List films you've come across which have great premises. You don't have to list films which you enjoy; list films in general with great premises. This isn't a "List your favorite films" kind of thread; some amazingly good films have seemingly dull premises.
For now I'll list Dekalog episodes. I'll add more films in the upcoming days. I'll be doing stuff for the next few days and there's a ton of films I need to think of to add to this list, so...
Anyway: Here's my list (for now):
Dekalog II
The episode focusses on two persons: an elderly doctor (Aleksander Bardini), who lives alone in the ubiquitous Dekalog apartment block and works in a local hospital and Dorota Geller, a violinist with the Philharmonic Orchestra, she is in her 30s (Krystyna Janda), who lives in the same building.
The doctor lost his family during the war and has remained a bachelor ever since, he spends his free time raising plants and birds in his house and telling drops of his life story to his cleaning lady, Barbara.
The doctor meets Dorota coming out of the lift one day, as she is smoking a cigarette by the window. She apparently wants to talk to him, but is not courageous enough at first. The doctor goes out and buys milk and runs across Dorota again, since she has not moved from the spot where they met earlier that morning. She follows the doctor to his apartment and rings the doorbell. She asks him if he remembers her - getting a positive answer because she in fact ran over the doctor's dog with her car some years ago. After this unpleasant beginning of conversation, Dorota reveals what she needs an assessment of her husband's condition, who is seriously ill with a strange disease and lies in the hospital. The doctor is reluctant to do so saying that Dorota has to come to the hospital during visiting hours and closes his door. The doctor takes pity on her and asks her to come later that day to the hospital, he asks for Andrzej Geller's file; later that day Dorota comes in and the doctor tells her that he is very ill and that things do not seem well but he also says that in his experience patients with even less chances than him have recovered and that others that did not seem that they would to die, suddenly did, so his prognosis is very reserved.
Dorota does not give up and visits the doctor at his apartment again. She reveals important information: she is pregnant but not by her husband and at her age it might be the last chance she could have to get pregnant. She wants to know if Andrzej will live, if he dies, she would keep the baby, if he survives, she would abort. The doctor suddenly finds himself in a situation to decide on the life of others, he takes a keen interest in Andrzej's case and conducts many studies. Dorota is having a lot of problems of her own, she goes to the gynecologist and schedules an abortion anyway. She also meets with an acquaintance of her lover's, also a musician who is on tour, she receives a present from her lover and a request to bring some sheets of music along to their next meeting. She also confronts an alpinist who is a friend of her husbands that has brought his gear to her, she gets very angry and tells him that Andrezj is still alive and that his gear belongs in the Mountaineering Club, the team shall be leaving for India probably to climb the Everest.
In an ambiguous scene in a laboratory, the doctor seems to come to the conclusion that Andrezj does not stand a chance (but the scene seems to suggest that Andrzej could be recovering), Dorota tells him that he does not scape liability by his reserved prognosis and that she is going to abort the baby anyway, he tells her to stop, Andrezj is dying. She has him swear by it, which he does.
In a typical "Kieślowskiesque" scene, Andrezj opens his eyes and sees a bee miraculously swimming out of a glass with strawberries that Dorota had brought to him. Andrezj stands up and goes to the doctor's office, the doctor says that he is surprised (but does not seem to be) that he recovered. Andrezj says that he came back from "beyond" and is happy to have a baby with Dorota, not knowing it is not his.
Dekalog VII
Prior to the events of the film: Ewa is mother to Majka but became unable to have any more children, somewhere along the line she became head mistress in the school where she hired a literature professor, Wojtek, who met and fell in love with then 16 year old Majka; she got pregnant and had Ania, due to the scandal Majka was forced to pretend that Ania is legally her little sister and Wojtek avoided charges for seducing a minor by simply walking away.
The film: Twenty two year old Majka (Maja Barelkowska) still lives with her parents. Six-year-old Ania (Katarzyna Piwowarczyk) has recurrent nightmares and can only be consoled by Ewa (Anna Polony). Majka's father, Stefan (Wladyslaw Kowalski), spends his time fixing an organ in their apartment. Ewa is just as cruel to Majka as she is affectionate to Ania.
Majka quits her last term at the university and wants to flee to Canada with Ania but she needs her mother's signature to obtain Ania's passport.
During a children's show at school theatre Ewa takes Ania there to watch the performance. Majka manages to get there also and beckons Ania away. Ewa is schocked by the disappearance of Ania and nearly falls down a set of stairs. Ania believes that this is a game with her sister. Majka tells her the truth, she is her mother and Ewa is her grandmother, Ania seems to understand and then asks who is her father.
Majka goes to Wojtek's, who now earns a living by making Teddy bears. They meet after six years and Wojtek is surprised and uncomfortable to see his daughter. Stefan calls Wojtek but he says that he has not seen Majka in six years. Ewa begs Stefan to wake up his former political acquaintances to help them find Ania, since she cannot let her go. Ania has fallen asleep, Majka and Wojtek discuss about their past; while tucking her in, Ania grabs Wojtek's finger and he begins to warm up to her. Ewa and Stefan finally get a call from Majka who wants now to set her own conditions regarding Ania, namely that she be recognized as her mother and that they are left alone. In the meantime Ania has woken up and engages in conversation with Wojtek who now is very affectionate to her. Majka has come back and asks Ania to address her as her mother but she can only call her Majka.
Ania falls sleep again. Wojtek tells Majka to consider going back to Warsaw, since the trauma to Ania after the entire ordeal could be too much for her. Majka agrees and he promises to get a friend who has a van, to take them back. When Wojtek returns with his friend, Majka and Ania are gone. Majka calls again and demands that Ewa agree to all her previous demands and that she executes the necessary permits to get Ania's passport and visa into Canada. Ewa tries to negotiate but Majka is relentless, either she gets her demands or she does not see Ania ever again, after a moment of silence Majka hungs up the phone just as Ewa is about to agree to her terms. The phone rings again, it is Wojtek, he admits to his earlier lie and offers his help locating Majka.
Majka and Ania head to the train station. They want to buy a ticket anywhere, but the next train will not arrive for two hours, since it is Sunday. The woman at the ticket office offers the pair to stay until the next train arrives (understanding that Majka is fleeing from something, perhaps an abusive husband). Ewa and Stefan arrive at the train station and ask the woman at the ticket office about Majka and Ania. The woman tells them that they left two hours ago but Ania unwittingly reveals their location when hearing her (grand)mother's voice. The train arrives, Majka cannot confront her mother and boards the train alone, Ania runs after her understanding that something irreparable has just happened.
For now I'll list Dekalog episodes. I'll add more films in the upcoming days. I'll be doing stuff for the next few days and there's a ton of films I need to think of to add to this list, so...
Anyway: Here's my list (for now):
Dekalog II
The episode focusses on two persons: an elderly doctor (Aleksander Bardini), who lives alone in the ubiquitous Dekalog apartment block and works in a local hospital and Dorota Geller, a violinist with the Philharmonic Orchestra, she is in her 30s (Krystyna Janda), who lives in the same building.
The doctor lost his family during the war and has remained a bachelor ever since, he spends his free time raising plants and birds in his house and telling drops of his life story to his cleaning lady, Barbara.
The doctor meets Dorota coming out of the lift one day, as she is smoking a cigarette by the window. She apparently wants to talk to him, but is not courageous enough at first. The doctor goes out and buys milk and runs across Dorota again, since she has not moved from the spot where they met earlier that morning. She follows the doctor to his apartment and rings the doorbell. She asks him if he remembers her - getting a positive answer because she in fact ran over the doctor's dog with her car some years ago. After this unpleasant beginning of conversation, Dorota reveals what she needs an assessment of her husband's condition, who is seriously ill with a strange disease and lies in the hospital. The doctor is reluctant to do so saying that Dorota has to come to the hospital during visiting hours and closes his door. The doctor takes pity on her and asks her to come later that day to the hospital, he asks for Andrzej Geller's file; later that day Dorota comes in and the doctor tells her that he is very ill and that things do not seem well but he also says that in his experience patients with even less chances than him have recovered and that others that did not seem that they would to die, suddenly did, so his prognosis is very reserved.
Dorota does not give up and visits the doctor at his apartment again. She reveals important information: she is pregnant but not by her husband and at her age it might be the last chance she could have to get pregnant. She wants to know if Andrzej will live, if he dies, she would keep the baby, if he survives, she would abort. The doctor suddenly finds himself in a situation to decide on the life of others, he takes a keen interest in Andrzej's case and conducts many studies. Dorota is having a lot of problems of her own, she goes to the gynecologist and schedules an abortion anyway. She also meets with an acquaintance of her lover's, also a musician who is on tour, she receives a present from her lover and a request to bring some sheets of music along to their next meeting. She also confronts an alpinist who is a friend of her husbands that has brought his gear to her, she gets very angry and tells him that Andrezj is still alive and that his gear belongs in the Mountaineering Club, the team shall be leaving for India probably to climb the Everest.
In an ambiguous scene in a laboratory, the doctor seems to come to the conclusion that Andrezj does not stand a chance (but the scene seems to suggest that Andrzej could be recovering), Dorota tells him that he does not scape liability by his reserved prognosis and that she is going to abort the baby anyway, he tells her to stop, Andrezj is dying. She has him swear by it, which he does.
In a typical "Kieślowskiesque" scene, Andrezj opens his eyes and sees a bee miraculously swimming out of a glass with strawberries that Dorota had brought to him. Andrezj stands up and goes to the doctor's office, the doctor says that he is surprised (but does not seem to be) that he recovered. Andrezj says that he came back from "beyond" and is happy to have a baby with Dorota, not knowing it is not his.
Dekalog VII
Prior to the events of the film: Ewa is mother to Majka but became unable to have any more children, somewhere along the line she became head mistress in the school where she hired a literature professor, Wojtek, who met and fell in love with then 16 year old Majka; she got pregnant and had Ania, due to the scandal Majka was forced to pretend that Ania is legally her little sister and Wojtek avoided charges for seducing a minor by simply walking away.
The film: Twenty two year old Majka (Maja Barelkowska) still lives with her parents. Six-year-old Ania (Katarzyna Piwowarczyk) has recurrent nightmares and can only be consoled by Ewa (Anna Polony). Majka's father, Stefan (Wladyslaw Kowalski), spends his time fixing an organ in their apartment. Ewa is just as cruel to Majka as she is affectionate to Ania.
Majka quits her last term at the university and wants to flee to Canada with Ania but she needs her mother's signature to obtain Ania's passport.
During a children's show at school theatre Ewa takes Ania there to watch the performance. Majka manages to get there also and beckons Ania away. Ewa is schocked by the disappearance of Ania and nearly falls down a set of stairs. Ania believes that this is a game with her sister. Majka tells her the truth, she is her mother and Ewa is her grandmother, Ania seems to understand and then asks who is her father.
Majka goes to Wojtek's, who now earns a living by making Teddy bears. They meet after six years and Wojtek is surprised and uncomfortable to see his daughter. Stefan calls Wojtek but he says that he has not seen Majka in six years. Ewa begs Stefan to wake up his former political acquaintances to help them find Ania, since she cannot let her go. Ania has fallen asleep, Majka and Wojtek discuss about their past; while tucking her in, Ania grabs Wojtek's finger and he begins to warm up to her. Ewa and Stefan finally get a call from Majka who wants now to set her own conditions regarding Ania, namely that she be recognized as her mother and that they are left alone. In the meantime Ania has woken up and engages in conversation with Wojtek who now is very affectionate to her. Majka has come back and asks Ania to address her as her mother but she can only call her Majka.
Ania falls sleep again. Wojtek tells Majka to consider going back to Warsaw, since the trauma to Ania after the entire ordeal could be too much for her. Majka agrees and he promises to get a friend who has a van, to take them back. When Wojtek returns with his friend, Majka and Ania are gone. Majka calls again and demands that Ewa agree to all her previous demands and that she executes the necessary permits to get Ania's passport and visa into Canada. Ewa tries to negotiate but Majka is relentless, either she gets her demands or she does not see Ania ever again, after a moment of silence Majka hungs up the phone just as Ewa is about to agree to her terms. The phone rings again, it is Wojtek, he admits to his earlier lie and offers his help locating Majka.
Majka and Ania head to the train station. They want to buy a ticket anywhere, but the next train will not arrive for two hours, since it is Sunday. The woman at the ticket office offers the pair to stay until the next train arrives (understanding that Majka is fleeing from something, perhaps an abusive husband). Ewa and Stefan arrive at the train station and ask the woman at the ticket office about Majka and Ania. The woman tells them that they left two hours ago but Ania unwittingly reveals their location when hearing her (grand)mother's voice. The train arrives, Majka cannot confront her mother and boards the train alone, Ania runs after her understanding that something irreparable has just happened.
