NinadeL

The new era can, of course, be felt here. Even the mouse looks like a Czech version of Mickey Mouse and the whole thing is just another miniature of the theme we all know so well from Tom and Jerry. The final impression thus really just depends on whether you like Koutský's drawing or not.

I’m fairly cautious in approaching Garden Store: Deserter. Again, its qualities are strong, but such an intimate and raw drama is not really a walk in the garden of Eden and it is difficult to relive the grotesque and raw situations over and over again. All the details and the overall feel of the dramatic arcs and human destinies are spicy. For example, by simply casting Zuzana Mauréry in a supporting role in a partial anecdote in a hairdresser's salon, Hřebejk sets the tone for the whole scene, but he is not afraid to keep the comedic episode bittersweet, which is very valuable. It would have been very false to make a pure comedy from those breakthrough years. Thank you and I look forward to the conclusion of the trilogy.

The never-ending gossip in one house slowly but surely unravels another crime. I like it. I'm looking forward to the last case.

Exner's busy - the cases are getting better. This episode shows what Erben’s books are strongest in - an environment on the edge between art and a pavilion gossip room. Exner's refined style thus stands out, as well as particularly the duo of Beránek and Vlček. There are also good acting performances by Zawadská, Syslová, Brousek Jr., Mysička and Nový. It’s good.

Fitzgerald's fifth and unfinished novel is, of course, an excellent source. It is a great challenge even given the ending, which the filmmakers have to complete themselves and pay off the debt that Hollywood owed to the immortal author. It's only logical that shortly after the new adaptation of The Great Gatsby with Redford, it was time for The Last Tycoon. I've now seen the Amazon Studios series adaptation, and it has surpassed this Kazan film in every way. The 70s didn't really bother with authentic sets, so it's hard to believe that the plot should take place in the 30s, especially if the point of it all is the Hollywood glamour touch. We won't find it here. De Niro isn't bad in the lead role and for its time it's a star-studded film - today, we appreciate everyone from Nicholson to Mitchum to Millard. Unfortunately, the female roles are cast in an outright unattractive manner, and it doesn't matter whether the lead girl is the unknown Boulting or the fading Moreau. The pace is slow, which drowns out anything interesting. As a first adaptation, this Tycoon is worth a watch, but I can only recommend it if you prefer Kazan and De Niro to the subject matter and premise, but if you want to experience the real story of Monroe Stahr, watch the new series. The psychology of the characters and the sets work better in it.

And at the end of the whole block, we get a spicy story about the fact that Tráňa can be the best dancer of all. The annotation is a bit off, but that's how it is with small festivals. The protagonist works under a manager and the beautiful instructor is not a man, but a woman. Ugh.

Das Filmfest is certainly a worthy platform based on the cinema of Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. In the past, I have often been inspired and have welcomed, for example, a new film by Susanne Wuest or a biography of Egon Schiele. This year I went to see The Young Karl Marx, and I am extremely pleased with the result. The adjective young is very well chosen. The film doesn't continue on the wave of biographies of the moment, in which a mere fraction of this or that person's life is described (see My Week with Marilyn), as it is much closer to the concept of Marie Antoinette without the necessary climax of the queen's execution under the guillotine. The Young Karl Marx delves into the first years after his meeting with Engels and the founding of the Communist Party and culminates in the anticipation of the revolutionary events of 1848. It is devoted to portraying Marx’s personality, learning about his world, his knowledge, his character, his background, his opinions, his opponents, and his supporters. Nowadays, it is very much necessary to go back to the 19th century to understand today in order to know the influences that shaped the explosive upheavals of the 20th century. I would love to see The Young Karl Marx in wider distribution and in subsequent discussions, but I doubt that will happen.

This good caricature case from a military environment is again packed to the brim with contemporary acting faces (Čvančarová, Langmajer...), leaving almost no room for developing the characters around Exner and their lives outside criminal investigation. Which is really too bad. But I really did enjoy the joint scenes of two legendary Czech redheads, Hrubešová and Kerekes, who became famous, particularly for their revealing scenes. In this way, their strengths (looks) and weaknesses (purely intuitive acting) stand out beautifully side by side.

Fortunately, the weaker part, as it was played out in the last episode, was again improved to something watchable, especially by Viktor Preiss. I was also touched by the fact that even in such a series there was room for a girlish romance between Šeredová and Poullain (Polívková).

One of the weaker cases of the elegant Exner. Although the main theme makes one feel the main advantage of Erben's predecessors, this time the episodic characters played by the likes of Vondráčková (Plekancová) are somewhat detrimental to the whole.