There are some movies that simply can’t be defended under any circumstances, providing the motion picture equivalent of a turd that refuses to polish no matter how hard you try and shine it up. One of the most recent offenders is millennium-set black comedy The Palace, but its producer is at least trying to remain optimistic.
Being directed by Roman Polanski certainly didn’t help its chances of finding favor among critics and crowds, with the controversial filmmaker remaining a fugitive from the United States justice system having fled the country when he was about to be charged for unlawful sex with a minor in 1977, and he hasn’t set foot on Stateside soil ever since.
People are still happy to work with him for whatever reason, though, even if The Palace stands out as his worst-ever feature. Attempting to put a positive spin on it, an interview with producer Luca Barbareschi saw him not only claim that the film will finally be understood and reappraised by the idiots who don’t get it, but he once again doubled down on his ongoing collaborations with the opinion-splitting Polanski.
“The Palace is a mirror of society, of imbeciles who take selfies… it’ll be understood in 20 years. The fact that I have defended him, and worked with him for 40 years, has made the “politically correct” world hate me.”
Funnily enough, working with somebody who ran away to avoid being convicted on sex crimes does indeed make the “politically correct” world view you in a different light, but at least nobody has to wrestle with the inner conflict of Polanski potentially making a good movie.