KOLYA (1996) Reviewed by The Movie Kid Copyright 1997 Rob Reser
Czech Republic Director: Jan Sverak Writers: Zdenek Sverak, Pavel Taussig Stars: Zdenedk Sverak, Andrej Chalimon, Libuse Safrankova, Ondrej Vetchy.
Franta Louka has his hands and life full with his mother's deteriorating house, his lack of money, and simply just trying to make ends meet. Once a famed cellist in Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia's philharmonic orchestra, Louka (played by Zdenek Sverak) is now forced to play at funerals and gain extra cash by painting tombstones. Director Jan Sverak paints a wonderful portrait of a grumpy bachelor who can't seem to catch up on his debts. Not wanting to let his badgering mother find out what he has been doing to keep up with the constant monetary demands, Louka reluctantly decides to engage in some illegal activities that end up filling his plate with much more than he can handle. Louka ultimately finds himself in the awkward position of caring for a small boy that he neither wants nor needs to have around. Fear of getting himself jailed, however, forces him to keep the boy and make do with the situation. Andrej Chalimon playes the adorable Kolja who makes the screen sparkle with every moment that he is on it. The movie follows the unlikely pair as they both make important realizations about themselves. Entertaining from start to finish KOLYA is an incredible offering from the Czech Republic. Academy Award and Golden Globes winner for Best Foreign Language Film.3 ½ spots (out of 4)
Rob Reser aka THE MOVIE KID
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