Playing Hard

I admire Polish theater that it is so open about alcoholism in Polish Society. The previous film that I reviewed on this subject was "The Mighty Angel". That movie and Zabawa Zabawa (Party Party) are similarly powerful but differ in perspective. The Mighty Angel deals mostly men whose lives have cratered. They turn to each other for help without improving their lives it's gritty and hard to watch.

By contrast, Zabawa Zabawa starts out squeaky-clean by comparison. We are introduced to three women, a student, an award-winning doctor and a successful lawyer. It seems as if all is well in their lives until we discover that each one has a dirty secret, a love of John Barleycorn, among other illicit loves in their lives. Zabawa Zabawa becomes difficult to watch as we see the secret creep out in the open and their lives result in loss of jobs, endangerment of lives of others and rape. As with Angel, there are no happy endings.

This is an uncomfortable watch but a worthwhile one.