Part of the Edinburgh International Film Festival
From the title alone, you might be forgiven for thinking that this Polish documentary was a piece of American schmaltz in the same vein as How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days or something similarly vacuous and icky. In actual fact, nothing could be further from the truth; instead of charting the ups and downs (and predictable ups) of a self-indulgent love affair, You Have No Idea How Much I Love You puts a very different kind of relationship under the microscope, and in a very different manner.
Ostensibly filmed as a documentary insight into psychotherapy sessions, the film features a cast of only three – with just as many frames, as well. Ewa (Ewa Szymczyk) and Hanna (Hanna Maciag) are mother and daughter whose rapport has become shattered under stress and strain. Employing the help of real-life therapist Bogdan de Barbaro as a conduit for the words they are not able to say directly to each other, the women reveal their true feelings about their past history and attempt to face their own personal demons.
Using only close-ups of the characters’ faces and dispensing with a script entirely, it’s an innovative form of filmmaking and a rare glimpse into a profession that is often scoffed at and derided as useless and money-grabbing. Anyone in doubt of the value of therapy sessions should watch de Barbaro at work, as he masterfully probes and nudges the two women towards realisations about themselves and each other that can help mend their broken bridges. As for the females themselves, the raw emotion on show is a rarity on the silver screen and provides compelling viewing for any spectator, though it’s to be expected that those with a similar backstory will get more from the picture than those unable to relate in any way.
The final disclosure at the film’s credits makes digesting the 80-minute exercise all the more problematic. Certain audience members might drastically change their opinion of the movie with the benefit of hindsight, but regardless of their reaction to the revelation, it’s almost inevitable that anyone who witnesses it will have some sort of emotional response. As such, it’s an interesting and highly worthwhile endeavour which casts new light on an often-neglected topic and brings a different edge to the art of filmmaking.