Customer Reviews

Prague (Prag)

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

A Danish couple travels to Prague to bring the husband's deceased father back home for burial. While in the beautiful city of Prague, the marriage starts to show cracks, and we empathize as the serious problems of this couple become apparent even as the husband is trying to get through the red tape to transport his father's body back home. Extremely well done, it leaves one almost breathless with the gut-level emotions portrayed by these people. It can be depressing to see such a realistic breakdown of a marriage, but it truly is amazing film making!

Prague is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful old cities in Europe: it is also seen as clinging to many of the old traditions of the rigid life of the past - immutable, on guard, cold. It is therefore a very fitting setting for this brilliant film PRAGUE, a story written (with Kim Fupz Akeson) and directed by Ole Christian Madsen that deals with contemporary relationships, family, and the bifurcation between surface appearance and reality.

Christoffer (Mads Mikkelson) and his wife Maja (Stine Stengade) have traveled from Denmark without their young son to tend to the final paperwork following the death of Christoffer's father, a father he has not seen or communicated with for 25 years when the father left wife and son for Prague. Christoffer shows no emotion about this mission and even when the doctor (Josef Vajnar) demands Christoffer view the body for identification, there is no sense of sadness. His father's lawyer (Borivoj Navrátil) make all the arrangements for the shipment of the body back to Denmark and informs Christoffer that the financial balance sheet at the time of death leaves Christoffer with only the house in which his father lived, a place Christoffer plans to sell immediately to end this Prague obligation. But during all the 'business' of dealing with his father's death, Christoffer feels a distance from Maja and confronts her with his knowledge that she is having an affair. The veneer of their marriage cracks open and the couple must face the current status of their relationship, a widening crevice that is in many ways held together only by the frequent video calls with their son in Denmark. Theirs is a history of love examined.

Christoffer's closure with his father includes the discovery that his father had a beautiful singer/housekeeper Alena (Jana Plodková) who lived with the father with her daughter. When they meet they have no common language but Christoffer learns of his father's apparent abiding love for Christoffer. Another surprise hits Christoffer when he discovers the relationship between his father and the lawyer, a relationship that explains why the father left Denmark for Prague and a new life. With all the new information about the father he never knew Christoffer faces decisions about his own marriage and his role as a father to his own son and the last wishes of his father before he died. Though eager to return to Denmark there are 'procedural problems' that prolong the stay in Prague

PRAGUE is a story about love in all its permutations - disappointments, rewards, and longings both filled and unfulfilled. The manner in which each of the characters plays out the consequences of love against the cold background of the rigid atmosphere of the city of Prague is like watching organisms under a microscope. Enhanced by a powerful musical score by Jonas Struch and moody cinematography by Jørgen Johansson it is a powerful film, beautifully acted, and one with much food for thought even after the film is over. Grady Harp, January 11

Another fantastic film from Denmark by some of the geniuses behind Green Butchers, Adams Apples and After the Wedding - Mads Mikkelsen never ceases to delight.

If Mads Mikkelsen has an equivalent in the Hollywood pecking order as far as star power or acting stature it would be Viggo Mortensen because neither give two hoots or a holler about any of that. Mads is so indoctrinated in Eastern Europe culture maybe he will never make a journey across the big waters to sell his soul for a lead in some commercial garbage and I don't see it ever happening. After his stoic role in Valhalla Rising which was made after Prague he has more natural commanding presence of person than any actor now working in recent memory.

This film is maddening in a way that totally rejects conformity and expectation. Stine Stengade as his becoming estranged wife is also as keen in her role as they arrive to depose of his dead father's remains in Europe's most historic and beautiful of cities. We only see glimpses of this Prague as their relationship crumbles in dramatic close ups and coming to truth of whom each other really is. There are no winners and the film as a whole is bleak and sad, but as a son discovers a father he never knew, Mads character unravels a bit more beyond than he has ever known himself. Unnamed rivers and barriers are crossed - all emotional and phycological. This is a great film. If being taken down to the saddest point in life is your cup of tea, I say brew on and pour away. This is strong stuff and rules the waters that flow down the Vltava. Go drown yourself in some deep, dark miserable and be happy I reffered you to this terrific cinematic poem.

what an uplifting film! - despite the harrowing personal tragedy Christoff encounters, his transformation at the end is truly stunning, which left me amazed and encouraged at the grace and strength of this flawed man.

This is a beautiful but sad film about loosing a parent and fighting for your marriage. Great acting and good storytelling.

Prague is a bittersweet and moving film about one man's discovery of his late fathers secret life, and the collapse of his own marriage. As it's a Danish film - it rather goes without saying - that it's elegant, thoughtful and subtle. This film benefits from multiple viewings, it just seems to get better and better each time you watch it.

Mads Mikkelson's ability to portray believable, compelling characters with real human flaws and complexity is astounding, and this film provides a great example of such a performance.

Having seen quite a few Danish films, I have to say that this one would probably be considered typical, both in a good and bad way.

It's typical in a good way because of the gritty, believable plot, beautiful cinematography, the quality of the acting, the pace of the film and well done musical score. It's good because there is some predictability, but also (towards the end, of course) very unpredictable twisting of the plot in a direction one wouldn't suspect at the outset. Still, that's what typically makes for a good Danish film.

What makes it typical in a bad way is probably the slow parts of the film, the protracted scenes which might have been shortened and, in this case, almost complete lack of any intensity. I realize it's not an action flick, but there's literally only one scene in the film where people are truly raising their voices and getting crazy. It is, however, extremely well done in that instance, so to some degree that makes up for it being the only such scene in the film.

All said, I still recommend this movie. Again, it's typical for both good and bad reasons, but it remains a typical example of quality Danish cinema. Definitely something you should have in your collection, especially if you're a Mads Mikkelsen fan.