Kráska v nesnázích

First I have to admit that I have had some doubts about the director. He has done some movies (with Jarkovsky) about the recent "czech=east" history or more precisely about families (individuals) how did they survive some historical moments. But it was always like the chines food sour-sweet. This movie was totally different. It was pure, it shows the bones of life, it shows the variations of human natures. This film is an excellent piece of art (story, acting, picture, music) but it shows you the life around you in much brighter light that we don't want to see. By the way I have saw it on a DVD (with English subtitles) but I am afraid that in the USA I wont be able to get it.

I recently saw this at the 2007 Palm Springs International Film Festival. The film's title and in fact much of the outline of the film is from the Robert Graves poem Beauty in Trouble. Jan Hrebejk directs a screenplay by Petr Jrchovský from a story by Hrebejk and Jrchovský. the story begins in 2002 when Prague is hit by one of those devastating 100 year floods that destroys the household of Marcela (Ana Ceislerová) and Jarda (Roman Luknár) and their two children Kuba (Adam Misik) and Lucina (Michaela Mrvikova). Because of the moldy conditions where they now live Kuba's asthma is life threatening. Marcela works and Jarda runs a chop shop out of the garage they live next to. Jarda's shady occupation runs him afoul of the law and one of his theft victims becomes infatuated with Marcela. Evzen Benes (Josef Abrhám) is a wealthy businessman who divides his time between Italy and the Czech Republic and offers to care Marcela and her two kids. Jana Brejchová is Marcella's mother who lives with her common-law husband called Uncle Richie played by Jirí Schmitzer in probably the film's best role. Rounding out this excellent cast is Emília Vasaryova as Jarda's mentally fragile mother who gives any money she gets to the local religious charlatan. There is a lot going on here for a small film and it's good story with a great script and a lot of comic relief. Ales Brezina provides the music score with additional music from Czech singer Raduza and Irish singer Glen Hansard. There is a lot to like about this film and I would give it an 8.0 out of 10 and recommend it.

If you liked this movie, be sure to check out others directed by Hrebejk - you are in for a treat. This is unfortunately not his best, but still million times better than an average movie from the mainstream cinema. It explores relationships, especially the abusive ones, has some powerful as well as sweet moments and great acting. Some plot inconsistencies, clichés and hollow moments spoil the overall effect. To the previous reviewer and his comments on the Czech psyche: an interesting approach, but I do not see this movie becoming a Czech blockbuster. Those folks are rather spoiled by their movie makers {check out also stuff by Sverak, Gedeon} and this one lags a bit behind.

Wow. At first I thought who writes these things! How hard is that choice between a man who offers you and your children wealth, respectability and security as opposed to a husband who offers you only oppression, abuse, degradation and poverty. However our choices are not always as clear cut cut as one would think. Indeed the wealthy gentleman was all a woman could aspire to and yet... the pull of her husband, her sexual desire for him was almost overwhelming. What to do, what to do?? As a viewer you became as confused and misdirected as she was. Anyway what I really came on this site to gush about was my admiration of the voice of the Engish, I thought, although it is actually the voice of an Irish singer in the film. Looking him up I find he is Glen Hansard, whom I had never heard of before that day. What a find. I am so grateful. Wow, what a voice! What a day! Thank you BIFF!

This is a slice-of-life film. If it does not strain your credulity, it may well strain your patience. Marcela, a hot young babe with a couple of cute kids and nothing else going for her, moves in with her obnoxious relatives after the Vltava floods and her Prague home is destroyed. Her obnoxious husband, once a mechanic, joins a chop shop to make ends meet. Soon the husband is arrested and imprisoned, and Marcela begins divorce proceedings against him.

Then she meets and is befriended by a kind, socially skilled Czech expat twenty or so years her senior. He lives like a prince on his sun-washed vined estate in Tuscany, visits Prague every few months to look after a property he owns, and has zero in common with Marcela. But he has an eye for beauty, so he pursues her quietly. The Beauty of the title is in trouble because, although employed, she is substantially unable to provide for herself, so she allows herself to be courted. Once in Italy, she spends a lot of time diving, to no purpose other than exhibiting her body to the camera, into the expat's sun-washed swimming pool.

To the extent there is any dramatic tension in this film it is whether Marcela will grow in understanding and somehow change her tawdry life. Unfortunately there is almost no character development in the film. The relatives never change. Marcela's husband never changes. Marcela's suitor never changes. It would spoil the ending if I revealed whether Marcela changes, but you can probably guess.

Is the film some elaborate metaphor for the confrontation of East and West, of Communism and capitalism? It may well be, and that adds a level of meaning. The cinematography, including scenes of Prague and Italy, is also lovely, and the acting is fine. The script, unfortunately, is weak.