the audience applauded

Good start, but then it gets ruined

The first must-see film of the year.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

Dym, or Smoke, is an interesting and well-conceived short film from a young Russian filmmaker named Grzegorz Cisiecki. Smoke is a surrealist short with no clear plot, but nevertheless crafts an engaging visual narrative; anchored primarily by its taut editing, a knack for striking imagery, and a clear and concise vision for the project. Though it may be a short, there is nothing amateurish about the film. Cinematography and shot composition are consistently on target, and although there is no dialog, the acting competently expresses the intent of the scene. The film clearly bears the influence of filmmakers like Kubrick or Lynch, but not to the point where they're merely being aped. There is a legitimate and convincing vision here.At the end of the day Smoke is a very involving and entertaining short film, perhaps about the elusiveness of truth, that confirms Cisiecki as a talent, and hopefully someone who can cultivate a large audience.

Where to begin with director Grzegorz Cisiecki's debut film Dym, a puzzling tapestry of surrealistic images hung upon the backbone of a story of a man lost within a dangerous hedonistic realm of what might be his own senses. Much like the works of David Lynch, of which Cisiecki's is clearly inspired, fantasy blends with reality to create an enigma of a film that must be felt to be fully unravelled, and whose emotions seem fully displayed, yet just out of reach, like clamours and ruckus from behind a stage curtain. The film succeeds not only in presenting stunning imagery, but also in the way it has been edited; the film zips back and forth between dream and waking life with a deft ability and allows for a natural flow of events that can be interpreted in whatever way the viewer chooses to see them. As a fan of the open ended and the abstract, I was pleasantly surprised to be challenged by the work here. I couldn't really quite say what the story of Dym was, perhaps a man trying to recall what happened to him the night previous, with only a tape recorder of ambient sound to remind him. The story cuts in and out of both his present day at the breakfast table, and his night of debauchery and pain at what seemed a lavish and macabre masquerade party styled not unlike Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. Whatever the truth may be, one will have a good time trying to suss it out; the high quality of production allows for repeat viewings making it a delight to return to. My only qualm would be that certain scenes take to heavily from films I have already seen, imitation may be the biggest form of flattery, but for a film, we are always looking for fresh experiences. Still a few borrowed scenes aside, Dym is a wonderful debut from what seems a promising director, and I for one look forward to his next outing!

A young man sits in an apartment, listening to a cassette and, it appears, remembering recent events. This includes a beautiful young woman who arrived at his apartment in a puff of smoke. As depicted, she was driven there in a car by a plump, sinister looking gentleman. In order to find his lady again, the young man travels to a smoky nightclub, where there are other lovely ladies on display. Some are crying jewels, others are taking photographs, with a camera dipped in blood. The couple meets again, and spends a brief time in the grass, with arms linked. But, at the end, the young man sits alone once more. What has occurred? Was it a dream or was it real? Are our lives as fleeting as wisps of smoke? I can't pretend that I understand this visually stunning short in its entirety but it was quite an interesting watch. Although it is a mere eight minutes long, its understated quality makes it a prime candidate for discussion. Just what has one viewed and what is its meaning? Most likely everyone will have a different answer! The cast is most handsome and the direction is well conceived and edited. Want to have a different kind of friendly get-together? Show this film on You Tube to your guests and then wait for the words to flow!

I am guessing the maker of this film contacted me and wanted me to watch his creation and review it. Why he contacted me is rather strange anyone can see from my reviews that for the most part I am not the best reviewer here at IMDb. However, I watched this film and have to say I do not have any idea what it could be about. Usually I would be more negative about a film such as this, but this one had such an interesting look and progressed in such a way to keep me watching. I also did not get bored as the imagery and the look of the film was top notch. I just did not really get what the film was trying to get across towards the viewer. Very strange, as scenes came across seemingly at random, however, they also seemed to have purpose. Just a hard movie for me to review. Like I said, not really the type of film I would even consider watching, however, this person seemed to want me to review it so I did. The film seems to revolve around mainly a young man, and the other main character seems to be a girl. There is a driving scene, a romance type scene and a dinner party that is very strange indeed. All tied to a man sitting at his apartment listening to a voice recorder. Very strange, but done so in a way to at least keep it interesting.