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"List of Lovers" is a great directorial debut and shows us t

Richard J. Brzostek | New England, USA | 12/07/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

""List of Lovers" (Spis Cudzoloznic) is a drama with a dilemma. Professor Gustaw (Jerzy Stuhr) is asked to entertain a visiting professor from Sweden. It turns out that the Swedish Professor Bjorn is only interested in finding a woman for the night. Gustaw calls all of his former lovers hoping to find one that may help entertain his new friend.



Ironically, there are young, attractive women everywhere they go but Gustaw is intent on finding one from his address book instead. We learn about him as he recalls his experiences and shock can only describe his reaction to how the women he knew have changed. Although "List of Lovers" runs a mere 63 minutes, it covers everything well in this time.



"List of Lovers" is the first film Jerzy Stuhr directed. Stuhr's movies are often said to be influenced by the late Krzysztof Kieslowski. Stuhr stared in several of Kieslowski's films, as well as several other influential director's movies, before he took up directing. Although very debatable, I do not think Stuhr is trying to merely copy Kieslowski. Having watched all six of the films Stuhr directed to date, I tend to think he admired Kieslowski and wanted to pay him tribute. After all, I think Stuhr is intelligent enough to know that only Krzysztof Kieslowski is the best at being Krzysztof Kieslowski and only Jerzy Stuhr can be the best Jerzy Stuhr.



I think "List of Lovers" is a very good drama but isn't Stuhr's best work (personally, I think "Historie Milosne" and "Pogoda Na Jutro" are his best films). "List of Lovers" is a great directorial debut and shows us that Stuhr can direct as well as act. If you like Stuhr as an actor or director, "List of Lovers" is worth checking out.

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