Directed by:
Jan HoloubekScreenplay:
Andrzej GoldaCinematography:
Bartłomiej KaczmarekCast:
Piotr Trojan, Agata Kulesza, Dariusz Chojnacki, Jan Frycz, Łukasz Lewandowski, Mikołaj Chroboczek, Andrzej Konopka, Julian Świeżewski, Magdalena Rózczka (more)Plots(1)
Jan Holoubek’s first feature film is a probe into the difficult realities of Poland in the 1990s, when the problem of the injustice of jurisdiction was completely neglected. The victim of a miscarriage of justice was an ordinary young man, Tomasz Komenda, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the rape and brutal murder of a young girl. His innocence was proven only after a long 18 years of struggle for survival in prison. (3Kino Fest)
(more)Reviews (3)
The Poles deliver a brutal, unpleasant, unsettling, emotional crime drama based on real events about a massive Polish judicial scandal. Tomasz Komenda is wrongly convicted for murder and rape and sentenced to 25 years in prison. It is a strong film, girls will need tissues and those with weaker nerves may find it harder to digest. The prison scenes are very intense (torture and bullying at its deepest level). As soon as the prisoners find out that there is a child molester among them, they go wild. There were also my favorite court scenes and also the criminal investigative side, so satisfaction from my side. This suffocating prison drama is something I really can appreciate and in a Polish package, the film is authentic to the core! 8/10.
()
Another film highlighting the flaws in the entire system, from the police to the courts, only that unlike the others, 25 Years of Innocence is naturalistic to the extreme, damn uncomfortable and with perhaps the most believable performances of all time. An intriguing and suffocating case that will have weaker characters scratching their heads, it's shot with feeling and grace, complemented by convincing performances and a realistic portrayal of the facts, and the result couldn't have been anything but excellent. There was something a little lacking for a full score, but I'd advise not to put this one off and go for it. Poland is showing that their work is far more convincing and closer to reality, unlike the US, and the feelings it can evoke are indescribable.
()
Another great gangster film by Polish filmmakers. True, the gangsters were the supposed protectors of the state this time, but that doesn’t change the fact that it was another intense experience that made me slightly sick to my stomach. It was a treat nevertheless:-) I highly recommend this film.
()