‘Surviving Life’ movie review: Jan Švankmajer’s psychoanalytical comedy
Surviving Life is Švankmajer’s most accessible work, from the style of animation to the fairly straightforward narrative
June 21, 2011
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Surviving Life is Švankmajer’s most accessible work, from the style of animation to the fairly straightforward narrative
Občanský průkaz (Identity Card) made a big splash with Czech critics and audiences when it opened locally last fall
Pouta (Walking Too Fast) deservedly swept the 2011 Czech Lion Awards: it’s one of the best Czech films of the last 20 years
A classic romantic comedy of the lightly screwball variety, Kristián is one of the best-remembered and most beloved Czech films of its period
Petr Jákl’s high-profile Kajínek profiles the man called the “most famous prisoner in the Czech Republic”
Protektor, a period drama set before and during the Nazi occupation of Czechoslovakia, nearly swept the 2010 Czech Lion awards
Robert Sedláček’s Největší z Čechů (The Greatest Czechs) is an excellent primer on a very specific brand of Czech humor
Kinoautomat was the world’s first interactive movie, which premiered at the World Expo in Montreal back in 1967
Toys in the Attic is a wonderful little children’s picture that’s plenty of fun for adults (especially animation buffs) to boot
Báthory is a wandering, plotless film that seems content to run down a laundry list of events in the life of the titular countess
Home follows the director as she attempts to explore the disintegration of her family and find her own place in life
Citizen Havel is a fascinating, revealing documentary, that shows Czech president Václav Havel in rare form
Tomáš Vorel’s Gympl is a compelling and resonant look at the generation gap in contemporary Czech society
A talented ensemble cast lifts Teddy Bear, a comedy-drama from director Jan Hřebejk and writer Petr Jarchovský
This adaptation of the beloved novel by Bohumil Hrabal is a near-masterpiece and a film of unique beauty
Robert Sedláček´s intense drama absolutely seethes with tension, but is somewhat mislabeled as a thriller
In her final film, the Daisies director makes profound statements on the nature of humanity with a striking subtlety
A meandering script can’t quite sink this striking film with a standout performance from Aňa Geislerová
Master Czech animator Jan Švankmajer’s latest film is one of his very finest