A romantic vacation goes awry when a volcanic eruption strands Bethany and her boyfriend, Rob, in Warsaw, Poland. Taking the explosive event as a sign to ditch her baggage, Bethany reunites with her childhood friend, Nel, to traipse through lofts, clubs, and back alleys—all while becoming entangled in an emotional web that challenges her sense of self.
Relationship dynamics can entail a lot of work – sometimes more than we’d like to deal with. As a consequence, they might make us feel trapped, despite whatever apparent comfort they otherwise might provide. And that, in turn, may prompt us to desperately search for an escape, one that offers little resistance but is riddled with impulsiveness, an abrogation of responsibility and unquestionable indifference toward the hurt it may cause. Indeed, it might be all too easy to disregard such fallout and proceed with an all-too-messy exit, no matter how devastating it can be. That’s a prevalent theme in the latest feature from writer-director Pete Ohs, the story of a cold, distant, anxious British tourist, Bethany (Charli XCX), on a supposedly romantic getaway to Warsaw, Poland with her boyfriend, Rob (Will Madden). Rob had originally wanted a storybook amorous adventure in Paris, but he willingly changed plans when Bethany suggested – surprisingly – that they experience the romance of Warsaw instead. (Warsaw?). The recommendation admittedly puzzled Rob, but he agreed as long as it would still fulfill his secret plan for making a marriage proposal. However, not long after they arrive in Poland, it becomes apparent why Bethany made her suggestion: it provides her with the means to meet up with an old flame, Nel (Lena Góra), whom she first met when they were teenagers and have had occasional flings together over the years. And, after only a few days, Bethany essentially abandons Rob to spend all her time with Nel, circumstances that she freely pursues and that leave Rob understandably puzzled. Bethany tries to justify her behavior by citing a timely eruption of Mt. Etna, an uncanny synchronicity typical of what happens whenever she and Nel get together. It seems that their reunions are always characterized by the impactful eruption of a volcano (usually somewhere nearby). Bethany and Nel unapologetically draw upon these decidedly less-than-subtle symbols of unleashed eroticism to rationalize throwing caution to the wind, no matter what comes from it (as if that’s somehow OK). It also symbolizes the release of chaos that leaves all personally susceptible apple carts sufficiently toppled. Not only is Rob left out in the cold, but so is Nel’s girlfriend, Ula (Agata Trzebuchowska). In essence, the “boring” nature of Bethany’s and Nel’s partners provides a dubiously convenient basis for their respective abandonments. But, while their contentions may be valid, are they truly burdensome enough to callously justify such actions? That’s the message here, and it’s depicted bluntly, without sugarcoating. And, as tactless and questionable as these situations might be, this torrid, sordid comedy-drama is nevertheless unabashed in candidly capturing them, scenarios that happen more often in everyday life than many of us would like to think (or openly acknowledge). As Pride Month/LGBTQ+ cinema offerings go, this release may not be typical nor as fully fleshed out as it could have been (especially in the somewhat meandering opening act), but its economic narrative and brisk 1:11:00 runtime are well suited to the nature of what the filmmaker has ultimately created. In many regards, the film also echoes the overall approach and many of the elemental details found in Woody Allen’s “Vicky Cristina Barcelona” (2008) but with a gay twist. “Erupcja” is thus one of those pictures that may make some viewers feel like they need to bathe after watching it, but one can’t deny its brusque frankness, and that can prove a valuable insight if we’re ever faced with comparable circumstances in our own lives.
"Bethany" (Charlie XcX) arrives in Warsaw, Poland with her nice but dim boyfriend "Rob" (Will Madden). We know that he is nervously awaiting a moment to propose and we also know that she knows that he thinking along those lines and is having cold feet. Anyway, we quickly discover why she chose Warsaw, Poland as the venue for the getaway as she goes to meet florist "Nel" (Lena Góra) whom she has known, on and off, for sixteen years. She, in turn, is vacillating over the nature of her own relationship with "Ula" (Agata Trzebuchowska) so with the scene now set we see poor old "Rob" treated fairly abysmally as the love of his life goes off to find herself. To be honest, just about none of this worked for me. Charlie XcX offers us nothing at all special as she portrays the character of "Bethany" - who has to be one of the most selfish I've encountered in a while, and the entirely unconvincing dynamic between her and the man she's supposed to have been living with for a year isn't helped by the constant reminders that Warsaw is, indeed, in Poland. There isn't even the vaguest spark of chemistry between this couple as either characters or actors. Likewise, though Góra at least tries to put some effort into her characterisation, there isn't much electricity going on there either as this non-story rumbled along to a conclusion that I couldn't have cared less about. The title alludes to "Bethany" believing that her fate has something to do with erupting volcanoes - Etna currently spewing out it's ash as they arrive, but even that theme is underdeveloped and the whole thing left me cold.
