Bleak doesn't begin to describe "Four Nights with Anna." Or more to the point — sheer, undiluted creepiness. The work marks the re-emergence of Polish auteur Jerzy Skolimowski to filmmaking after a 15-year absence and, debates of whether it was worth the wait aside, the film is a return to form.
Skolimowski has a thing about freakish obsession, as demonstrated in works like "Mesmerized" (1989) that starred Jodie Foster as a young wife troubled by the obsessive sexual fantasies of a much older husband. He was a master in walking the fine line between outright kinkiness and accessible art house — and had worked with big budgets and stellar names in both the U.S. and Europe.
For "Four Nights" Skolimowski went back to his roots, downsized his project and assembled a virtually unknown cast. His meticulous eye for detail and the way he charts the emotions of his characters with distanced and brilliant precision remains unchanged. What's new is a queasy aftertaste, a blend of clammy fear and nausea that's difficult to shake off long after the lights come on.
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