33 Scenes from Life

Though not a rich country as such, Poland abounds with ideas and inspiration. Think Copernicus, Curie, Chopin. Maybe that's too high a bar for anyone, but writer-director Malgorzata Szumowska and her team don't even qualify. The plot of "33 Scenes" is dramatic enough: Julia loses her mother, her father, and her high-flying career prospects all over the course of what seems like a few weeks. But the more drama she takes on, the less you care. Is it because it's hard to sympathize with a spoiled brat in the first place? Or is it because the movie takes forever to get to the point? My inclination is to blame it on dubbing director Mina Kindl, who was in charge of the German version I have seen. The voice-over is entirely lifeless (and partly out of sync), especially Julia's. It sounds like it was recorded in a basement studio, with the actors reading from the original script, without even looking at the screen. There simply is no connection between image and sound. I sat through it, but it felt like watching a silent film and listening to an unrelated talking book in parallel. I'm wondering what the Polish version is like. As it stands, avoid.