Empties (Vratné lahve)

2007

Empties (Vratné lahve)

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Empties (Vratné lahve) Photos

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Movie Info

The long-anticipated seriocomedy Empties constitutes director Jan Sverak's third installment in his trilogy on aging that commenced with The Elementary School (1991) and continued with the beloved Kolya (1996). The filmmaker's father, Zdenak Sverak, stars as Josef Tkaloun, a curmudgeonly middle-aged lit teacher who grows exhausted from instructing his demanding, occasionally obnoxious students, and opts to take a hike - into an early retirement. Though his wife, Eliska (Daniela Kolarova) (to whom he has repeatedly been unfaithful) continues to tolerate his insensitivity, Josef quickly recognizes his own need for a daily grind, and thus heads into a series of random occupations, including bike messenger and bottle retriever in a grocery store. The latter proves particularly colorful, introducing Josef to a host of eccentric and occasionally funny co-workers. Meanwhile, Josef makes feeble attempts to set his hyper-devout daughter (Tatiana Vilhelmova) up with a crass former coworker (Jiri Machacek), and lapses into lusty fantasies about the headmistress of his former school (Nela Boudova) - endangering his marriage in the process. At the time of its release, this film reportedly netted a greater profit than any movie in Czech history.

Rating:

NR
Genre:

Art House & International, Comedy, Drama
Directed By:

Jan Sverák
Written By:

Zdenek Sverák
In Theaters:

Mar 8, 2007 wide
On Disc/Streaming:

Oct 6, 2009
Runtime:

103 minutes
Studio:

Portobello Pictures

Cast

Zdenek Sverák
as Josef

Daniela Kolárová
as Eliska

Tatiana Vilhelmová
as Helena

Pavel Landovsky
as Chatter

Jiri Machacek
as Robert

Jan Budar
as Mirek Clit (Shorty)

Miroslav Táborský
as Manager

Nela Boudova
as Ptackova

View All

Critic Reviews for Empties (Vratné lahve)

All Critics (5) | Top Critics (3) | Fresh (5)

In Empties, father-son Czech collaborators in the Oscar-winning Kolya focus on how poorly a cantankerous high school teacher adapts to what amounts to forced retirement.

June 5, 2009 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Greg Quill
Toronto Star
Top Critic
Sverak's work anchors a cast that delivers a series of delicately executed performances as the actors bring to life a great range of lightly comic characters.

September 6, 2007 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Kate Taylor
Globe and Mail
Top Critic
Under Sverak's shrewdly unforced direction, other thesps are natural and appealing.

July 21, 2007 | Full Review…

Eddie Cockrell
Variety
Top Critic
[An] affecting Czech sort-of-romantic comedy.

June 5, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/5 | Full Review…

Jim Slotek
Jam! Movies
For Vratn lahve (Empties), the Czech father and son duo Zdenek and Jan Sverk only slightly rework the recipe for their Oscar-winning film Kolya.

July 18, 2007 | Full Review…

Boyd van Hoeij
european-films.net

View All Critic Reviews (5)

Audience Reviews for Empties (Vratné lahve)

Jan 04, 2010

Beautiful little film. You can see some of the magic of Kolya has been replicated here. I think there is a part of me in Zdenak Sverak's character...without the age of course.

John B Super Reviewer