Komornik

A study of an ambitious careerist who was stopped in his tracks by those he threatened with his drive upwards. The film is built on the charismatic performance of Andrzej Chyra and it is because of him that The Collector is worth watching. He lends credibility to his anti-hero and truly embodies negative charisma. Negative protagonists have always been more enjoyable for actors than righteous characters, and Chyra's collector is certainly more believable as a ruthless official trying to take a child's favorite harmonica than as a man tormented by feelings of guilt and regret, praying to the Virgin Mary. The first half of the film is excellent, but unfortunately, the script stumbles in the second half because the motivations of the characters are not credible and the plot on which the collector's downfall is portrayed is a bit messed up. Overall impression: 60%. Thematically, it reminds me a bit of Szabo's Colonel Redl... (29.04.2012)