88
RogerEbert.com by Sheila O'Malley
An astonishing directorial debut.
Communion (Komunia)
Critic Rating
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- Poland
- 2016
- · 72m
Director
Anna Zamecka
Cast
Ola Kaczanowska,
Nikodem Kaczanowski,
Marek Kaczanowski,
Magdalena Kaczanowska
Genre
Documentary
Fourteen-year-old Ola takes care of her dysfunctional father, autistic brother and a mother who lives separately, but most of all she tries to reunite the family, hoping to bring her mother back home. Her brother's Holy Communion is a pretext for the family to reunite. Ola is responsible for preparing the perfect family celebration.
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What are critics saying?
80
The Hollywood Reporter by John DeFore
Upsetting but too curious to wallow in misery (and blessed with a few grace notes), the film pays tribute to a girl who rarely indulges in the self-centeredness that comes with adolescence.
80
Los Angeles Times by Kenneth Turan
Communion is a heartbreaking example of a classic documentary genre — the immersive, observational film that takes a bold leap and embeds itself with a small group of people.
80
Variety by Dennis Harvey
While Communion holds tight to its own private mysteries, it scores a perfect 10 in drawing out viewer empathy, leaving us hoping anxiously that things will turn out all right for its protagonists.
75
Movie Nation by Roger Moore
Zamecka’s all-access film means we see Ola’s desperation, and Magda’s resignation. Each one needs a break, and each is counting on the other to give it to her. Seeing Ola with a baby half-brother in her lap is just chilling.
75
The Film Stage by Jared Mobarak
The film becomes a document of Ola’s lost innocence, hardening her to the reality that faith only gets us so far.
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