Interesteg What makes it different from others?

Solidrariol Am I Missing Something?

PiraBit if their story seems completely bonkers, almost like a feverish work of fiction, you ain't heard nothing yet.

Brendon Jones It’s fine. It's literally the definition of a fine movie. You’ve seen it before, you know every beat and outcome before the characters even do. Only question is how much escapism you’re looking for.

Mike B It's too long. It's too diffuse with too many characters and a ton of sub-plots that don't really add up.Miss Sophisticate is forced to hide in bumpkin land with Mr. Country Bumpkin. OK as far as it goes. She has to marry the fellow to conceal her identity– and all kinds of cliché's and standard scenes follow– the country wedding the village letch assaults her Mr Bumpkin's beautiful doggie the village babushkas instruct Miss Sophisticate in rural cultureMiss Sophisticate saves some of the women during childbirththe village homeless boy saves all the villagers from the bad Russian soldiers...and a few more flashed by when hitting fast-forwardIt was like watching a Disney movie with a few adult scenes. It was all superficial with beautiful scenery tossed in.

Red-125 Zelary (2003), directed by Ondrej Trojan, is an variation on the theme of a person thrown into an environment for which he or she is not prepared. In this case, the protagonist Eliska (Anna Geislerová) is a beautiful, sophisticated nurse in Prague during the German occupation. Forced to escape from Prague, Eliska finds herself in a remote Czech farming village.In this setting, her urban knowledge and social skills are inadequate for survival. Predictably, her basic intelligence and her nursing experience do, indeed prove useful. However, without help from the people in the community, she can't possibly survive. Whether her abilities--and the assistance of the villagers--will prove adequate to ensure survival is the question around which the plot revolves.The weakness of the film is that Eliska's transition into her role as the wife of a farmer is far from adequate. Anna Geislerová is so refined and elegant that it would have taken more than two long braids to fool the Germans (or anyone else). Still, the concept is interesting, and the film does well in conveying the complexities and difficulties that confront a stranger in an apparently tranquil rural community.

rbowles-2 I once asked a film critic friend of mine how he decided a movie would receive his highest rating. He told me that when a movie is beyond criticism, it is worthy of the highest honor. I feel this way about "Zelary". I saw it in the theater when it first came out and saw it again recently on video. The single element that is most striking about this movie is the cinematography which is vivid and beautiful and kept taking my breath away. And quite honestly, those panoramic shots of Zelary and the surrounding mountains reminded me of where I grew up. There are three performances that are perfect. Anna Geislerova as Eliska/Hana won a couple of international acting awards for this performance and totally deserved them. Her nuanced and subtle transformation from reluctant and slightly belligerent 'refugee' to a loving and sensitive wife was a fine example of measured, well-thought out acting. Gyorgy Cserhalmi as Joza is equally as fine and Jaroslava Adamova as Lucka is one of those characters we can't wait to see again. Highly recommended for beautiful cinematography, fine acting and a great example of cinematic storytelling.

yonjan This execellent movie contains both a very large story and many small vignettes providing context for each other. The large story is the Czech resistance to the Nazis and the consequences of being associated with them.The well developed and lesser developed characters exhibit such a wide range of the human goodness and evil. This movie will pull you in quickly and lead you thru our best and worst sides. The hapless and the resourceful weave in and out of a rich tapestry.Much of the movie is set in a small town with its curses and blessings. This provides a rich context for the many strong characters to thrive. Many gratifying relationships develop.The is a strong undercurrent of the randomness of war. Stupid mistakes and petty actions that have tragic consequences. The DVD has a fun extra of the start and crew's visit to Hollywood in hopes of the best foreign film Oscar of 2003.