Jan Vlasák Movies
- 2008
The true story of one of World War One's deadliest air aces comes to the screen in this historical drama. Manfred von Richthofen (Matthias Schweighoefer) became fascinated with flying when he was a boy, and as a young man he joins the German army and becomes part of their budding air force. Flying in a squadron with his best friend Werner Voss (Til Schweiger), von Richthofen is a pilot with a great talent for aerial battle, but he also has a sense of honor and fair play, and he and his cohorts often pay tribute to fallen opponent by dropping wreaths over the wreckage of their planes. When von Richthofen and Voss discover a Canadian pilot, Capt. Roy Brown (Joseph Fiennes), who has been stranded in German territory, they rescue the flier rather than leave an enemy soldier to die, and while bringing him to safety Manfred meets Kaete Otersdorf (Lena Headey), a military nurse who has devoted her life to helping those wounded by war. Manfred becomes deeply infatuated with Kaete, but while she is also taken with him, she cannot abide his open embrace of the blood sport of war, and even as he becomes one of Germany's most decorated pilots, downing nearly eight enemy planes, he comes to understand the true horror of war and the consequences of his actions. von Richthofen gains an even greater perspective on war when he encounters Capt. Brown one last time. Der Rote Baron (aka The Red Baron) was shot in both German and English language versions, with the same cast appearing in both. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matthias Schweighofer, Lena Headey, (more)
- 2007
The long-anticipated seriocomedy Empties constitutes director Jan Sverak's third installment in his trilogy on aging that commenced with The Elementary School (1991) and continued with the beloved Kolya (1996). The filmmaker's father, Zdenak Sverak, stars as Josef Tkaloun, a curmudgeonly middle-aged lit teacher who grows exhausted from instructing his demanding, occasionally obnoxious students, and opts to take a hike - into an early retirement. Though his wife, Eliska (Daniela Kolarova) (to whom he has repeatedly been unfaithful) continues to tolerate his insensitivity, Josef quickly recognizes his own need for a daily grind, and thus heads into a series of random occupations, including bike messenger and bottle retriever in a grocery store. The latter proves particularly colorful, introducing Josef to a host of eccentric and occasionally funny co-workers. Meanwhile, Josef makes feeble attempts to set his hyper-devout daughter (Tatiana Vilhelmova) up with a crass former coworker (Jiri Machacek), and lapses into lusty fantasies about the headmistress of his former school (Nela Boudova) - endangering his marriage in the process. At the time of its release, this film reportedly netted a greater profit than any movie in Czech history. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Zdenek Sverak, Daniela Kolarova, (more)
- 2007
A man looking for a new life thinks one may have just come to him in this offbeat comedy from director David Ondricek. Fleischman (Marek Taclik) works as a repairman at the Jested Grand Hotel, a once-glamorous hotel in Liberec; he doesn't much care for his job, and while he was born and raised in the Czech Republic, he dreams of starting over somewhere else. Fleischman has also grown tired of his co-workers, including Zuzana (Dita Zabranska), the chambermaid who has a crush on him; horny desk clerk Jegr (Jaromir Dulava); and Franz (Ladislav Mrkvicka), en elderly man with a seemingly endless supply of stories about World War II. Fleischman starts thinking there might be a reason to stick around in Liberec after all when Ilja (Klara Issova, a beautiful woman with an unfortunate habit of stealing things, moves into the hotel. Fleischman falls head over heels for Ilja, and she's clearly attracted to him; she wants a child and Fleischman may be just the man to give her one, but there's a catch. Ilja already has a boyfriend, an obnoxious con man named Patka (Jaroslav Plesl) who sells worthless patent medicine to folks who don't know any better. A winner of two Czech Lion awards, Grandhotel was screened as part of the 2007 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Marek Taclik, Klara Issova, (more)
Cabin Fever director Eli Roth skips the humor of his freshman feature and goes straight for the jugular in this unrelenting scare-fest about a pair of libidinous American backpackers seeking cheap thrills in the European countryside. Their carefree college days close behind and the responsibility of the real world looming ever closer on the horizon, Josh (Derek Richardson) and Paxton (Jay Hernandez) strap on their backpacks and prepare for a stratospheric last hurrah of booze, babes, drugs, and debauchery halfway across the globe. It's during a visit to Amsterdam that the pair meets up with raucous Icelandic backpacker Oli (Eythor Gudjonsson), and after the three globe-trotting thrill seekers catch wind of a Slovakian city whose male population has dwindled as a result of civil strife -- leaving the ladies ready and willing to accept any male companionship that might turn up at the local hostel -- the trio quickly beats a hasty retreat to the out-of-the-way oasis. Upon check-in, the trio is greeted by a bevy of beautiful locals and is quickly convinced that the hedonistic hideaway is indeed the real deal. Hazily awakening the following morning to find no trace of backpacking buddy Oli, Paxton chalks his former traveling companion's disappearance up to capriciousness and prepares for another day of debauchery, despite Josh's rapidly elevating sense of unease. Now trapped defenselessly in a foreign land without any means of escape and no way of anticipating the unimaginable hell that lies ahead, the pair is plunged into a torturous netherworld where the screams of the damned fill the air with dread and the warm rays of the sun are little more than a fading memory. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jay Hernandez, Derek Richardson, (more)
The friendship of two men is tested by war, political upheaval, and romantic rivalry in this drama from Czech filmmaker Jan Sverak, whose Kolya became an international success. Lt. Franta Slama (Ondrej Vetchy) is a top pilot in the Czech Air Force who is assigned to train a promising young flier, Karel Vojtisek (Krystof Hadek). Franta and Karel both share a great enthusiasm for the thrill of blazing across the sky, and they become fast friends; however, when Nazi Germany invades Czechoslovakia, Franta and Karel chafe under the authority of their new leaders, and they escape to England, where they join other Czech exiles in the R.A.F. While flying a mission over England, Karel crash lands and happens upon the farmhouse of Susan (Tara Fitzgerald), a young woman whose husband is in the Navy. Karel soon falls head over heels for Susan, but while they enjoy a brief fling, in time Susan decides she prefers the company of the older and more worldly Franta. As Franta and Karel struggle to maintain their friendship despite their romantic rivalry, the war finally comes to a close, and the Czechs return home. Trmavomodry Svet, released in English-speaking territories as Dark Blue World, also features Anna Massey and Charles Dance. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Ondrej Vetchý, Tara Fitzgerald, (more)
Milan Cieslar directs this war drama based on an actual Nazi project to groom young Aryan women for breeding. Soon after the Sudetenland is ceded to Germany, Gretka aces a "biological race examination" and is sent to the idyllic Isolde Spa. There, she along with fresh-faced lasses endure a strict social and physical training routine, though the reason behind the regimen does not become clear until a band of lecherous S.S. officers show up. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vilma Cibulkova, Karel Dobry, (more)
- 1999
Czech filmmaker Dan Krames debuts with this cinematic triptych based on three short stories by Anton Chekhov. The first section, Agatha, concerns a fisherman (Jiri Ornest) and his libertine colleague Matthew (David Prachar), who take up with the Agatha (Eva Salzmannova), the wife of a signalman. The second segment, Volodia, depicts the relationship between a young man just beginning to understand his sexuality and his mother's flirtatious friend (Micheala Dolinova). The last section is The Huntsman, in which a peasant woman (Zuzana Bydzovska) begs a gamekeeper she married 12 years ago to consummate the marriage. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Eva Salzmannova, Jiri Ornest, (more)
- 1995
Czech immigrant Mirek is having a hard time dealing with middle-age. Compounding his woes is the fact that he must now leave his Paris ghetto flat and return to his homeland. This drama chronicles his last few days in the City of Light. It begins as all his furniture is hauled away. Next, the poor depressed fellow is seen giving away the last of his possessions to a few friends. As he has locked himself out, he must somehow find a place to sleep. Next he is robbed and then frisked by the police because they think anyone who looks as hangdog as he must be a criminal. The one bright spot, is that before he leaves, he manages to sleep with each of his girl friends. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
