Directed by: Tomasz Habowski
Starring: Tomasz Włosok, Justyna Święs, Andrzej Grabowski
Rating: ★★★☆☆
For a fistful of Polish złoty or not? If the budget of Piosenki o miłości (Songs About Love, 2021) had surpassed the 700,000 zloty threshold, Tomasz Habowski’s film could have entered the main competition at the Polish Film Festival in Gdynia. Instead of winning the Microbudget Film Competition, the Polish first-time director would have run for a Golden Lion, the top prize. The truth is that Songs About Love was financed through the Polish Film Institute that is also the main stakeholder of the low-buget side-bar for feature films in Gdynia.
Habowki’s debut feature portrays the emotional affair blossoming between Robert (Tomasz Włosok), a musician daddy’s boy and the waitress Alicja (Justyna Święs). Robert still zig-zags in life probably in an attempt to avoid being overshadowed by his father Andrzej (Andrzej Grabowski), a famous and battle-scarred man of the theatre that has seen better days. Alicja’s talent in songwriting and singing offers him the opportunity to do something with his life.
Songs About Love is a romantic film not because of the sentimental story it depicts but for the desperate search for emotional authenticity displayed by the two lead roles. Habowski’s film is also home to one of Grabowski’s most personal performances in front of camera and touches on uneasy topics such art-life balance and self-acceptance in waning years. Poland’s capital seldom looked so alluring on the big screen owing to Weronika Bilska’s effective camerawork that makes the viewer forget how much vertical and intimidating at times Warsaw’s cityscape, whether in ruins or not, can be.
The black and white cinematography is inlaid with smaller low-fi smartphone color footage that gives the film a mosaic in motion-like appearance. Ironically, despite having a storyline heavily centered on home recording sessions, Songs About Love ends up singing the praises of live music in years of dictated or self-imposed social isolation for many.
Film Reviewed by Giuseppe Sedia
Published by Kino Mania on April 10, 2022