U me dobrý

This Hrebejk’s comedy is set in Prague, four years after the democratic “Velvet revolution” of 1989. This was an era of sudden freedom, transition and confusion. Most people got carried away, quickly abandoning the old values and uncritically accepting the new. Some people just took a break…

The first half of the film portrays the lazy summer mood of a community gathered around a secluded makeshift pub. The film moves very slowly, which makes you feel like you were sitting at the table with them trying to find some meaning on the bottom of the pint. The tempo changes rapidly when Kaja (Miroslav Vladyka) loses his savings to a gang of crooks. Mrklas (Bolek Polivka), a retired magician, seizes this chance to do something useful and recruits a highly unprofessional team to face the gang. This lets Bolek Polivka deliver yet another hysterical performance, which even improves as the film progresses.

U me dobry bears a strong resemblance to Hrebejk’s Pelisky and Pupendo, which may both make good introduction to this film. In all the films the relations are seemingly friendly but the characters are struggling to openly express their friendship. This time they might have found a way.