Z hříček o královnách

"Call me Robert, it's nicer and shorter." "I would also do anything for 40 shillings." By its very nature, it is impossible for Královnina smečka psů to be as gourmet and adorable as Záskok pro Sissi, which is why we are now enjoying a dose of intrigue and the bitter fate of history's movers and shakers. (26/07/2011)

A stunningly wonderful classical antique drama with the spicy Tereza Brodská, the maternally-touching Jana Brejchová, and the excellent and stoic Luděk Munzár. It’s great, wonderful, and amazing. This time, we don't stick exclusively to interiors but are boldly honored with exterior shots as well. The time of Nero suits Daňek. These episodes are above all else. (29/07/2011)

This is an incomparable poem of irony. Four years before the death of Catherine I, the future Catherine II did not have it easy. Prior knowledge of at least one film biography of Sophie Auguste of Anhalt-Zerbst is very helpful for context; the viewer (and the reader) will then have a much better time with the paradoxes and parabolas of all those eye-catching allusions and the seemingly unfinished dialogues that end so clearly and directly with a shortcut on the outside staircase. Naturally, I can recommend the classic version with Marlene Dietrich (1934) or the TV version with Julia Ormond (1991). "Are there rats here?" "There are rats in every wooden house." "This is a stone house." "Well, you see, there are rats here too. (23/08/2011)

"It's about Poland" is indeed a charming plot, but I can't hide my disappointment with the performance of Ševčíková and the futility of Vránová and Švormová. If it had been possible to let Chýlková play Antoinette at an older age, who played DuBarry, the royal mistress, there would have been a better hope of creating a better, more timeless picture of French history. (05/08/2011)

Empress Friedrich was a gift to Bohdalová in her last year of stardom, when she shone on screen as Fany. Coincidentally, both gifts were given to her by Oldřich Daněk, who deserves our thanks for that. However, I see no reason for another role for Ondřej Vetchý in this series. Why the duplication in such an exceptional project? Of course, his chant to Deutschland, Deutschland über alles could have been heard in full, but it was silenced too soon. There’s no need to talk about the other, older actors, because their standard always exceeded that of the younger ones. My overall impression is still positive. (11/08/2011)

A wonderfully Daněk-like TV mini-series on the theme of "how Sissi took care of old Procházka." :) Some of the points are almost hilarious while others only evoke a slight smile. A charming bedroom introduction, a well-acted off-the-cuff encounter with addressing someone in the third person plural. "She went and walked around a bit." "I thought she'd be younger." (14/07/2011)

This film is part of the Haprdáns family and others who develop ideas from arguably Shakespeare's most popular drama. And while I am not a particular fan of the Shakespeare phenomenon and Elizabethan culture in general, I find this Norwegian snippet exceedingly interesting. The drama builds up like the best detective story, the three actors give each other opportunities to grow at stealing dialogue, and the atmosphere is also very enjoyable. And yes, Brožová is also worthy of Vinklář and Preiss, and every now and then she gets the opportunity to prove that she does not devote herself to her profession only on the basis of her flamboyant appearance. It really is too bad that some certainties that seemed unshakable even a few years after the revolution are now completely passé. However, if I had to pronounce which snippet is my favorite, I stand by my original desire even after seeing the whole series, and I find Záskok pro Sissi unbeatable. (28/08/2011)