"The Shop on Main Street" defied my expectations in two significant ways: The direction and cinematography were much more elegant than I imagined, and I was surprised at how much of this Nazi-themed film amounts to a sweet, gentle comedy. It's more like one of those small-town character studies from the U.K. The lead
actor has an unmistakable "Gilligan" quality, and the story has no shortage of burlesque drunkenness. Meanwhile, his main foil -- a little old lady who is deaf and oblivious -- provides even more humor.The exposition is overlong (this movie did not need to be over two hours), and the plot's shift toward a darker tone occurs strangely late -- only within the last 45 minutes or so. The ending was not as emotionally powerful as it could have been, and two fantasy sequences seemed unnecessary and out of place. Still, this Czech classic is well worth seeing.
April 12, 2011
