A Week in the Life of a Man

A solid, well-mounted and nicely performed drama by actor turned writer/director Stuhr (best known from his work with Kieslowski) which presents something of a state of the nation address on Poland's 'new reality' as the century draws to a close. Adam (Stuhr) is a state prosecutor (handling depressing cases of corruption, racism, etc), who's doing the rounds of press for a book of his cases, finishing off an adulterous affair while his infertile wife thinks he's attending choir practice. His wife is keen to adopt, but the representative is a member of the ex-Communist democratic left; his best friend is a psychiatric case with whom he feels unable to sympathise; and his wife finds giving love to a child over-challenging. Memories of Underdevelopment, Polish-style.