Román pro zeny

...or so it seems for the female protagonists in this smart, funny tale.

This wonderful little chick flick has dialog with pop, wonderful acting and numerous small and large plot twists and surprises.

As told from "chick HQ central" (the beauty salon), Laura and her mother Jana's adventures in love and relationships are played out. We see the characters as they see themselves and as others see them, in the past and in the present.

The clichéd romantic story is well told and navigated with a deft and humorous touch. I laughed at and with the main characters and was touched by how honest it all felt.

Best viewed with a nice German white, perhaps.

I was really looking forward to seeing this film as a result of the number of praises. How disappointed I ended up being. Admittedly visually engaging, but boy oh boy, what was the story and the characterisation all about? Firstly, not sure if the main girl Laura (Zuzana Kanocz) was dabbed in the version I've seen (as the actress is Slovakian) but it just seems that as much as she is very attractive girl, she is very much lacking on the acting skills. Her character Laura goes from being 'drunk beyond belief' to being perfectly sober and her lines are delivered without any alteration throughout the film. But what scares me most is the overconfidence of the character she portrays. I thought it was quite difficult for a modern woman to find a man but this girl treats men like disposable tissues. Furthermore what kind of message is this film trying to send? Are the girls now supposed to accept the sexual infidelity as far as the man in question pays for the holidays? Good performance from Simona Stasova (Laura's mum) but overall not funny.

The hallmark of all the Czech movies I've seen seem to be beautiful visuals. From film locations to costumes, this movie fully lives up to that tradition.

The humor is light and smart. The pacing, mostly good.

I saw it at the Czech Embassy in the United States (The embassy, as a side-note, has a wonderful program of events, most free to the public). I'm sure the audience of Czechs further enhanced the experience of watching this movie. Although a lot of the humor had universal appeal, so an American like me didn't feel left out.

I recommend seeing this movie...with a friend or five.