I recently returned from Prague where I saw this Czech/US production. The film combines the return to the Czech Republic of a film-maker who left for political reasons a generation ago with the love story of his American assistant and the daughter of an old friend. Parts spoken in Czech are subtitled in English and vice versa. The political aspects are unusually sophisticated, nuanced and balanced and the romance is believable and compelling. The acting is good and the romantic leads very attractive. The writer/director clearly loves New York City and parts of the film are almost a love poem to the City itself. Adam Davidson, who plays the romantic lead, is an American whom I have never seen on film before, but who clearly has a bright future. Highly recommended.
2 Reviews
a different point of view ...be warned,possible SPOILERS ahead
fortimbras22 August 2004
Warning: Spoilers
I'm not sure what my opinion of this film would be if I were US or any other non-middle European.One of the most beautiful scenes in the film was the flashback of his school class being photographed Jan had,and in general,his memories from childhood-I can hardly imagine someone who isn't well acknowledged with our history (and tradition perhaps) being touched by this.For me,this was the mainstay of the movie,the strongest and the most poetic part. Sure,there is the romance,the beautiful countryside,New York beating with its own life,the contrast between those two,but without knowing what 4 men in leather coats mean this movie is like a half of itself As you can tell,I really liked this film,9/10 by me
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