23/04/2014 - Oddball dark comedy Krásno marks a departure from routine Czech cinema productions

The make-up of Czech film productions has been virtually uniform in recent years. The stream of retro films – be they dramas or comedies, rom-coms or laugh-a-minute folk movies – has formed the basic portfolio of domestic production. The harmony is, from time to time, disrupted by newcomers who provide a challenge for local audiences. Such is the case of Ondřej Sokol, the actor and TV/theatre director, whose debut feature, Krásno [+see also:
trailer
film profile] (the name of the lake playing a crucial role in the story), has taken viewers by surprise. This break with conventional domestic production has also become more dramatic lately thanks to the release of other thought-provoking films, which is a good sign. Krásno is a fine example of this daring departure.

Krásno is marketed as a black comedy, not such a popular genre for Czech productions (the last attempt was Tacho in 2010, about racing and cancer), and its creators have not tried to disguise their take on Coen poetics. The dim lighting and muddy palette suggest film-noir conventions (at one point, the cinematographer, Tomáš Sysel, references Edward Hopper´s Nighthawks painting, and that’s not the only visual pun in the film), while the onscreen action borders on screwball comedy (bearing a few obvious similarities to Burn After Reading [+see also:
trailer
film profile]). “This film – which is based on a true story, affected us to a great extent and influenced our lives – is not just a run-of-the-mill production for us, but is a deeply personal affair. And even though these events were tragic and terrible, the way the characters in the tale behaved was often so absurd and unbelievably humorous that we decided to make a comedy about the death of my best friend’s mother,” says the director about the production.

Initially, the story follows a reunion, when the main protagonists Adam and Michal (played by the director himself and Martin Finger, who also co-penned the screenplay) return to their rural hometown, Šumperk, for a weekend. Michal is visiting his dying father, with whom he has a decaying relationship – he blames him for his mother’s mysterious death. They happen upon a bigger reunion at their old high school and wreak havoc after getting drunk. Soon, the plot starts to accelerate towards the end of the first act, when the story switches to the detective genre, as Michal begins to suspect there is something fishy about his mother´s death and decides to investigate.

The creators delight in steering the scenes towards funny, yet awkward, climaxes. The opening shots ironically play on popular domestic nostalgic comedies, before suddenly veering off course and leading the viewer into an unexpected and tragic turn of events involving some innocent child’s play in the eponymous lake. The fatalism strand is present throughout the whole film, along with several other recurring motifs and running gags. The patchwork of sequences contributes to a rather loose plot structure that is mainly character-driven, like a sitcom; Sokol actually performed in an improvised television comedy show, so he has obviously used his experience to his advantage. The creators show a penchant for not only black, but also deadpan humour, a rare phenomenon in domestic productions. Internationally renowned Czech actor Karel Roden also delivers a tremendous performance in his supporting role as a caring undertaker.

Although Krásno is undoubtedly a promising debut for Sokol, above all it marks the dawn of original and fresh productions. This streak has already expanded further with another feature, To See the Sea, a debut written and directed by Jiří Mádl, a popular actor known for teen comedies.

Krásno is produced by Love.FRAME, and co-produced by Czech Television, Frame1oor, Magiclab, Sound4film and Lightservice. Bontonfilm is providing distribution services.