Infamy is a new Polish drama series that follows the life of Zosia, a 17-year-old girl who moves back to Poland with her Roma family. Zosia loves hip-hop music and wants to become a rapper, but she faces many obstacles and challenges from her conservative parents, her prejudiced society, and her conflicted friends. Infamy is a story of passion, courage, and identity that explores the themes of music, culture, and romance.
The series consists of eight episodes, each about 45 minutes long. The plot of Infamy revolves around Zosia’s journey to pursue her musical aspirations and find her place in the world. She joins a hip-hop group called Infamy, where she meets Kamil, a talented rapper who becomes her love interest. However, their relationship is complicated by their different backgrounds and expectations. Zosia also has to deal with her strict parents, who want her to follow their traditions and marry a Roma man. Moreover, she faces discrimination and hostility from the non-Roma people, who look down on her and her family. Zosia has to balance her loyalty to her roots and her desire to express herself through music.
The series is a compelling and realistic portrayal of the Roma community in Poland, which is often marginalized and stereotyped. The show depicts the Roma culture, history, and language with respect and authenticity. The show also showcases the vibrant and diverse hip-hop scene in Poland, which is influenced by both local and global trends. The show features original songs and performances by the actors, as well as guest appearances by famous Polish rappers.
Infamy is not a typical teen drama that focuses on superficial issues and clichés. It is a mature and nuanced story that tackles serious topics such as racism, sexism, violence, and poverty. The show does not shy away from showing the harsh realities and struggles that Zosia and her family face every day. The show also does not idealize or romanticize the hip-hop culture or the Roma culture. It shows both the positive and negative aspects of both worlds, as well as the conflicts and contradictions that arise from them.
The first thing I would appreciate is the excellent acting! The actors deliver convincing and emotional performances that make the characters relatable and sympathetic despite weak writing and dialogues in most parts of the series. However, in the last part of the series, the writing is sharp and witty, with clever dialogues and plot twists. The directing is also quite dynamic and creative, with stunning cinematography and editing, which is surprising for the show with a low budget.
However, I have a lot of complaints such as the slow pace, the lack of diversity, and the predictable ending. The show sometimes drags on too long, with unnecessary scenes and subplots that do not add much to the main story. The show also lacks diversity in terms of representation of other ethnicities, sexualities, and genders. The show also ends in a rather predictable way.
But still, with a budget this low the series has accomplished what hundreds of million dollars worth of movies from large studios could not! As I am not a big fan of the teen drama genre, my expectations from this were really low, but the series was better than my expectations, or maybe the bar I set was too low! But still, I would call the series quite underrated.
Final Score – [7/10]
Reviewed by - Arpita Mondal
Follow @ArpitaMond33387 on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times