The Snake Brothers

At times not entirely convincing, with characters acting purposefully to artificially suggest a dramatic plot, but in individual details such as the realistic dialogues, the emotional effect, or the performances of everyone on set, this is an auteur work of transcendent stature. Prušinovský has a good understanding of the ordeals and needs of the lower social classes and fits the purely cinematic story of two different and troubled brothers to them without unnecessary sentimentality and softness. Carry on… (11/26/2015)

The Snake Brothers is excellently performed and realistic in terms of the characters’ psychology. But I have a problem with the central motif of friendship, damaged by a single event, and with the last scene of the film, which defines its message. I can’t explain this problem without a SPOILER: since the film is based on one big idea about friendship… he shouldn’t have been mad at him for ending up alone “there”, and he shouldn’t even have mentioned him as a participant in the event. (02/26/2015)

Jan Prušinovský is truly a master. I didn’t expect such a shift from the football environment to something less optimistic, but once again, he confirmed that he’s one of the most talented directors of the present. I’m quite surprised I didn’t watch the film earlier, even though I knew it had taken home so many Czech Lion awards. You can’t say anything against casting the Hádek brothers in the main roles—they delivered the performances of their careers, especially the younger Hádek as Kobra. Casting real-life siblings as brothers was a perfect move, as their chemistry was more than believable. Kobra is simply someone you don’t want to deal with because he’s a loose cannon who can explode at any moment. I really sympathized with his older brother Užovka, whose well-built decent life slowly crumbled due to his younger sibling, though no one around him wanted to admit it. As a glimpse into an unappealing environment, it worked just as I imagined. I might have changed a few moments and tried to maintain the atmosphere at a high level throughout, but those are small details. A film spiced with local brilliance. I give it 85%. (08/20/2017)

I finally saw a Czech film that I really liked, that entertained me, and that I watched with the urge to know how it would end. This is mainly because the Hádek brothers are absolutely great in the film. The screenplay isn't surprising, but it's good and effectively captures the Czech reality it focuses on, but the Hádek brothers carry it. (01/19/2017)

Jan Prušinovský was able to shoot a drama that realistically captures the Czech social present through authentic locations and believable characters, without manipulating or emotionally blackmailing anyone. If all serious Czech filmmaking reached at least three quarters of this level, we would be doing great. The actors are excellent, the film is very high quality both technically and in terms of its craft, and the directing is top-notch. (02/17/2015)