Fredek uszczesliwia swiat: A 1936 mess of wires and gossip

Should you bother?

If you like movies that feel like a stage play taped to a bicycle, you might have a good time here. It is not for anyone who needs their comedies to move fast or make perfect sense.

Honestly, watching Fredek uszczesliwia swiat feels like being a guest at a party where everyone is slightly panicked. If you appreciate old-school Polish cinema and don't mind the plot being held together by duct tape and coincidence, dive in.

The invention that ruins everything

The whole thing hinges on this "phone-televisor" contraption. It is supposed to be the future, but it mostly acts as a narrative sledgehammer. Every time the story drags, someone turns a knob and suddenly the entire restaurant sees a husband cheating on his wife.

It’s a bit clunky, sure. But the way it exposes the hypocrisy of the local elite? That part still lands pretty well. It reminded me a little of the frantic energy found in The Stolen Heart, though with way more static and shouting.

Oddly specific observations

• The actors clearly have no idea where to look when they are 'using' the invention. They just stare blankly at a box.
• The way they try to sell the device is so earnest it almost hurts to watch.
• I swear the background music loops every three minutes.
• There is a moment in the restaurant that goes on for way, way too long.

The pacing is, well, non-existent. One minute we are in a laboratory, the next we are in a fancy dining room. It’s a total whiplash. Sometimes it feels like the director just forgot to film the connecting scenes. You can almost feel the movie trying to convince you that this gadget is going to change the world, even while it’s busy wrecking every marriage in town.

It is less of a cohesive story and more of a series of social humiliations caught on film.

The cast is doing a lot of heavy lifting. Some of them look like they are having the time of their lives, and others look like they just want to go home. It’s a strange, disjointed experience. It’s not exactly deep, but there is something about the naivety of the whole thing that kept me watching until the credits rolled.

Is it better than Fesseln? Maybe not in terms of craft. But it’s definitely more fun to watch people get caught in their own lies while trying to invent the future. Just don't go in expecting a masterpiece. It's a messy, loud, and weirdly sweet little relic. 📻