He pays special attention to a role that was not present in the previous “Quacks”. “The biggest change in ‘The Quack’ compared to the two film adaptations is the character of Zośka. In the previous versions, she does not appear at all, considering that she is neither a character from the novel nor from the sequel to the first adaptation. She is written as a secondary main character and Kosiba’s love could have been the weak point of the film. Instead, Zośka is an excellent change and a great role by Anna Szymańczyk. The scene in which Zośka does not allow the count’s family doctor to enter the barn is extremely funny, and when the peasant woman fights for respect with the upper-class doctor , it makes sense for a story about class dynamics” – .
Foreign reviews of “Quack”. “Drop everything and watch”
“Quit everything you’re doing right now, log in to Netflix and watch ‘Quack'” – Jason Flatt from Butwhytho.net about the film that’s currently out. “Don’t let the amnesia storyline put you off. It’s not there for laughs, nor is it trivial in the slightest. It only adds to Antoni’s incredibly endearing nature. At first, he is portrayed as a kind doctor, a little reserved, saving children in accidents and despising the medical systems and insurance companies that are trying to prevent him from doing his job. A decade and a half later, he reemerges as a scruffy man wandering around with no memory of what he was looking for all this time and has lost the part of himself that may have scared his wife away. Instead, we have a sweet man, too modest in seeing his own good,” he describes. He praises both the romance themes and the story about the relationship between father and daughter, and appreciates the costumes, set design and make-up.
He also draws attention to a thread that probably no one paid attention to in Polish reviews:
However, one of my favorite touches is the way the community is portrayed as integrated into the Jewish community. Often, Eastern European shtetls are portrayed as poor communities where Jews lived isolated from everyone else, but this was not the reality. Jewish communities have existed side by side with Christian communities for a long time, and I like that the Jewish members of that community are constantly in the background. They even own the bar where much of the film takes place, and they are never the butt of jokes or racism. They simply exist within the fabric of society, as they should.
“Very impressive”, “requires patience”
“This film is a great Netflix production, very effective, with constantly changing color grading, intriguing camera work and a wonderful background soundtrack that skillfully supports the narrative. Not to mention that watching the film should be a fascinating experience if you are not familiar with the novel nor earlier films,” writes the author of the Fugitives website in a text titled “Polish melodrama done well, with a lot of love and care.”
He also notes that “The Quack” had an uphill climb from the start – he mentions the first two adaptations of the novel by Tadeusz Dołęga-Mostowicz. Rohitavra Majumdar:
I saw Hoffman’s widely acclaimed film many years ago, and when I sat down to watch the new film, not knowing about this connection, it took me a while to realize that it told the same story. Interestingly, I quickly forgot about it and didn’t even realize when two and a half hours had passed.
Nandini Iyengar from The Review Geek also notes the length of the film. “The running time of the film is about two hours and 20 minutes and for a drama like ‘The Quack’, it is quite reasonable. Such stories require a lot of time to put together. Even if you plan to watch this film, you must be patient, because the drama unfolds slowly and methodically. Overall, however, it is a solid production” – .
Charlatan Bartosz Mrozowski /Netflix promotional materials
‘Uplifting and satisfying’ production
“A film with an atmosphere referring to the literary giants of the 19th century [nie pisze o powieściowym pierwowzorze – red.] invites us to a world filled with emotional depth and a timeless message, showing a colorful portrait of family, identity and the enduring power of love. “‘Quack’ is a triumph when it comes to storytelling” – the author from Leisure Byte, who also praises Leszek Lichota and Maria Kowalska for playing as a father-daughter duo, and his only reservation is that Wilczur regains his memory in a too unexpected way.
In turn, the author of the video review from the Movies and Munchies channel praises the photos thanks to which the creators of “The Quack” were able to show broad plans so that the viewer could get to know this world. “There are spectacular views of the countryside that create an atmosphere of loneliness, but also peace. However, it is not only the outdoor shots that are impressive. We have an intimate insight into the characters, which allows us to look into the depths of their emotions without feeling like we are intruders.” He emphasizes that although the love plots are quite predictable, it did not deprive him of the pleasure of following them.
“While there are some elements of the story that are overly predictable, left unaddressed, or aided by major plot shortcuts, the narrative as a whole is uplifting and satisfying,” he concludes.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
