Empties

This film could well be a contender for the best foreign film this year. It was touching and very sensitive. I found it fascinating that the writer and director are father and son. Both collaborated previously in the award winning film Kolya. The father also has the leading role. He is fantastic.

The Czech Republic can be very proud of this twosome. I understand that during the process of writing there was an impasse with the father and son and as a result the film was put on hold for a while. Perhaps that break made it better when they finally reunited because this is a film that is a must.

Josef is a cranky, bitter high school teacher in his 60’s. The students play pranks on him and verbally abuse him. He finally retires because he simply can’t cope.

The film basically portrays his attempt to find fulfillment in his life.

He briefly works as a bike courier but has an accident early in his career and that puts an end to that job. He then finds a job working in a super market collecting the returned bottles. He is charming to the customers and seems to be happy. The problem arises when the store automates the system. Josef has quite an imagination and fantasizes about young women.

I felt so sorry for his wife, Eliska. She tried so hard to communicate with her husband. She felt empty and alone. She accuses him of not wanting to stay home with an old woman. She looks after him but he hasn’t any appreciation of her efforts.

The daughter’s marriage has broken up. Her husband has taken off with another woman. The daughter and grandson spend a lot of time with the parents.

Josef wants to surprise his wife and plans to take her up in a hot air balloon. Even these plans have problems. I found myself laughing at some of the antics. At the same time the human emotions were so real.

I could relate to his problems with the students. I cold relate to the wife’s anguish of an unresponsive husband. I could even understand that she was tempted by the friend who tries to woo her. I could relate to the pain felt by the daughter when her husband leaves her.

I found it very touching to see the characters trying to rise above their situation. The film was not a downer and I left with a positive feeling that the characters had developed and grown emotionally.

This is a very satisfying film. I loved the film shots in the city of Prague.