Louder Than Bombs

REVIEW
Modern Polish cinema is given a major boost with this witty look at young people caught at life’s crossroads. Elvis/James Dean/Morrissey fanatic Marcin (Rafal Mackowiak) is an 21-year-old car mechanic living in a small southern Polish town. His easy life of no responsibilities and fun are halted when his father suddenly dies and he is expected to prepare the funeral as well as the huge reception afterwards. Things get even worse when his beautiful lifelong love Kaska (Sylwia Juszczak) tells him that she’s gotten a scholarship to an American university. Despite claims of love and the promise that she will return after her studies, Marcin feels the winds of change smacking him in the face. But first he needs to bury his father, deal with his buffoonish “big city” relatives and then try to convince the love of his life to stay in the industrial town. Filled with snappy dialogue and a surprisingly funny cast of supporting characters, Louder than Bombs (from the Smiths album) is a thoroughly entertaining story about the clashing worlds of the old and new Poland. (Polish with English subtitles)