Empties (Vratné lahve)

Empties ostensibly positions itself as a dramatic comedy, but instead the lingering feeling you take away is one of quiet sadness. While the potential for laughter is there, particularly with a randy and grumpy hero, the attempts at humour are either so understated as to be ineffective or leave fertile areas unexplored. It makes up for this by building the rhythms of everyday life into tiny tragedies and it's sensitive depiction of an octogenarian slowly being rendered obsolete by the modern world.

Lead actor Zdenek Sverak deserves much of the credit for this. In spite of his cliched, sometimes unlikable character, he brings dignity to the role and keeps traces of emotion right at the surface, enhancing the piece’s delicate sensibilities. Without his pitch perfect performance, the script could easily implode under the weight of its own banalities. The cinematography makes Prague and the dream sequences look great, although the latter are a little underwhelming in terms of advancing the storyline.

A huge hit in its native Czech republic, something may be lost in translation for local audiences. Still, it retains its own peculiar charm.

By Andreas Heinemann, Flicks.co.nz