Directed by:
Jan HřebejkScreenplay:
Petr JarchovskýCinematography:
Bartek CierlicaComposer:
Petr OstrouchovCast:
Jiří Macháček, Gabriela Míčová, Aňa Geislerová, Martin Finger, Klára Melíšková, David Novotný, Lenka Krobotová, Karel Dobrý, Sabina Remundová, Anežka Rouhová (more)Plots(1)
The ZAHRADNICTVÍ (GARDEN STORE) trilogy consists of three separate films, all taking place in Czechoslovakia, set against the backdrop of some of the most dramatic periods of the past century (1939-1959), starting with WWII, covering the period of post-war optimism, and ending with the rise of the Communist dictatorship. It tells the story of three related families: the family of an air radio operator, the family of the owner of a hair salon, and the family of a garden store owner. The trilogy encompasses twenty years of the lives of its characters, who had to live out the best years of their lives in these complicated times.
DEZERTÉR (DESERTER) is a drama that takes place from 1947 to 1953, during the time when the Communists first seized power. The main character, one of the returned fathers, is the owner of the stylish Valentino Hair Salon in the center of Prague. He employs his entire family at his business, which is the purpose and fulfilment of his life. The film is the story of men who risked their lives in the battle for freedom. They survived the threat of death only to once again face the loss of the hopes in which they believed and to which they had become emotionally attached. Each of them is trying to find a "home" again. THE DESERTER is a tragicomic drama of severely tested love between husbands and wives, between siblings, and between parents and their children. (Cinemart)
(more)Reviews (5)
Hřebejk and Jarchovsky's idea of how to make a "major motion picture" where characters are ruthlessly transformed against the backdrop of brutal history. It's just a shame that you giggle like a madman the whole time, because this artsy drunkenness is fantastically accelerated by the totally obscene (mis)direction and the inept script. Hřebejk clearly has no say at all in how the performers are supposed to conceptualise their characters, so they go to all sorts of lengths to build strong personalities. Machacek's "dramatic transformation", which forces him to alternate between several acting jobs, where he easily outstrips everyone by a wide margin, is perhaps somewhat reminiscent of Bruno Dumont. Jarchovsky hasn't had a clue how people talk to each other for a good ten years now; in my opinion, he doesn't read anything he didn’t write himself, but that doesn't stop him from writing epic historical pieces about how the sleazy Štěpán Kozub, who throws rocks at girls and doesn't want to work (because he's a communist!!), is stealing stuff from a nice, quirky gentleman with a moustache and a coffee machine. It's insane, really, it's almost impossible to watch, but for some reason this creative team manages to keep a close watch over the design and the camera the entire time, so I can't bury it too deep. Besides... well, thanks to the above, I actually had fun with it.
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I admit that the disappointment from the first part of the Gardening trilogy poisoned me so much that I fairly ignored the following two parts. However, when I watched the second part now, I have to admit that the ignorance was somewhat unjustified. The second part seems better in many respects. The general problem is that there is no really thrilling plot here. You basically experience a few communist years with families who didn't have it easy at that time. The main plot actually doesn't exist. However, the whole thing stands or falls on individual scenes, which are occasionally entertaining, but often more serious. There is a certain variation on the legendary Cosy Dens here, but for it to be as good, there would have to be a lot more of those significant scenes. The best and funniest scene is when the Russian women come to the hair salon for a perm. Acting-wise, Martin Finger completely captivated me. However, the other actors were also great and it is a joy to observe the array of Czech acting talent in one movie.
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I’m fairly cautious in approaching Garden Store: Deserter. Again, its qualities are strong, but such an intimate and raw drama is not really a walk in the garden of Eden and it is difficult to relive the grotesque and raw situations over and over again. All the details and the overall feel of the dramatic arcs and human destinies are spicy. For example, by simply casting Zuzana Mauréry in a supporting role in a partial anecdote in a hairdresser's salon, Hřebejk sets the tone for the whole scene, but he is not afraid to keep the comedic episode bittersweet, which is very valuable. It would have been very false to make a pure comedy from those breakthrough years. Thank you and I look forward to the conclusion of the trilogy.
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I enjoyed the first part of the trilogy, but I had some reservations. This time, I have none. In terms of acting, direction, and writing, Deserter is simply a great movie. I have never seen Jiří Macháček act this well before, Martin Finger confirmed that he’s one of the best contemporary actors, and Gabriela Míčová also got a great opportunity, which she did not waste. The other characters – and there are a lot – aren't just numbers this time, or at least they don't seem to be, and in the end everything fits together and you look forward to the next film. That's how it should be.
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"I'm starting to feel that Jan Hřebejk understands the period of communism or its aftermath a little better than the period of Nazism. The characters are portrayed slightly better here, there is a bit better humor than in the first part of the trilogy, but it still falls short of something better than the average rating. This doesn't become a classic."
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