gudaulin

A very enjoyable series where from every shot, the viewer feels nostalgia for lost childhood and ideals that haven't yet been eroded by the sediment of mundane reality and bad experiences. Excellent casting, including the child actors, quality dialogue, a screenplay without unnecessary padding, and believable events that manage to captivate without any script acrobatics. The position of gentle humor and healthy self-irony is also very good, especially in places where moralizing or serial clichés threaten to take over. This quality piece deserves to be broadcast on public television screens. Overall impression: 90%.

A revelation in the world of animated film, a movie that intentionally shattered the established conventions in animated filmmaking and unequivocally went against the tide in its first installment. Its creation was indeed indebted to the competitive battle between studios, as it was a merciless, parodic attack on the saccharine, stereotypes, and mediocrity of Disney's studio. The majority of those who created Shrek had previously worked for Disney, so they knew perfectly well what they were mocking. Well, opportunism sometimes pays off... Great jokes, excellent screenplay, catchy music, and a likable hero complemented by an eager helper. At the Karlovy Vary festival, the film thrilled its audience back in the day. A movie for all generations, overall impression: 100%.

I would say it's the best film by the directing duo of Ján Kadár and Elmar Klos. A raw, realistic war film that doesn't deny its strong autobiographical literary source by Ladislav Mňačko. A powerful story plus realistic, fully fleshed-out characters are the main strengths of this film. Unlike most of the production from the era of real socialism, it's not overtly heroic and presents its heroes with all their flaws and failures. It's not afraid to humanize the enemy or, as in the case of two deserters who join the partisans, show that nothing was clear-cut during the war. Overall impression: 95%.

A fairly pleasant, albeit undemanding musical with several nice songs, with one of the stars being the charismatic Jaroslava Schallerová. This film functions today both as a nostalgic treat for those who remember it and as a preserved snapshot of certain stars. In one of the roles of mathematically untouched girls, the young Lenka Filipová appeared, and she was a very pleasant sight... Overall impression: 55%.

The poetic horror Valerie and Her Week of Wonders - based on the poem by Vítězslav Nezval - is, from a formal perspective, one of the most intriguing films in Czechoslovak cinema. Despite its aesthetic uniqueness, it has found a relatively small but dedicated group of fans worldwide. Jaromil Jireš succeeded in creating a unique atmosphere of mystery, with the artistic contribution of Ester Krumbachová adding to its visual uniqueness. Furthermore, the choice of the main actress was fortunate, as Jaroslava Schallerová, despite not being a professional actress, managed to imbue her character with exceptional fragility and the charm of a girl entering puberty and beginning to perceive her femininity. It's lightly erotic, dreamy, and fantastical. Overall impression: 95%. This film is certainly not suitable for horror fans expecting a terrifying, bloody spectacle.

Cutting It Short or The Snowdrop Festival may be very popular, and it's understandable, but I consider Larks on a String and Closely Watched Trains as the pinnacle of the combination of Bohumil Hrabal's text and Jiří Menzel's imagery. This is not just easy humor; it's a deep dive into the thoughts and behaviors of people of their time, presented with insight and in a visually captivating way. Yes, it's funny, but there's a chilling undercurrent beneath the laughter. The brief appearance of Věra Galatíková as a seasoned comrade says more about the tragedy of the era than hours of dull history lessons or lectures by historians. Plenty of lines that hit close to home, exceptionally strong cast, and a peculiar, melancholic poeticism make this film a compelling watch. It's smart filmmaking, where Menzel can evoke mood and emotions with a single shot of a heap of scrap metal, something another filmmaker might need several minutes for. For me, it's one of the peaks of Czech cinematography. Overall impression: 100%.

In terms of script and direction, it's an easily forgettable, unremarkable affair, moreover, let's not deceive ourselves, also properly idealized, even fabricated. What makes it interesting, though, is the cast - the Schoberovic girl is simply adorable, and both Jiří Zahajský and Jiří Krampol are a cultural phenomenon of the 60s. Thanks to them, the film can be considered as a testimony of the era and the musical artistry of this duo, who were selling out theater performances six months in advance at that time... Overall impression: 40%.

The cult around this film completely passed me by from the start. I consider it one of Věra Chytilová's weaker films, with a poorly written script, and the vast majority of enthusiastic admirers don't perceive it so much as morality, but rather admire the protagonist's crudeness and "chomping." I admire Bolek Polívka for completely different roles. This humor was more from the basement, and I actually find the character repulsive. Overall impression: 40%.

I was genuinely looking forward to this film to the point where I didn't hesitate to go to the movie theater for it. I expected a comedy in the style of my favorite French series about the seventh company, but the disappointment was proportional to the level of expectation. One star may be harsh, but I really expected something else. The ensemble cast assembled for this film hadn't been seen in Czech cinema for several years, and the performances, along with some unusually cast actors (Vladimír Brabec and Pavel Kříž as established comedians cast as German officers), are actually the only positive aspect of this piece. The poor result can be attributed to the dismal script, where the inexperienced screenwriter failed to grasp the difference between a theatrical farce and cinematic reality. The substitution of a chimney sweep for a black man might work only in the theater; in the film, it comes off as naive and awkward. Yet, the situation created offered numerous possibilities - just the exchange of clothes between the two railway workers and the two German deserters, expertly cast with Miroslav Noga and Milan Šteindler, could have led to endless great gags. One of the few successful comedic situations occurs when the railway workers return home in German uniforms, and their wives greet them with desperate lamentation, believing they had joined the Germans just before the end of the war. The direction is uninspired and the final nail in the coffin is pounded in by the screenwriter. This film simply lacked that extra spark. Overall impression: 25%.

A thematically very strong film that, like few others, attempts to come to terms with the oppressive legacy of the 1950s, when one hundred thousand people found themselves in camps and prisons, a burden that mostly marked them for life. The film is dominated by Jiří Schmitzer's convincing performance as the main protagonist. He managed to convey his own experiences from prison, where he ended up after a tragic car accident. His performance is completely authentic and rightfully earned him the Czech Lion award. This drama is interesting for its cast, with several actors appearing in atypical roles (Milan Šteindler, Jiří Krampol, and others), but the average screenplay and direction undermine the overall impression. Overall impression: 75%.