It is my opinion that almost anyone who enjoys films would be interested in seeing Jasminum. Those who are acquainted with foreign cinema would especially enjoy it, as it is not the typical Hollywood film. There are no botched drug deals, car chases, or explosions, but a wealth of emotion and relation. The characters are original and well-developed and serve to supplement the main theme of the film, which is important when taking into consideration what constitutes good film-making universally. This is not just a good Polish film, but a good film in general. Kolski is a master director and warrants the praise he has received with his Jasminum, a beautiful and heartfelt film. This film's beauty stems from the characters and the way in which they interact and represent the main theme of the film: the importance of love and relationships. Jasminum is a 2006 release that tells the story of a monastery and its inhabitants. The primary focus of the film is on Brother Sanitas, the pious monastery cook, who lives a monotonous life without the comforts of material possession. Sanitas lives in the monastery with his fellow brothers, Birdcherry and Plum, who are also pious, religiously astute, and prone to bouts of silence as they strive to achieve spiritual perfection. They lead seemingly uneventful lives until an art restoration expert and her daughter pay a visit to the mundane monastery.
The most meaningful and interesting aspects of Jasminum come to fruition upon the arrival of the art restoration expert, Natasha, and her five year-old daughter, Eugenia. Natasha has been employed by the monastery to try her hand at restoring an altar painting. Eugenia, who also serves as narrator of the film, is a cute, darling child who wins the heart of the solemn Sanitas. It is the interplay between these two characters that makes the film particularly interesting because Brother Sanitas has held the same routine for 13 years before the arrival of Natasha and Eugenia. Every morning, he feeds the animals, his fellow residents, and finally himself. Their time together represents the aforesaid primary theme of the film: how important love and relationships are in life. Both Eugenia and Sanitas both enjoy spending time together and look forward to what each day will bring in the company of one another, while at the same time understanding that not all relationships are able to last.
The love and relationship theme permeates throughout the film, creating a web of relation that involves other characters as well, including Natasha, Brother Birdcherry, Patricia, and the actor Zeman. Through the art of manufacturing scents, memories are recalled and amorous relations are created. For instance, Patricia believes that there is no hope in establishing a relationship with the actor Zeman, who is self-centered, arrogant, and ignorant of her intentions. However, with the help of Natasha and of a special fragrance concocted from jasmine, among other scents, she is able to attract Zeman's attention. Viewers come to realize the importance of scent not only in the history of the characters, but also in the history of the monastery and its 1617 prophecy by Brother Barnabas. Scent functions as the strongest form of sensory stimulation and as a way to help people remember the past.
The most meaningful and interesting aspects of Jasminum come to fruition upon the arrival of the art restoration expert, Natasha, and her five year-old daughter, Eugenia. Natasha has been employed by the monastery to try her hand at restoring an altar painting. Eugenia, who also serves as narrator of the film, is a cute, darling child who wins the heart of the solemn Sanitas. It is the interplay between these two characters that makes the film particularly interesting because Brother Sanitas has held the same routine for 13 years before the arrival of Natasha and Eugenia. Every morning, he feeds the animals, his fellow residents, and finally himself. Their time together represents the aforesaid primary theme of the film: how important love and relationships are in life. Both Eugenia and Sanitas both enjoy spending time together and look forward to what each day will bring in the company of one another, while at the same time understanding that not all relationships are able to last.
The love and relationship theme permeates throughout the film, creating a web of relation that involves other characters as well, including Natasha, Brother Birdcherry, Patricia, and the actor Zeman. Through the art of manufacturing scents, memories are recalled and amorous relations are created. For instance, Patricia believes that there is no hope in establishing a relationship with the actor Zeman, who is self-centered, arrogant, and ignorant of her intentions. However, with the help of Natasha and of a special fragrance concocted from jasmine, among other scents, she is able to attract Zeman's attention. Viewers come to realize the importance of scent not only in the history of the characters, but also in the history of the monastery and its 1617 prophecy by Brother Barnabas. Scent functions as the strongest form of sensory stimulation and as a way to help people remember the past.