Das Haus in der Karpfengasse

The House in Karp Lane is worthy of note for the realization of the joint Berlin-Munich-Prague team, which gave Kurt Hoffman the opportunity to work with Czech actors outside their domestic pigeonholes. Very interesting actors are Deyl Jr., Voska, and Hana Vítová. There is some confusion caused by the fact that, for example, Iva Janžurová dubbed her own dialogue, and Jana Brejchová constantly switches from her hardly believable German to Czech and has a dubber for longer sentences. Worth appreciating is Liška's intense music, which together with Illík's cinematography creates some very interesting expressive moments. On the other hand, the period sets, props, costumes, and make-up completely fail in a classic way. Therefore, while we are dealing with specific events on specific days, it is better not to look around Old Town Square for extras, which is especially excellent when combined with documentary period footage. (27.01.2010)