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Empties – a moving Czech comedy




We love Czech comedies! Yes, we know, we are not unique. Perhaps mostly of you have already seen Empties but it is still worth mentioning. This film tells a story of an elderly literature teacher from a high school in Prague. Josef Tkaloun, set up by his lazy pupils, decides to quite the job. Instead of getting retired he undertakes new professional challenges. He starts to bike as a courier but he soon realizes that it is not for him. Josef is physically fit but digitally illiterate. Next choice is a supermarket where he recycles glass bottles, the empties. And the new life begins – with new inspirations, observations, flirts…

Jan & Zděnek Svěrák  - son and father duo

This film (Vratné lahve – in Czech, 2007) is made by Jan Svěrák. The main role stars his father Zděnek Svěrák. It is the third movie in the trilogy on aging that commenced 1991 with The Elementary School and continued in 1996 with the Oscar-winning Kolya. On the DVD’s extras one can see how the famous family team is working plus some additional scenes, a gallery, the storyboard and comics. 

Comic love story

Empties is a moving Czech comedy – good for laughing and thinking over. Is an old, pardon, an elderly, person condemned to an empty life, without love and tenderness? This comic love story shows the opposite. We have just seen it for the second time. And enjoyed it as years ago. Each of us has his/her own favorite scene. Paul likes Josef trying to teach literature and me – the mysterious traces on the wall behind the counter. What exactly? Watch it :). 

Maria&Paul


MORE INFO

Director: Jan Svěrák 
Writer: Zděnek Svěrák 
Runtime: 1h 44min
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Premiere: 2007
Studio: Portobello Pictures

CAST

Zděnek Svěrák - Josef Tkaloun
Tatiana Wilhelmová – Helena, his daughter
Daniela Kolářová - Eliška Tkalounová
Jiři Macháček – Landa, his friend
Pavel Landovsky – Řezáč

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