Tomas Hanak Movies

Two men who have made a career out of spinning remarkable stories find themselves bringing them to life in this inventive fantasy inspired by the creators of some of the world's best-loved fairy tales. Will Grimm (Matt Damon) and his brother Jake Grimm (Heath Ledger) earn their living by traveling from village to village and vanquishing strange supernatural beasts that have been menacing the populace. Or at least that's what their clients think has been happening; as it happens, Will and Jake are confidence men who cleverly stage the ghostly attacks and then take payment for making the creatures they fabricated go away. One day, the brothers arrive in a town and offer to help its people drive away evil spirits, unaware that the community is bordered by a genuine enchanted forest, and that young girls in the village have been disappearing at a frightful rate. The Grimm Brothers must now learn how to deal with real magic, with the help of the lovely but fearless Angelika (Lena Headey). Directed by Terry Gilliam, The Brothers Grimm also stars Monica Bellucci, Peter Stormare, and Jonathan Pryce. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A man from the city takes his son out into the great outdoors and finds more than just fresh air in a comedy from Czech writer and director Tomas Vorel. Honza (Tomas Hanak) is a computer programmer with a young son (Michal Vorel). Honza decides that he and the boy need to get away from it all for a while, so he takes his son on a trip to the country; however, neither can bear to part with their computers for a few days, so they end up bringing along a battery of high-tech equipment. While camping, Honza meets Marketa (Barboura Nimcova), a former city dweller seeking solace in the country with her ill-tempered grandmother (Ljuba Skorepova) who has a habit of stealing people's watches. Honza is quite taken with Marketa, and tries to romance her when he gets away from his son; Marketa's grandmother, however, doesn't quite trust Honza or his gadgets, and doesn't mind telling him to his face. Boleslav Polivka's performance as a cranky local earned him a best supporting actor nomination at the 2001 Czech Film and Television Academy Awards. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Set in swinging contemporary Prague this light drama centers on a hip-young newspaper photographer who takes an aerial photograph of a peaceful village and discovers that he has taken a picture of a murder in progress. His editor shows no interest in the photo, but Ondrej, the photographer, cannot forget it and so embarks upon his own investigation of the crime. This attracts the attention of Rychman, a powerful, corrupt businessman who pressures Ondrej for the negatives. When that fails, he attempts to convince the newsman that he only witnessed a harmless game of paint ball, not an actual shooting. Rychman then amiably invites Ondrej up for a posh party in his villa. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A Czech family tries to deal with their own crises as their country struggles through political turmoil between 1968 and 1989 in this gentle, bittersweet comedy. Olga (Ivana Chylkova) is the teenage daughter of a poet from the Ukraine who is trying to find a place for her in the State University. However, a petition that circulated at one time suggests she would not be a fit student, so the writer prepares a petition of his own urging the school to admit her. After several years, the document bears 150 signatures, mostly from friends and family from the Ukraine who make annual shopping trips in their Czech village. Meanwhile, Olga and her friends find themselves growing up against the backdrop of Czechoslovakia's "Normalization" campaign. Milan Steindler won the Best Director award at the 1995 Moscow International Film Festival for his work on this film, which was based on a novel by Halina Pawlowska. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

This biography of Ludwig von Beethoven (played here by Gary Oldman) builds its narrative around an actual letter found after his death, addressed only to the composer's "immortal beloved." The responsibility of discovering this mysterious person's identity falls to Beethoven's friend and secretary (Jeroen Krabbé), who sets out on an investigation that soon becomes an exploration of the composer's life. Through recollections and scattered hints, we receive glimpses of Beethoven's relationships with women, particularly his close interaction with a pair of very different Countesses. The film also pays prominent attention to the composer's oddly obsessive relationship with the young nephew whom he attempted to mold in his own image, and Beethoven's eventual hearing loss and descent into emotional instability. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

A cautionary tale about the dangers of unprotected promiscuity among heterosexuals, this story chronicles the exploits of three good friends. Pepe is the playboy of the bunch: despite having a lovely girlfriend, he finds a way to have sex with as many women as possible. His buddies from time to time exchange girlfriends with him. Though they are by no means the lothario he is, they do quite enough bed-hopping to get into trouble. When it becomes obvious that Pepe has gotten AIDS, his buddies, afraid for themselves, get mean. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi