By 
By Roger Costa
ALL THESE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS
In a documentary style, the camera follows two friends, Christopher and Michal, as they delight themselves into a nonstop party lifestyle in Warsaw, crossing the town’s most crowded, energetic, exciting and longest hours of music and youth pleasures. Infused with a contagious techno soundtrack that becomes a character of its own, connecting the encounters throughout the narrative, this elegant, sexy drama is an accurate portrait of a modern generation longing for the basic satisfaction: love.
Despite the careless, disposable, momentary, yet memorable situations, Christopher is concerned about fulfilling his love interests. After breaking up with his girlfriend, he goes on a self existential analysis, seeking the meanings of love, and how fundamental it is in his life. He, and his partner meet Eva, a lovable, enthusiastic, adventurous girl, who suggest a possible love triangle. While the camera accompanies them through their rebellious, revolutionary, ultra liberal behavior, dancing around their bodies absorbing vibrant nightly colors, director Michal Marczak conceives an effervescent portrait of youth, its beauty, conflictual emotions, and energy. He also captures naturally precious moments of melancholy, insecurity, longing, and hope through the philosophies exchanged in the circles of friends. Blending aesthetics of a modern romantic fable and a buddy story about friendship, love and the benefits of being young, the film wins the audience’s heart with its provocative vigor. There’s also a brilliant Fellini-esque atmosphere of dreams and joy, reflected also in metaphorical scenes as he wanders in the middle of an empty highway, walks up a flooded stairway, and crosses a long traffic jam. An accomplished portrait of the contemporary generation, giving it continuous new horizons. (A The Orchard Release. Opens Friday, April 14th at IFC Center NYC.)
THE TRANSFIGURATION
An official selection at Cannes’ Un Certain Regard, Michael O’Shea’s directorial debut is an efficient gothic teen Vampire tale that will not spare its gruesome, blood-infused appeal. The film opens presenting the protagonist, Milo, devouring a victim to satisfy his thirst for blood. The high school African-American teen is a shy, lonely, secretive boy who strategically maintains his dark, serial killer behavior. He lives with his older brother, who has no idea he cultivates an intense interest for vampires, their lifestyle and manners, gradually self-transforming into one of his icons. He develops an unlikely romance with a mysteriously frustrated and wounded girl who moves to the building, located in a dangerous full-time criminal activities neighborhood. Unconventional and utterly violent, director O’Shea brilliantly blends indie horror with elements of a neo-classic sexually ambiguous coming of age story. Increasingly surprising, the screenplay presents a variety of dilemmas dealt by Milo, and directly affecting his personality: he is bullied by kids in school; he confesses his desires to hurt animals to a doctor; he is submissive to the threatening gangster in the hood; he literally describes the “pleasures” of killing for blood to the young girl, as she imagines he’s narrating some stories out of the movies; and turns out he’s twisted, and outrageously preys his victims around Central Park, aiming horny old men, easily seducing and killing them. An impressive, over-the-top stylized and well crafted horror flick that should be a hit among fans of the genre. (A Strand Releasing Release. Opens Friday, April 7th at Angelika Film Center NYC.)
GLORY
Following up the fantastic “The Lesson”, Bulgarian directors Petar Valchanov & Kristina Grozeva’s second feature proves their authenticity, putting them as the most talented contemporary filmmakers in Bulgaria. A humble, vocally impaired, honest railway man finds a bag full of money while working the rails. As he turns it fully to the police, Julia Staykova, the assistant for the Ministry of Transportation sees in his actions a chance to politically profit from the situation. She quickly prepares an award ceremony for the good Samaritan, where he will get the honors from the Ministry himself. There, two incidents will cast the film’s essential purposes: he openly expresses his disappointment with the Ministry’s administration, causing political disturbance, and in an attempt to ease his anxiety, Julia takes his personal watch away, and ends up losing it. With the press all over the new hero, he’s invited to TV shows where the political indignation is brought up on national broadcast, stirring up turbulent events. While he’s trying to recuperate his watch, she’s willing to take any risk in order to restore her boss’ confidence with the public. Margita Gosheva (who also starred in the directors’ previous film) gives a furiously taut performance as Julia, a stressed out, workaholic, intrusive and determined woman, who amidst the political chaos, is also trying to artificially impregnate; since her first appearance on screen, when she’s being examined at the clinic, the audience notices her self-centered personality, as she completely ignores her partner’s opinions and the doctor’s advises, turning her attention to the demanding phone calls. A highly dramatic soft comedy, narrated in a nervous camera vérité style, brilliantly influenced by Neo-realism with a ‘David and Goliath’ structure that reports the schemes of political corruption and other social issues such as unpaid salaries and unfair working conditions, “Glory” is among this year’s best films. (A Film Movement Release. Opens Wednesday, April 12th at Film Forum NYC.)
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