55-year-old Louka (Zdenek Sverak) is a gifted musician in Czechoslovakia who once made a good living playing in the State Symphony Orchestra. However, he has little use for the government, and after putting a playfully insulting statement on a government form, he's been banished from official music making. He ekes out a living by giving private lessons, painting gravestones with gold leaf, and performing at funerals. Louka also likes to chase younger women, a surprisingly number of whom are more
than happy to be caught. However, when a friend suggests marriage to a stranger, Louka is unexpectedly willing to consider the matter. It seems that Broz (Ondrej Vetchy), a gravedigger and a good friend of Louka's, has a niece, Nadezda (Irena Livanova), with a young son who wants to stay in Czechoslovakia. However, she's a Russian citizen and lacks the proper papers. In order to stay, the young mother needs to marry a Czech citizen, and she and her aunt are willing to pay a "husband" for his troubles. Louka, hard up for cash and in need of a used car, grudgingly agrees to the arrangement and weds Nadezda. However, once she has her papers, Nadezda heads for West Germany to be with her boyfriend, and after her aunt unexpectedly dies, Louka finds himself in custody of his new "stepson," six-year-old Kolya (Andrei Khalimon). A confirmed bachelor, Louka knows next to nothing about taking care of a child, and he discovers that parenthood cramps his style with the ladies. However, Louka and Kolya soon become good friends, and Louka finds his outlook on life beginning to change, just as the "Velvet Revolution" sounds the call of a new era in Czechoslovakia. Kolya won both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe as Best Foreign Language Film of 1997. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
With his big sad eyes, Andrej Chalimon pulls us lovingly and completely into Kolya's life. He's simply perfect as a little Russian refugee in this poignant movie treasure.
Kolya is an adorable and charming light drama of a Russian child unexpectedly changing the course of the life of a "father" in question. A genius mix of light drama and humor. The enchanting story, solid performances, and profound soundtrack paramount to a genuine magical experience for the heart.
A charming film with solid performances. KOYLA celebrates the life and trials of a middle-aged cellist in Prague during the Soviet occupation. Louka plays the cello like an angel, but seduces married women with his devilish charm. All this changes when he inherits a young boy from an arranged marriage. The uneasy
relationship between man and boy blossoms into mutual affection. Beautifully filmed, KOYLA ranks high as a must-see movie!
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