A Prominent Patient

It is a pleasure to see Julius Ševčík's journey through Czech cinema, and yet it is also worth asking whether three films in the space of a decade are really enough to prove his talent. Very briefly: Masaryk is a necessary film, whether for its genre or the choice of the person it follows. It is skillfully shot, interesting, fits into the color of the Munich stigma, and offers up another shard. Those less familiar with the subject will at least be introduced to the nature of Jan Masaryk's foreign travels and hear Roden speak in foreign languages. For me, it’s a yes. (07/15/2017)

I went to see A Prominent Patient in the movie theater with my school. To start, I want to say that when I look back at recent Czech biographical films, most of them aren’t that great, but A Prominent Patient is one of the few exceptions. In co-production with Slovakia, the result turned out quite above average for local standards. Julius Ševčík, in the director’s seat, surprised me—considering his age, he chose a rather challenging topic, but he handled it very well. Karel Roden was a perfect choice for the lead role, and I bought his performance entirely. Roden’s acting talent really shined in the scenes set in the psychiatric hospital. I might have toned down the portrayal of his bohemian lifestyle a bit, as it felt somewhat exaggerated at times, but I can let that slide. The film's overall tone, which doesn’t come across as joyful but rather quite pessimistic, deserves praise, as it fits the era and circumstances perfectly, and I believe it has a stronger impact on the viewer because of it. In the supporting role as President Beneš, Oldřich Kaiser shined, helped by excellent makeup—a fantastic performance all around. The only thing that slightly affects my final rating is the overly long runtime in the hospital scenes, where I would have trimmed a few minutes. Other than that, I have no complaints, and I give it 83%. (05/20/2017)

An absolutely world-class movie that will however only be appreciated by a Czechoslovak. As one could expect, it’s full of fundamental dialogues that will best be absorbed by a historian or a Czech with an interest in history. Personally, I found interesting the conversation with Konrad Henlein, which wasn’t really fundamental for the movie, but a person in the know will immediately notice it and they will take in every single word that he exchanges with Jan Masaryk. To this I can add that I read through several opinions of historians regarding this film and I am glad that the authors tried to be as historically accurate as possible. On the other hand, I’m a bit sad that the beautiful cinematography, which in my opinion is of world-class quality, that takes the viewer to the USA, England but also to Nazi-occupied Prague, wasn’t a bit more dynamic. But everything was made up for by the acting performances: Karel Roden was absolutely excellent, but Oldřich Kaiser as Edvard Beneš was even better. All in all, I have to say that the last time I saw such a good and stylish movie in the Czech Republic was when In the Shadow came out. At the same time, I am glad the authors clarified several historical situations and I would like to thank them for making it possible for a movie like this to be made. (03/15/2017)

One thing that Masaryk cannot be denied at first glance is its unmistakable ambition, which is welcome if well used and capitalized on. Fortunately, that is the case this time, resulting in a film that definitely stands out from the average by Czech standards. The twelve Czech Lions are in order, though it's true that I haven't seen all the competing films, but Masaryk has set the bar pretty high anyway. I have no complaints about the cast, everyone played their roles to perfection and I liked the linguistic layering and authenticity. As far as the technical aspect is concerned, this is a solid film, mixing many evocative shots with an unmistakable musical score. A skillfully made and believably acted excursion into a bygone era that wasn't exactly easy or safe. (04/02/2017)

I was surprised by how well and professionally the film is shot. If it weren't for the Czech spoken, I'd easily say it's an American production. The actors are all excellent and I didn't find a single weak performance. The screenplay may be somewhat fictionalized, and I was disappointed that it's a film about Munich, not so much about Masaryk and maybe his death, but I still enjoyed the film, even though it can hit you with quite the bit depression. (04/06/2017)