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)

The great work with music and detailed camera want to let you know that this has something to do with an artistic generational statement, but that is not the case. The film is absolutely lacking in passion and a drop of drama. The transformation from a promising athlete to a porn star is rushed, and fatal injuries are presented as trivialities that don't really hurt. It lacks doubts about one's own dignity, a stronger clash with family values (the unused character of the father), and anything else that would make it interesting (besides the theme). It's like porn - it gets straight to the point, ticking off towards a predictable climax, but you catch yourself tending to skip over some passages. (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)

The concept on paper looked really interesting. I even looked up various articles about the real Andrea Absolonová because her life journey is truly extraordinary. I don't have any issues with the technical side of things. Director Natálie Císařovská managed that quite well. But what about the flatness and the lack or hint of any emotion? One scene follows another, but the main character's motivations are somehow hidden from us. I didn't understand that. I was hoping for a deeper psychological dive into her life and the decisions she made. Oh, well... I also couldn't believe my eyes that the creators didn't shy away from filming scenes for the 18+ spectrum (they could have spared us one explicitly pornographic scene). It's a shame. Natalia Germani handled the main role quite competently. For me, it's a mediocre 5/10. (03/25/2024)

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)