Her Body

For a Czech film, this is a daring topic, especially for a debut. The execution is fairly solid, and the performances are top-notch. Natalia Germani is fantastic, and her decision to take on this role deserves respect and recognition. However, the film has two major issues. First, it skims the surface of the theme, ignoring deeper aspects like Andrea’s relationship with her family and sticking to general facts. Second, while it sensitively tells a complex life story, it abruptly shifts to an extreme pornographic scene that feels forced and off-putting. There are more effective ways to shock an audience. (04/22/2024)

This detached, austere, almost documentary reconstruction of the life of the diver/cashier/porn star Andrea Absolonova surprises with its quality. Natálie Císařovská doesn’t give a toss about the audience's expectations of porn cinema and rather observes, doesn't comment, doesn't judge. There is no great dramatization, not much is said, and the disapproval of the profession is shown only through sarcasm and disdain. Natalia Germani's performance is fantastic. I don't know if she hit her mark (I'm not familiar with her work), but she handles the rise and fall with aplomb. The audiovisual aspect is first class, too. (03/15/2024)

A welcome change by Czech standards and mature filmmaking for a debut. The film has an attractive story about a top female athlete who, due to a spinal injury, has to switch to a different profession, the oldest trade and starts a decent career there as well. The film nicely shows the impact it has on the people around her, specifically her family, who don't take it well. I appreciate the explicitness, the fact that the film isn’t afraid to show nudity, which would be a minus if it did, but on the other hand it doesn't go to extremes, as the Swedes showed in 2021  with Pleasure, it should have shown the more perverse side behind the scenes, but it doesn’t matter, I still had a good time. 6/10 (03/23/2024)

Zero psychology among the characters and zero inventiveness in the directing. Just creative disengagement in following a strange life story. It’s as if I was reading a superficial tabloid article or watching a mediocre made-for-TV movie. However, seeing a close-up of vaginal penetration on the big screen, if only for two seconds, was a pleasant experience and left me surprised by the filmmakers’ boldness. (03/17/2024)

An incredible banality. When will Czech filmmakers finally realise that it is not enough to take a seemingly dramatic story and somehow just translate it to the screen with the idea that it will work. If you don't have any creative handwriting, ideas, courage to try something new, an interesting style, or God forbid some kind of idea and point (scandalous expectations, I know!), then just give it up... (05/26/2024)