Why so much hype?

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

I haven't seen as many Czech movies as I would like to, but I've liked all the ones that I've seen. Among those is Jan Svěrák's Oscar-winning "Kolja" (rendered "Kolya" in English). The director's father Zdeněk plays a concert cellist making a living by playing at funerals as the Soviet Union's grip on Czechoslovakia is weakening. But then his life changes after he has to take a five-year-old boy under his wing.The cinematography, character development, and historical context all combine to make this one fine movie. I don't know that I would go so far as to call it a masterpiece, but it's a fine piece of work, both for the plot and the acting. I recommend it, and I hope to see more movies by Jan Svěrák.

Franta Louka (Sean Connery) is a concert cellist in Soviet-occupied Czechoslovakia, a confirmed bachelor and a lady's man. Having lost his place in the state orchestra, he must make ends meet by playing at funerals and painting tombstones.Although I am by no means well-versed in Czech film, I have seen a few of the New Wave pieces and have been impressed. Here, we see a much more modern, realistic approach. If the characters spoke English, this could have passed for an independent 1990s American film. (Maybe it is just my bias, but I tend to think the 90s were the best decade for indie film, second to none except maybe the 1970s.) The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent transition of power in what was then Czechoslovakia. The period of upheaval and transition took place from November 17 to December 29, 1989. Do Americans know about this? No, because we are rather ignorant of European affairs (which may or may not be a bad thing). Setting the film in this time creates an interesting dynamic, because Czechoslovakia has a nice distinction of being between the Western world and the Russian world (yes, Russia is part of Europe, but only in the most literal sense).

I am neither Czech nor European. I grew up appreciating the fine Czech cinema of Milos Forman, Jan Kadar and Jiri Menzel. While "Kolya" is refreshing compared to American standards, it lacks the maturity of say Kadar's "Lies my father told me" (Golden Globe winner for best foreign film in 1976) made in Canada—a film in English with a Czech heart and soul or Forman's "Loves of a blonde" (also about music and musicians).Czech cinema gives a lot of importance to classical Western music. In "Kolya," the emphasis is on Dvorak's Biblical songs—"The Lord is my shepherd" being one. The film might not appear to be religious but interestingly many of Czech filmmakers seem to use religion without making it obvious. (In neighboring Poland, Kieslowski loved to do this to the extent that he made a series of 10 films called "Dekalog" linked to the Ten Commandments.) In the film the child inexplicably swears "Jesus Christ" in Russian. The underlying analogy of a child redeeming the life of wayward adults with no purpose in life is not a surprising turn for east European directors who couch religion in non-religious ambiance. Is it a coincidence that church steeples are visible from the windows and crosses are drawn by a child? As a film, this is at best a good Czech film--nothing more. There have been better Czech films unknown to American and West European audiences.

The general plot of this movie is certainly not new--a confirmed bachelor having a small child dumped into his lap and the subsequent growth of this individual as a result of raising a kid. However, unlike some other similar movies, this movie never became cloying or overly sentimental (the biggest problem with similar movies). Plus, although this COULD have been a "do it by the numbers film", it diverged into unusual directions (particularly setting the movie in the waning days of communist Czechoslovakia) and the ending was NOT so predictable as well.The acting, pacing and direction were excellent and I had no complaints about this. The only real complaint I have is that although this type of film is usually intended as family fare, KOLYA is DEFINITELY not--as it has a very brief nude scene. It's a real shame because many who would enjoy this most might not get to see it due to this one extremely brief scene. It DID help the plot along, but was certainly NOT necessary.