77. Squared Love (Milosc do kwadratu); movie review

 

 

SQUARED LOVE (MILOSC DO KWADRATU)

Cert 12

102 mins

BBFC advice: Contains sex references, language, sexual threat

According to my usual tastes, I really shouldn't have enjoyed gentle Polish rom-com, Squared Love.

But I found myself inwardly hoping that life and love would work out for Adrianna Chlebicka's empathetic character, Monika.

The primary school teacher leads a double life, also picking up cheques as a successful model so she can help pay off the debts of her widower father (Mirosław Baka).

Her assignments see her having to team up with Enzo (Mateusz Banasiuk) who seems to fancy himself as a ladies' man.

However, he is brought down a peg or two by the self-assured part-time model and he is also put in his place by his niece's teacher.

Yep, despite being given the initial brush-off by both of them, he falls for what he believes are two different women but are actually one and the same.

Thus, there is an element of farce surrounding Filip Zylber's movie as Monika's two different lives collide.

Squared Love is certainly the land of beautiful people - it doesn't matter than Monika wears glasses and her hair straight and has brown rather than blue eyes - she is still as stunning as her alter ego.

And I am no expert on male handsomeness but even I can see that Banasiuk has it in abundance.

Indeed, even the back-up cast look as if they have been fitted out by an international fashion house.

Nevertheless, despite the human coat-hangers, much of Squared Love's attention falls upon Monika in her supposedly plain Jane teacher guise.

This is when she is happiest and devotes herself to her pupils with great kindness.

To be honest, the storyline isn't especially intoxicating and the acting ist award-worthy but there is a ray of refreshing sunlight in Squared Love which is welcome during this dark Covid lockdown.

Even though we know where it is going, it offers a wistful bit of escapism. Either that or it caught me in a weak moment.

Reasons to watch: One for rom-com fans

Reasons to avoid: Plenty of cliches

Laughs: One

Jumps: One

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 6.5/10

Did you know? Mateusz Banasiuk has featured in more than 16 films since 2004. He’s known for acting in the television series ‘Pierwsza milosc’ and his film credits include ‘Floating Skyscrapers’, ‘All That I Love’ and ‘Who Never Lived’. 

The final word. Mateusz Banasiuk: "Our cinematographer Maciej Lisiecki and director Filip Zylber are very experienced creators and they had everything perfectly planned and invented. They knew and felt the direction in which they were going. But there's always room for improvisation and a little bit of madness!" MovieWay

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