Kolya (1996)

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

It's not great by any means, but it's a pretty good movie that didn't leave me filled with regret for investing time in it.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

.Like the great film, it's made with a great deal of visible affection both in front of and behind the camera.

I haven't seen as many Czech movies as I would like to, but I've liked all the ones that I've seen. Among those is Jan Svěrák's Oscar-winning "Kolja" (rendered "Kolya" in English). The director's father Zdeněk plays a concert cellist making a living by playing at funerals as the Soviet Union's grip on Czechoslovakia is weakening. But then his life changes after he has to take a five-year-old boy under his wing.The cinematography, character development, and historical context all combine to make this one fine movie. I don't know that I would go so far as to call it a masterpiece, but it's a fine piece of work, both for the plot and the acting. I recommend it, and I hope to see more movies by Jan Svěrák.

For a lecherous old man who fairly wallows in his own lechery, who "fiddles at funerals" and touches up tombstones, the introduction of a wife (however temporary) and a step-son who doesn't even speak the same language proves most inconvenient. As it no doubt would for most of us. The political schism only makes things worse. "Where you Russians march," he tells his young charge, "you stay." It's a statement (especially when made to so young a child) that's as harsh as it is funny. It's learning to communicate (and to love) that ultimately matters. Differences (especially in ideologies) are, in the final analysis, insignificant. Early on in the film, driving past a trio of young women he is ogling, the boy's unsuspecting, yet-to-be step-father doesn't bother to turn to look at their faces as he passes. His companion does, and remarks that their fronts don't hold up to their backs. "I didn't look back," the old man says: "So, for me, they'll be beautiful forever." In his dealings with the boy, KOLYA, he learns to look beyond the superficial- and, in the end, can't help but look back.

The general plot of this movie is certainly not new--a confirmed bachelor having a small child dumped into his lap and the subsequent growth of this individual as a result of raising a kid. However, unlike some other similar movies, this movie never became cloying or overly sentimental (the biggest problem with similar movies). Plus, although this COULD have been a "do it by the numbers film", it diverged into unusual directions (particularly setting the movie in the waning days of communist Czechoslovakia) and the ending was NOT so predictable as well.The acting, pacing and direction were excellent and I had no complaints about this. The only real complaint I have is that although this type of film is usually intended as family fare, KOLYA is DEFINITELY not--as it has a very brief nude scene. It's a real shame because many who would enjoy this most might not get to see it due to this one extremely brief scene. It DID help the plot along, but was certainly NOT necessary.

This movie is just so bad! It is all fake - technically good, but fake.... As a Czech I agree with all the Czechs before me who noted that this film was intentionally created to be "effective" in the west. Sverak seized his opportunity and used the historical fact that people in the west may be interested in a story like this at that time. This is a Hollywood style made movie that is apparently created by a Czech for non-Czechs and as can be seen from the previous contributions - it found its viewers - people who call it Czechoslovakian - although it is purely Czech, people who believe it describes life in USSR - we were never part of the USSR, and even people who believe it was political and helped us to fight the Russian oppression - the movie was made in 1996, long after the revolution.....after all it shows the communist reality so unrealistic - so sweet....full of romantic pictures....so that the stupid Americans who need to see the world black and white can understand it....it is a well packed sweet product from a far away easteuropan country which explains in pictures how it all was.....I absolutely hate this film and think that there are hundreds of better Czech movies, especially from the 60's, but I am not sure that the people in the West, especially in the US would ever get them - they are too realistic and it takes time and requires some intellectual curiosity which most of them are missing.....The worst thing is that once, years from now, people will look at it, none of them will have a direct experience with communism and they will cry over this story and think of how bad, but actually "interesting" times they were!....I can literally see the annoying tourists coming to Prague these days and bearing in mind this movie with its cute pictures, music, universal story and a "very interesting period called Communism"....I am going to stop now - this movie make me angry even now!