Mazaný Filip

Undoubtedly one of best Czech movies of the last time. Maybe "Pelísky" could compete, but that is all. Clever plot, intelligent dialogs, original funny tricks, over fifty links to other movies such as "Limonádový Joe", "Pulp Fiction", "Batman" and others.

Vilma Cibulková is great, smoking cigarettes with long, extremely long cigarette-holder, drinking whiskey from big, extremely big glass, having big, very big breasts...

In episode roles appear such great Czech actors as Dusek, Holubová, Preis, Standler, Vávra, Vorel, Trojan, and many many many others.

I give three stars for the visual side of the movie, otherwise I cant find almost anything good on it. At the beginning, I expected that the slow pace would change and we would see some bizarre comedy in Lemonade Joe style. Unfortunately, nothing happened and I was forced to listen to eye-closing monologue of the title hero (TomᚠHanák) and other "funny" dialogues between him and various "baddies". I really don't know what director Marhoul meant with his words that he would like to propagate it abroad, even in America. If some American saw this film misery, he would never touch a movie of Czech provenience! I was lucky to see it on DVD, otherwise I would leave a cinema house after cca 40 minutes. However, I would strongly recommend it to patients suffering from sleeplessness. But I must warn that such a tediousness can even kill.

I was really excited to see Mazany Filip, wanting to see a comic Czech take on American film-noir, hard-boiled detective movies. Unfortunately, there was nothing funny about this movie. The directing, pacing, and acting were all terrible, slow, and boring, and *none* of the "jokes", visual or verbal, were in the least funny. Here and there they would try slapstick in the style of the Zucker brothers (Airplane, Naked Gun, etc.), but these failed miserably. I can only go by the English subtitle translation of the script, but it was repetitive and stupid. A host of otherwise good (I'm told) Czech actors had their little cameo set pieces (a screaming film director, a crazy doctor at the sanitarium, etc.), which were even less funny than a Saturday Night Live sketch, if you can imagine it. To portray a black character, they put a white guy in minstrel-show blackface, complete with white lips, curly 'fro wig, and "ol' Southern black guy" accent. My Czech friend who came with me also thought it was terrible, so it can't be only a case of cultural differences. I recommend that you definitely don't waste your money or time on this pathetic film.

Marhoul's so-called comedy was a little bit embarrassing attempt to remake successful theatre play into the movie. The play itself might have been really funny at the theatre... but ain't working on-screen. Some of the jokes are brilliant, but most of it can be considered for childish. And the same duality can be found in acting. I cannot get rid of the strange feeling, that Tomas Hanak (Filip) was READING (not telling) his narrative parts. Pavel Liska (Charlie Brown) totally embarrassed himself as a "wanna-be-so-funny" idiot, speaking with an idiotic voice and making silly faces. His little parts made me feel down. On the other hand, other actors were really good - Vilma Cibulkova as the femme fatale with drinking problems or the psychotic director of the asylum wonderfully performed by Milan Steindler. Really positive and also cute were cameo appearances of Czech artists Frantisek Skala and Jaroslav Rona. In conclusion: 4/10 is a good rating for film with no real story.

I don't really understand the first comment on this movie, maybe it's right, that same foreigner just can't catch the jokes from the movie. I'ts so many important things to know for example about Czech people, and the most about their humour. I'm Czech and I've seen the movie with English subtitles and I can tell, that translation was horrible...there are so many scenes just playing with words, with Czech language and it's really hard to translate it and I don't think, that someone would take so long time to translate it in to fanny English. And the fanny and attractive thing about this movie is that in every small role is some famous actor.And some of them not even say a word, but they are just in it!Thats wonderful! And I recommend to see it more times, because every time you will find another joke or wonderful set. Mazany Filip is the best!!!