Vaclav

I do not understand the director Vejdělek very well and his latest films completely miss the mark for me. With three stars, he probably reached his maximum with Vaclav, which he will most likely never surpass. Similar controversial material has been made many times in world cinema, and in most cases, more convincingly and with greater emotional force. On the other hand, Vejdělek can rely on the great names of two acting generations. Emília Vašáryová is excellent in the role of a mother and Ivan Trojan proves that he is a major star of contemporary Czech cinema. Trojan is perfectly natural and believable in the role of a mentally unstable village fool. Occasionally, the script stumbles, but within the framework of Czech cinema of the first decade of the new millennium, it is, I'm sad to say, solidly above average. Overall impression: 60%. (03/20/2015)

“We’ll taken care of everything. Everything." Not even the cheap-looking TV visage where the only hint of movieness is in Jan Muchow’s score, not even the usually amazing Trojan, and certainly not Vejdelek’s none-existent directing are positive aspects of Václav. But the movie triumphs in the form of its screenplay by Mark Epstein. With a more talented and skillful director, I believe that this could have been an exceptional movie, not just in domestic terms. But this way the result is only well-performed craft with a very intriguing topic and a lumpy story. It begins as a classic Czech movie that makes you feel warm inside, lulling you into a sense of numbness, until the concert scene where the movie hits rock bottom of lameness. On the other hand, this scene presents the bottom to push off from and then it moves on to its best part that works well emotionally without engaging in emotional blackmail. And that is refreshing. The actors clearly indicate whose mantelpieces the Czech Lions (Czech Academy Awards) will decorate to this year. Trojan’s performance among them is the cherry on the cake; and I must also praise Jan Budař’s performance, which shone just as brightly as Trojan’s. If Václav had originally been intended just as a pilot for a series of TV plays all linked by the common theme of presidential pardons, this would have been the best thing to have appeared on TV for the past few years. But as it is, the result is a mediocre movie that only begins to work at one minute to midnight. Václav would undoubtedly have turned out better if it had just appeared on the TV screen. (12/06/2007)

What I admire about Václav more than in many other films is that particular ability of Czech filmmakers to shoot the greatest tragedy as if it were a bit of a comedy. Jiří Vejdělek knows how to direct situations that are touching and those that are amusing. Marek Epstein knows how to write such situations. Unfortunately, neither of these two gentlemen have (yet) managed to combine these two different kinds of situations and, as a result, achieve a bolder dramatic effect. The slapstick shooting at the mailman, the whitewashing of the room, the motorcycle ride and, in contrast to all of that, the serious handling of the titular protagonist’s relationship with his mother and his first serious love. These scenes are linked only by Václav, the village idiot, who wouldn’t even make it to the semi-finals at the convention of village idiots in Woody Allen’s Love and Death because of the unexceptional nature of his excesses. I don’t want to disparage Ivan Trojan’s performance; he tries, but he doesn’t know exactly who he should play. Václav is the kind of “Oscar retard” that Kate Winslet talks about in an episode of Extras. If the creators of  Václav had specified his illness and not shrouded everything in “general appeal”, I believe without any exaggeration that they could have made a powerful film. The vagueness of the screenwriter’s intention is especially evident in the second half, when space is suddenly given to flashbacks to Václav’s childhood. These can be explained away by Václav’s attempt to fill the void left by his mother, but that does not justify their insignificant narrative value and their very minor impact on the almost non-existent plot. Like Holiday Makers and ROMing, Václav has moments that I could imagine as stand-alone stories with their own point, but they don’t fit together as a whole. 60% (06/17/2011)

An excellent comedy drama. Václav, the main hero alone deserves a full set of stars, or rather Ivan Trojan, who gave the role his best and whose acting was absolutely marvelous. And plot is really interesting and about real people. The story is enriched by humorous situations of Václav and in the contrast with the tragic climax, it’s simply great cinema. The great Emília Vašáryová shines in her supporting role. I’m overjoyed. (11/28/2015)

Some films are made to captivate with their entire content, some because they showcase great acting performances even though the story itself isn't that remarkable. The story of "Václav" could be one of those that could be considered great, but in the end, it only allowed one man's mastery to shine. Ivan Trojan once again proved what a great actor he is, and he portrayed the role of the slightly mentally challenged Václav in such a way that you can't take your eyes off him. Well, maybe also because he's staring at Sonia Norris' breasts, but that's only because Václav does too. Ivan Trojan is so believable, so good, and actually quite funny, as well as tragic, that he simply doesn't leave space for others. Even though both Budař and Emília Vášáryová deliver good performances. However, I think the screenplay here is a bit lacking. There are turning points that push the story forward, but there isn't any significant culmination. I understand that it's based on a true story, and perhaps the most important aspect is presented only in the final title, but why do we always have to focus on the small details that are so characteristic for us? Why can't we connect it with something greater? In the end, the film comes across as quite peaceful, and Václav is presented as just a slower guy who occasionally messes up but is otherwise fun to be with, as long as he's not causing trouble for you specifically. Ivan Trojan deserves a lot of credit, but as a whole, the film doesn't quite measure up. But I can't just give the film 100% for having a flawless lead actor. More: (03/04/2013)