By 
By Roger Costa
POLINA
Anastasia Shevtsova gives a tour-de-force performance as the young Russian dancer of the title in directors Valérie Müller and Angelin Preljocaj’s stunning coming-of-age well crafted production. Divided in two parts, the film first introduces an overwhelmed 8 year-old girl Polina (played by an equally impressive Veronika Zhovnytska) struggling to realize her parents’ persistent dream of seeing her as a star; her early passion and determination, as well as the inevitable feeling of family sacrifice are shaped within a prestigious ballet school where she is constantly humiliated by a rigorous instructor named Bojinski (a key role for Polish actor Aleksey Guskov). Though she has incredible engagement to the art, her instructor points that she’s distracted and lacks discipline, mostly consequences of the tumultuous financial problems of her father, who is threatened by a couple of thugs he owes money to, which generate a worrying amount of emotional conflicts. “I have to help my mother with her work”, she explains; “a dancer only has one job: to dance!” her instructor states. Ten years later, Polina is frustrated by losing a chance at the Bolshoi Ballet, and motivated by her love affair with a French dancer and against her parents will, she moves to Paris with him, where they find space to explore their art, but also many obstacles. After experiencing modern style with a choreographer (played by Juliette Binoche) and getting kicked out, Polina is defied by circumstances that will put her perseverance at risk. An intense, warm and heartfelt look at the eagerness of a young artist, as well as an inspiring testimony to art devotion, the directors conceived a precious and vigorous realistic drama, highly supported by Anastasia’s beautiful penetrating eyes and hypnotic characterization. (An Oscilloscope Films Release. Opens Friday, August 25th at Angelika Film Center and Lincoln Plaza Cinemas NYC.)
THE TEACHER
A school meeting is held to determine the fate of a teacher accused of abuse. Parents expose the drastic effects the Communist woman has been causing with demands on their children’s education, intelligence and behavior. Based on a true story set with the political turmoil of 1983 as a backdrop, Oscar nominee Czech director Jan Hrebejk (“Divided We Fall”, “Up and Down”) superbly blends dark comedy and drama to address authority, manipulation and corruption, raising questions on how far can one interfere in others lives. Zuzana Mauréry is stupendous as Maria, the lonely, mysteriously manipulative, insecure and emotionally disturbed widow teacher. Her complex, fierce, yet fragile performance stirs up both anger and compassion, as she turns the lives of her students into hell, literally persuading them to do whatever she imposes. An excellent study of character, structured as an intriguingly neurotic puzzle and developed through flashbacks of the teacher’s interactions with the community, filmmaker Hrebejk scores another goal in his career, extracting charismatic, compelling performances from the entire cast in this Award-winning mesmerizing moral satire. (A Film Movement Release. Opens Wednesday, August 30th at Film Forum NYC.)
CLASH
In this era of police brutality exposure, Mohamed Diab’s sophomore feature film seems utterly relevant and urgent as it depicts the claustrophobic experience of a large group of people being held inside a truck by Egyptian authorities during the bloody historical massive protest demonstrations of Summer 2013. A pair of journalists carrying a micro camera, a religious activist and his teen daughter, a nurse and her family, soccer aficionados, elderly people and children are all stuck together as they watch the city falling apart with the aggravated political conflict, murderous shootings, violent disputes and collisions between ordinary people, cops and organizers. The battles outside start to reflect on them, as they increasingly become raged and suffocated by political differences. Amidst the chaos, the narrative takes on another level, as it efficiently notes these people’s integrity, beliefs and willingness for justice with their personal remarks. At this point, the audience is taken by compassion, though the actors have already confirmed their talents as incredibly convincing performers. Egypt’s Official entry to this year’s Oscars, as well as a nominee at Cannes and largely Awarded at Festivals around the globe, including winning the World Cinema Audience Award at Montclair Film Festival, Diab’s stylish cinematic techniques build unpredictable tension throughout the brutal conflict, creating a smart, explosive and audacious, revolutionary exposé. (A Kino Lorber Release. Opens Friday, August 25th at Village East Cinema NYC.)
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