Horem pádem

I share the earlier reviews posted here except for the one that calls the movie, script, etc. "stupid". The movie is unusual when compared to what an American would consider the "norm". It does not have a main story line, a hero or a heroine, but still manages a rather heroic act to address sensitive and uncomfortable issues of contemporary Czech society without apologies and in a very realistic way. It does this by presenting several unrelated stories that are nevertheless intervowen, a technique that was reminiscent of an earlier Czech movie called "Buttoners" (knoflikari). The movie is strangely touching, but I found it also pretty depressing, forcing the viewer to contemplate the tremendous changes due to changing demographics that Europe in general, and Czech Republic in particular, are experiencing.

Up and Down has a subtle mix of stories from several strata of modern Czech life. Those who fled the communist takeover, those who stayed and suffered; those who're rising and those mired; those haunted by their past and those who ignore it. Each aspect of the story is given weight and the actors shine in their individual moments. The direction shows a love of the Czech people and republic without shying away from their darker selves.

A Czech co-worker of my spouse said, "I love this movie. And it's completely realistic."

Those who like Mike Leigh will enjoy this film and those who enjoy this film should check out Mr. Leigh's work (perhaps especially "Secrets and Lies).

A genial tragicomedy= HOREM PÁDEM. A couple of clues, not coheretive at the first look, matched at the end that is HOREM PÁDEM. The situation humor brings you a lot of laugh, although you know that it is not humor, it is the cruel reality. A mother, who wants to have a child, but she cannot, because her husband, a football/soccer fan is in condition. But he tries, until the end when he sees that his trying was useless. The second clue is about thieves and transferors through the borders; the third one about a tossed family. You would not believe how this will fit together. Plus wonderful actor performances and nice settings. Unbelievable dialogues; with one sentence: you must watch HOREM PÁDEM!!!

This was probably the best film shown at the Vancouver International Film Festival, from a filmmaker I greatly admire. A complex, utterly compelling, completely accurate snapshot of contemporary Czech society, it has several story lines that converge at different points. The social fabric of a country dealing with rapid and enormous political, social,and economic change is stretched to tearing point as borne out by a sleazy pair of people smugglers and the various low-life petty criminals with whom they work; a university professor, his embittered wife and estranged adult son, and his long-term decades-younger mistress, who was the son's girlfriend at one time; a not-too-bright security guard—-a man who channels all his pent-up rage and frustration into brawls at soccer matches—-and his wife who has become mentally unhinged by her craving for a baby. Hrebejk has the stories intersect in an unforced manner, and examines the scourges of a society in the throes of rampant change: unemployment, corruption, crime, racism, unwanted immigrants, old-timers unwilling to come to terms with the new order, and the increasing divide between the rich and the poor. His bemused eye watches unflinchingly when some of his educated characters spew racist bile, or when the inarticulate white supremacist security guard is gentleness personified while caring for the brown baby that his barren wife buys with their life savings. Displaying his usual fine understanding of human nature, he demonstrates that no person is all good or all evil; even his most despicable characters perform uncharacteristic kind acts. With some laugh-out-loud scenes of sophisticated black humor on offer, this is social satire of the highest order.

This is type of well now czech movies... You know, lot of talking, lot of emotion, lot of talking, talking, and movie without typical action... But it is not action movie, it's movie about racism, and it is true movie, I mean the situation in the movie and in the Czech republic is same...

First time, when I saw this film, I was little disappointed, it's hard to explain, what was bad for me... Maybe I know, this film is just "so czech"... I wanna something new, when I'm watching movies, and that is just "one of many"... But when I saw it second time... Ou, OK, it is good film, really good film, not perfect, not different, just good czech film...