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6.7/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 6.7/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Kocha, lubi, szanuje remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
Honestly, if you like old-fashioned black and white stuff where everyone is singing and acting a bit dramatic, you’ll probably have a good time with Kocha, lubi, szanuje. If you’re allergic to 1930s sentimentality or you need a plot that moves faster than a turtle in mud, stay away. It’s light, it’s fluffy, and it doesn't try to change the world.
Eugeniusz Bodo is in this, which is basically the only reason you need to watch it. The guy just owns the screen every time he walks into a frame. He’s got that specific kind of charisma that makes you forget the plot is basically just people standing around worrying about money.
I loved the early scenes in the pharmacy. It’s dusty and quiet, and you can almost smell the old paper and medicine. Wladzio is such a sweet, hopeless romantic that it’s actually kind of painful to watch. He spends half the movie mooning over Loda like a puppy that lost its favorite bone.
There’s this one bit where the economic crisis is mentioned for the hundredth time, and I started wondering if they were going to actually do something about it. Nope. They just sing instead. Honestly, a solid life choice.
Watching this made me think about The Broadway Madonna, just because of that whole 'small-town girl chases fame' vibe. But this one feels a bit more grounded in that specific Polish charm of the era. It’s less about the glitz and more about how these people treat each other when the bills are piling up.
Is it a masterpiece? Nah. Does it have heart? Plenty of it. Sometimes I feel like we spend too much time looking for 'cinema' and forget to just enjoy a nice, goofy story about a guy who really, really wants to impress a girl who likes horses. It's a nice change of pace from everything else on the screen these days. 🎻
