33 Scenes From Life

I started my festival this year with this Polish drama about Julia, a young, up-and-coming photographer whose mother is diagnosed with terminal cancer, and the stress that this misfortune puts on all of the other elements of her life, both through the natural grieving process that ensues, and the changes that Julia consequently undergoes.     

This is a subtle, believable piece, with a wide range of characters that we come to understand and empathize with.    Some of the more memorable moments are around the deterioration of the mother's health (she is a wonderful character, brilliantly acted) and the growing attraction between Julia and her photography partner, as she and her husband drift apart.   

I liked the story, but also the verite execution, with convincing group scenes and natural performances.  Strong writing too, particularly in the crucial emotional scenes, which tended to be quiet, largely non-verbal, but very compelling.    It wasn't perfect - I think of a few scenes where the grief was played out as hysterical laughter that felt overdone - but this was a very good film, genuinely sad and insightful, and a nice way to get the festival going.