Tricks ( Sztuczki )

For 8 year-old Stefek, living with his mother and sister in a small Polish town and watching the behaviour of those around him, there's only one way of getting what you want in this world and that's through tricking people into doing what you want them to do. It was another woman who apparently tricked his father into leaving them, so when he sees a man at the train station who he is certain looks like his father, he sets about trying to find a way to trick him into coming back.

Andrej Jakimowski's second feature (Sztuczki) adopts a childlike view of the world in this respect, one that is observant of human nature and behaviour with the innocent belief that there's a key to figuring it all out if you know where to look - and with a little bit of luck on your side, you can turn it to your advantage. To mix a few metaphors, Stefek's approach is something like - you can lead a horse to water, but you can't teach an old dog new tricks, at least not until the pigeons come home to roost.

The wonder of the Tricks is that, by taking a couple if commonplace situations and looking at them in a new way, it almost convinces you that such an absurd way of looking at the world may not necessarily be all that far off the mark. The film may be made up of fairly commonplace situations, but linking everything together, it shows simply and beautifully how everyday life can have its wondrous little moments and, with a little bit of a nudge in the right direction, it may be possible to make it a better place or at least find some sense behind it all. Attractively shot, delightfully paced, charmingly performed and with a playful score, this is fresh, vibrant new cinema from Poland.

The film has a terrific-looking transfer on this UK DVD release, the clear enhanced widescreen image doing justice to the slightly tinted colouration. The audio is Dolby Digital 2.0 only. Subtitles are optional and the only extra feature is the film's trailer.

Sztuczki (Tricks) is a delightful movie about a pair of young siblings - a brother and sister who live with their mother in a small town in Poland. Stefek is just a kid but he is quite clever; he admires his older sister Elka who has a guy friend that drives a motorcycle. The tricks they perform are not mischievous but are small deeds that influence fate, and their results are quite magical.

We see the pair repeat their daily routines and we learn about their lives. Elka shows his brother that by intending something to happen and making a small sacrifice, the results can materialize. She does this by placing a hamburger in a bag near a trashcan and says it will find its way into the trash bin, which it does although not directly. It is amusing seeing them do such things and bribe fate.

Elka has ambitions for what she would like to achieve; she would like to learn Italian and get a job with an Italian company. Elka's guy friend has the ambition of having their friendship turn into something more. Stefek is quite interested in finding his father who walked out on them, so he spends his free time looking at the guys at the train station, comparing them to an old photo with scribble marks all over it. When he sees a man whom he thinks is his father, his greatest trick will be to influence things so he returns to his mother.

A little luck never hurts too. For those not familiar with the superstition that is well know in Poland, there is a scene where Stefek is holding his thumbs in his fists. He is doing this for luck (which is same idea as crossing one's fingers for luck).

Sztuczki is directed by Andrzej Jakimowski. I would say this movie falls somewhere between a comedy and a feel good drama. His earlier (and first) film, Zmruz Oczy, has a similar overall feeling and earned him recognition winning many awards. I would say his second film outdid his prior work. Although this movie might not appeal to those looking for a movie with violence or sex (because it doesn't show any of this), it is just right for everyone else.

Previous reviewers have written in some detail why they have liked this. It's difficult to add more, except to say what a gem this movie is and that it should not be missed. The characters are likeable from the start. They are 'real' working class people, just like people we might know. What they do is also real, be it riding through town on a motorbike or spending a day in the country. I must mention the down-at-heel urban setting, which plays a vital role: the shabby facades, the railway sidings, even the basic-looking supermarket. It's all quite beautiful. A Ken Loach would have made this a grim and worthy experience; a Mike Leigh would have turned this into caricature. Instead, it is a film that's almost huggable; one that's Impossible not to like. There are some perfect choices of music, too. I'm extremely glad I bought 'Tricks'.