Movie Details
And Then There Was Love…/ A pak prisla laska…(2022)
Director: Šimon Holý
Cast-Pavla Tomicová,Sara Venclovská,Tereza Hofová
Movie type- Drama
Release date- 2 July 2022
IMDB Rating-5.1
Languages- English and Czech
Duration- ‧1h 25m
Trailer
Synopsis
Director Šimon Holý is one of the young up-and-coming filmmakers who should be watched in the domestic pond. His debut Mirrors in the Dark last year showed that relationships and generational statements on the border of art are not a problem for him, and even if the first work did not suit me in some ways, I had to appreciate his clear formal vision and it was clear that a great Czech talent might be born here. And he comes right after a year with another small, inconspicuous picture, in which he again deals with his two core themes – intimacy and interpersonal relationships. And then love came… with a high probability it won’t fill the cinema either, but it can convince one young creator of his talent without any problems. And maybe Pavle Tomicová will win her first Czech Lion.
In the film, we follow Kristýna, a psychologist and presenter of marketing surveys, who is unhappy that she cannot find love in her life. She therefore decides to go on a healing weekend and a certain form of healing to the card reader Zdena, who, with the help of interpretation of tarot cards and certain procedures, is supposed to help her find herself, happiness, and maybe even love. Daughter Sára is also going with Kristýna, who thinks the whole idea is stupid but wants to support her mother. During the weekend, both will find out more not only about themselves and their surroundings, but also about their problematic mutual relationship.
The themes of the director’s second work are so clearly defined – we have self-love, motherly bonds, and interpersonal relationships, last but not least, Holý digs a little into card books and social networks this time. Again, however, it is wrapped in a cozy and intimate guise, in which there is no rush forward. This time, the direction is more accessible to the audience, especially thanks to the humorous flashes, but it is still a very unique film, which in the end will not suit everyone. Here, he mainly relies on the realism and authenticity of the dialogues, which is enhanced by the fact that most of the verbal exchanges were created through improvisation directly on the set.
This is largely the reason why the film seems completely believable most of the time and can conjure up several seemingly ordinary moments or conversations that more than one viewer can identify. The excellently graded and natural driving in the car at the beginning of the film is the best proof. At the same time, Holý can get under the skin of the characters significantly thanks to the dialogues and excellent acting management, to serve up a few stronger moments and to work excellently with the complicated motif of mother and daughter. He is significantly helped in this by the excellent cast led by the excellent Pavla Tomicová, who gives one of the strongest performances of her career. However, we should not forget the daughter played by the excellent Sara Venclovská and the well-played card player Tereza Hofová.
It is therefore a bit of a shame that Holý cannot maintain his tight and intimate vision until the end. In the last third, the film turns into a “mushroom” finale, in which, of course, most of the motifs, and unfortunately to a large extent also the pivotal bond between mother and daughter, fade into the background and do not receive an appropriately emotional or otherwise strong point, thanks to which the novelty in the viewer would resonate more strongly. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen, and the finale, with its more measured and cold approach, reminded me of Mirrors in the Dark when I also started to cross paths with Holý at the end.
Despite the final faltering, And Then There Was Love… is among the most distinctive domestic pieces of the year, which is worth noting, and not only because of the sovereign performance of Pavla Tomicová. Šimon Holý continues to develop nicely in his themes of relationships and man’s struggle with himself, and he is also much more confident in his craftsmanship. The result is an authentic and intimate trip into the heart of only four characters, which, although it deserved a much more expressive ending, nevertheless manages to appeal to the viewer more than once during the viewing and hits the mark in complicated family situations.
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