture of Warsaw, which is the only way to heal the city, intertwines with the blissful dreams of Kuba. They allow him to move to distant, warm countries, where he leads a blissful life alongside his beloved person. Is he aware of what is happening in reality, and what is only an illusion?
The title itself evokes the Old Testament Book of Genesis and the story of the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Those who, despite being aware of doing bad things, do not change their behavior are blinded by a stream of light. Who will lose sight then ...?
Summarizing. If you are looking for a show that is not a simple story that will allow you to relax in a cold autumn evening, but prone to reflection, a hard story, then this position is just for you! There is no shortage of small errors or small mishaps, but the overall reception is the most positive.
A good Polish series from the HBO library.
