The Art of Passion

When good female archetypes meet the traditionally bad male ones, there’s no time left for cuddling. A few instances of verbal humor aside, the characters feel more like puppets being maneuvered to achieve a comedic outcome. Any real drama is essentially abandoned, and the soundtrack feels like elevator music (preferably in an elevator that isn’t stuck). I get that the crime plot was also supposed to ride the comedic wave, but in that case, Frank Drebin should have made an appearance at the resort’s reception. In terms of acting, Jana Plodková stood out, approaching her role like a mix of a cynical Lisbeth Salander and her slightly tipsy character from The Watchmaker’s Apprentice. (03/09/2023)

I don't set the bar sky-high for Czech movies, but I can't help but feel let down every time (Shadowplay, though, brought a glimmer of joy to my movie-watching soul). Let me tell you, this one was a train wreck – the script? Absolute garbage - ten out of ten detectives agree. Some of the cast felt like they just stumbled onto the set. I used to like Václav Kotka. His son? Not so much. Plus, I couldn't wrap my head around what genre this movie belonged to. Weak drama plot, not funny enough for comedy, it couldn't have been a romance because Jiří Langmajer or Petra Hřebíčková weren't in it, and horror? Well, that's reserved for Eva Toulová. It's like it's trying to be something but ends up being nothing.  Easily forgettable, and while it might've raked in some cash, it's not winning over most viewers. / Lesson learned: Surprisingly, there's a lesson buried in this mess, but fans of various "experts" will probably ignore it. (10/14/2022)