Shameless

Incest and neo-Nazis should be an inflammatory combination, but this Polish melodrama plays things a little softer and sweeter than the subject matter suggests. Tadek (Mateusz Kosciukiewicz) has a longstanding yen for his older sister Anka (Agnieszka Grochowska), but she’s dating charismatic skinhead leader Andrzej (Maciej Marczewski). When young, rebellious gypsy Irmina (Anna Próchniak) comes on the scene, Tadek is offered the chance of a new life. ‘Shameless’ is superbly played and consistently engaging, but the film never really gets to grips with its fiery subject matter, trundling inoffensively towards a flat, unsatisfying climax.