Directed by:
Petr NikolaevScreenplay:
Jiří StránskýCinematography:
Martin DubaComposer:
Martin SmolkaCast:
Jakub Doubrava, Táňa Pauhofová, Petr Forman, Zuzana Stivínová, Karel Zima, Ondřej Vetchý, Pavel Zedníček, Vladimír Javorský, Pavel Landovský, Rudolf Pellar (more)Plots(1)
A Little Piece of Heaven tells a story of love, friendship, and solidarity, aspects of life that allows us to live with dignity even at the most difficult of times. Set within the walls of a Communist prison of the 1950s, a tale unfolds of a young couples‘ fragile love. Despite the period setting, A Little Piece of Heaven isn’t political propaganda. First and foremost it is a romance which shows that love will find a way even under the most dramatic of circumstances. An angry young man, Lubos always felt defiance toward everything around him, and eventually this trait lands him in court. The verdict is clear and the punishment long and hard. But even in prison Lubos is unable to tame his love of jazz or the eternally blazing flame of rebellion he carries inside. There is no place on earth where love cannot grow. Lubos meets Dana in prison. It’s not a real meeting, more of an encounter of looks, a flying of sparks which leads to feelings of love. Out of solidarity and support, their fellow prisoners hatch a small rebellion to help them fulfill their love – a love which has appeared in the wrong place at the wrong time. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Reviews (2)
I consider Petr Nikolaev an overall average filmmaker, whose style and film ideas I can exclude in advance from getting me excited. However, he managed to make a film that earned him a four-star rating once. It helps that he set the story in the unfriendly 1950s, with the theme of political persecution and the romantic motif of love bound by prison walls. I still can't shake the feeling that much more could have been extracted from the created situation and the presence of several interesting supporting characters. Even so, A Little Piece of Heaven reliably stands out from contemporary Czech production. Overall impression: 75%.
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A Little Piece of Heaven is a pleasant picture, perfect for TV. But I have two objections. One is the music in the “action" parts and also that the “consonance" of the central couple left me cold. In my eyes this storyline just takes the attention away from much more intriguing characters among the screws and the inmates. It’s a long time since I last saw a Czech movie that had so much potential in the supporting cast that remains so wasted.
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