Floating Skyscrapers (2013)
Starring:
Plot: Kuba is a sexually confused champion swimmer in a committed
relationship with his doting girlfriend Slwia. When he begins having a
passionate affair with the naïve young male athlete Michal his world begins to
unravel as the two boys spend more time together they fall deeper in love.
Slwia won't let go of Kuba without a fight. By trying to hold on to two loves
at the same time, Kuba insures a tragic ending for everyone involved.
Floating Skyscrapers is a 2013 Polish drama. It is a
fabulous film. A beautiful, yet sad story and a hard reality of relationships and
the love affair between two men. This is flawlessly directed and created. A
beautiful set up of the story and the heart touching heartstrings of wanting to
be with the one you love, yet knowing that it would cause problems. Your main
character Kuba is a professional swimmer and he just happens to fall in love
with another man. His mother and his girlfriend are in shock. The mother has no
approval of her son. His girlfriend tries so hard to hold on to what she has
with him as he clings to his desire and leads both down his path.
This is a passionate in my viewpoint masterpiece of cinema
on the idea of relationships. On the idea of following who you love and on the
idea of coming to terms with who you are and the ultimate understanding about
true love, but because of your surroundings you have to hide.
Now interesting to note is this film is actually kind of a
landmark. It is one of the first Polish productions to ever make the main topic
and the main storyline and reality of same-sex relationships. I find that to be
something that brings the film all the more clarity and ultimate understanding
of this film. I find this movie to be beautiful, to be a hard subject, to be
desirable, to be very drama induced. It sends the viewer into the reality of a
relationship and because of that relationship everything else around them
becomes drama. A wonderful acted performance by Mateusz Banasiuk as Kuba. He
does a fantastic job and creates the character in such a believable fashion
that the viewer can ultimately relate to him and ultimately become a part of
his struggle and his desire and his love, that is the passion and the power of
his character. He builds so gracefully on the screen everything about this
character. The next shining star would go to Bartosz Gelner who plays Michal
the one Kuba becomes attracted to and ultimately in love with. Gelner is
another fantastic actor that holds his character and gives his character a
beating heart and a passionate example of just how to act as an award worthy
performer on screen. The chemistry between the two of them shines flawlessly,
magically and passionately. Each one gives the viewer an emotional and personal
experience that the viewer can relate to. Flawlessly performed. Flawlessly
created. Flawlessly an example of perfection.
Another shining performer Marta Nieradkiewicz plays the
girlfriend Sylwia who is smack dab in the middle of Kuba awakening. She gives
off the vibes on screen to the viewer as you experience her drama and her
ultimate coming to terms and ultimate not wanting to let go and fighting and
angry and someone who I believe the viewer can relate to as she is experiencing
something she thought she never would have to go through. Her performance is
priceless.
Now in all reality this is a controversial film specifically
for its cultural setting. For the Polish people consider homosexuality a very
strict and heated taboo. This movie basically pushes the boundaries and also is
a token of pure bravery in showcasing and in covering this subject matter. I
think one of the most wonderful things about this film is the cinematography. The
scenes and shots are just amazing. The soundtrack is perfect. The soundtrack
and the images of cinematography is something that stands out as being a very
high-class piece of art on screen.
While going into this film specifically if you're gay what
one has to realize is where this movie is filmed? Where this movie is created.
For you see we here in America, specifically if you are gay, you have more
freedoms then most countries. Yes still bigoted against and yes are still hated
or protested against but there is more open freedom, that at one time didn't
exist and you have to understand that in this Polish community in the setting
that the film is taking place, it's like, it’s in the old days. There has been
comments by reviewers speaking of a negative nature in that the movie is
outdated. That the movie needs to move forward in the life of now, well this
movie is based still in reality. People don't realize that the freedom here in
America is not shared overseas in certain areas. They still fight. They still
struggle. They still hide. I mean in certain areas you still could be killed
for being gay. People here in America take for granted the beauty of the freedom
that they have. This movie showcases the struggle and the horrors that some
still face. This is a beautiful, touching love story between two individuals
and yet it's a drama. It's the understanding that no matter how much society
moves. No matter how much society embraces? There is still hatred. There are
still persons and people that don't allow certain individuals to be who they
are or to be in love with who they love and it's a sad and depressing reality. Kuba still feels the cultural reality of begin looked down upon. He fear his natures and his desire. He hides because of the disapproval or the idea of being a let down or shunned. This idea still affects many people.
This is written and directed by newcomer Tomasz Wasilewski.
This is his second feature film and I absolutely love the beauty that he
creates and that he shines and showcases a touchy subject for the country that
it is in. He creates his characters on the screen, written flawlessly, acted
flawlessly and most of all directed flawlessly. I love the movie. I highly
recommend it. I think it's a beautiful experience of cinema. It's passionate. It's
heartbreaking. It's sad that certain situations still go on where people feel they have
to hide. I think Wasilewski creates a wonderful beginning, middle and end. A
complete story. He showcases all the ups and downs. The hardships. The love. The
passion. The desire and also the hatred or the misconceptions of wanting to be
who you are.
This is released by TLA Releasing on DVD and is part of the
CANTEEN OUTLAWS studio company. Seek this film out and experience a wonderful
and touching drama written, acted and directed wonderfully.