Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: APPLES [AFI Fest 2020 - Virtual]
A movie that constantly approaches and asks "who am I?" or "who was I?" revels in its sense of space. "Apples", a Polish film about a man separated from his mind supposedly is something a bit alien maybe to Westerners. Many people in a local urban area seems to be suffering from amnesia. They are taken in by local government via hospitals. Some of their families find them. Others are left on their own. The lead character is a simple man who wanders out one day and ends up at the end of a bus route and unable to remember his name. He never quite speaks and yet he does. He follows the path the doctors set out for him and follows it usually fairly close like a rat stuck in a maze. This might sound dark but it is not. It is fable of sorts and yet an example of brainwashing amid an idea of utopia. The state is trying to fix its people but the process is very interesting. He is given a series of tapes with instructions for social interactions. Most of them are simple but get more complicated and almost moral ambiguous as time goes. There is also an essence of classic cinema especially when the character of Anna who has a similar condition crosses paths with him. One of the constructs of the movie is based on the fact that Polaroids need to be taken of their daily life. Much of the humor and lyricism of the film lies in these sequences whether it be riding a bike too small or going to a strip cub. The performance of Anis is played so close to the vest that the viewer begins to debate if the lead character is not faking and taking advantage of the system versus actually operating in this way. One sequence in a dance club (not an electronic one) but a more laid back almost jazz/pop open air venue has Anis dancing and the perspective between and behind him and Anna is palpable but not defined. "Apples" refers to the fact of that Anis as a character loves apples. it is the one constant that relates back to his old life. And it is the first thing the doctors give him at the hospital. The double meaning is brought into line with a produce seller eventually say that it is supposed to help the memory. This makes Anis put them back as if he doesn't want to confront the past. It is done and humorous way and the film never feels stilted. This character and a few others exist in this in-between word, much like "Amelie" but with less vibrancy and the rhythm and texture of Jean-Pierre Jeunet. Still "Apples" is a beautiful little film that is just what it is but bordering on being more.B
By Tim Wassberg
