Jak zostałem gangsterem. Historia prawdziwa

Polish Opus Magnum! Scarface Polish-style! The Poles serve a up pure gangster flick like gold, and after watching it, I'm completely blown away. It has a touch of France and the handwriting of Scorcese, and it's a wild ride! A true story starting in the 70s about a young boy who decides to become a gangster, builds his own army, climbs to the top, and cleans up the streets of Poland from all the filth. The film rushes forward at a crazy pace, one iconic scene follows another, the story unfolds in an unpredictable direction, with a beautifully chosen soundtrack (the sound engineer deserves an Oscar!!), the characters are fateful, there are several great and funny lines, gorgeous women, a large dose of sex, drugs, and violence, and the body count is so high that I wouldn't even bother counting. I enjoyed it immensely, and it's already clear that the Poles have created one of the genre's peaks of the year. Awesome! Gangster flick at its finest! 9/10. (20/04/2021)

I've said it a hundred times and I'll say it again: Poland is completely, completely different from the rest of the world when it comes to this genre and they prove again and again that even such a small and "bland" country can make it in the film industry with world class quality. How I Became a Gangster. True Story is a meticulously and engagingly told journey of a gangster from his own role as narrator, combining a dynamically shot story, excellent cinematography and an intense style against the backdrop of a story based on true events of the rise of a boss from the time he was a kid to his incarceration in a dark cell. There's action, there's blood, there's intrigue and deceit, and, most importantly, the portrayal of the main character is engaging, and a guy this charismatic inspires awe even through the screen. For Poland I would say it’s unexpectedly high budget and visually you would be surprised how "good" the film looks, and I would say it is rightfully one of the best rated pieces. The Polish language is again brutal and raises the rating even a star higher, as the word “kurwa” will resonate in the viewer for a good week after it's over, and while it doesn't reach the incisiveness of last year's Furioza (which was very different in genre after all), this is like something out of the blue by the standards of recent films. Bloody good entertainment! (25/05/2023)

Even though I've never been a fan of criminals, I paradoxically find films about organized crime very entertaining. I’ve always loved gangster films from the American Prohibition era, but I’ve become rather fond of Polish cinema over the last three years or so. This film is yet another proof that it's not just Pasikowski and Vega who make quality films of this genre, and I enjoyed yet another story about a massive son of a bitch (even though his actions were glorified to hide this fact). Anyway, I had a very good time. (22/07/2021)

A striving gangster film inspired by the greatest cinematic hits à la Scorsese from the Poles that definitely has nothing to be ashamed of! Ideally, I would have preferred it to be about half an hour shorter; as a viewer, I suffered a bit during the first half, but the pace picked up significantly in the second (at least it balanced out). It is an audiovisual stylish genre piece that relies on the biggest music hits of the past century. Additionally, the slow-motion moments and the protagonist's narration made me feel like I was watching a film from Ritchie. The story is clear and quite linear, which isn't a drawback. The film also doesn't shy away from brutality. I'm at a solid 7/10 (mainly due to the ending!), and I can recommend the film with a clear conscience. (17/08/2021)