Příběhy slavných

A traditional look back at Jiří Grossmann, full of pathos and multiple confessions, but with a few extra bits. Yes, even today's teenage girls are falling in love with Grossmann and their slightly older classmates are writing their theses about him, but his own classmates also remember him... Simply put, less would definitely be more. At the end of his life, Šimek managed to name an entire theater and a Prague passage after Grossmann, and he published a complete library of collected writings in his name, so there would be plenty to talk about for hours, but instead, we watch Naďa Urbánková searching for the defunct Sluníčko club for long minutes. Pure futility. (10/23/2021)

Another episode of the Czech Příběhy slavných series. The elusiveness of Evald Schorm's character, life, and work is hinted at. I really missed Jana Brejchová's memories, and Jan Kačer had to finish the whole thing for her. Everything else is overly routine. I would ideally replace the attempt to gain insight into the soul with more facts at the expense of popular impressionology. (06/18/2017)

Ján Roháč has not been given much space in documentaries. Shortly after his death, a pathetic program was created called V hlavní roli režisér. In hindsight, just this installment of a series about famous people on Czech TV. Which isn't much. This is mainly an insight into his private life, the main theme being his relationship with Hegerová and the story of his marriage to Zuzana Burianová. His career is being blunted by the way. Rejžek offers a certain interpretation, whilst others only dreamily recall. (10/23/2021)

A documentary that will raise the question of whether we know everything from a person’s private life. A documentary like this is bad. But I get it, Marvan is a magnet that generates a whole library of gossip, cookbooks, and luscious stories under the auspices of a popular actor's name, so why make a better TV film, right? All the information is drowned in glean, collegiality, and, of course, in this selection, Just stands out, because he is the only one who knows what he is talking about. Stories of boudoirs, feet in the sink, and a lecture on the Aryan struggle. Futility. (08/01/2017)

A melancholic remembrance of the greatest of the greatest. What was always great about Vláčil was that he did not belong to the famous class of Otakar Vávra at The Film and TV School of the Academy of Performing Arts, but he came to his craft in his own way through a renaissance combination of knowledge of art and diligence. And he left with honor. (06/19/2017)

It's the endless narrative again, this time on the subject of Josef Kemr. The acting colleagues evaluate his love life and Jan Hrušínský adds context. Rösner appreciates his rebellious soul, and describes him as the high priest of the revolution and his second wife emotionally recalls the mourning of his bitch. It’s interesting perhaps only for reminding us of his second wife, Marika Skopalová, who is not usually written about. More often than not, we read about his first wife Eva Foustková. (08/01/2017)

A structured look into the private life of Slávek Šimek. Some of the accounts are very honest, and emotions were very tense at the time as it was filmed almost immediately after his death. However, the whole thing has to be taken with a grain of salt, like all these Ostrava documentaries. (10/23/2021)

Let's leave aside the ramblings of "our leading experts," oh whom we have plenty, but what do Hegerlíková and Adamová have to say about Burian in the first place? Not to mention the pseudo-declamation by Svetlana Nálepková. (12/18/2012)

Everybody loves Bek, especially for his comedy and ironic tone, with which he managed to elevate all those other films. This episode, however schematic, has done a disservice by editing many of Bek's own comments on his career, which is valuable. The other comments are just the padding we've become accustomed to on TV. Fortunately, amidst all the ballast, there are the reminiscences of a former MDP dramaturgist and one can be inspired to follow more of Bek according to one's own taste and interest. (12/31/2016)

In this episode, Pešek tells a story about himself. Otherwise, it is once again classic chaos of impressions/concepts and memories/forgetfulness. If actresses are often judged by whether they were pretty, actors are often judged by whether they were heroes. And this is really getting tiresome. (07/16/2017)

An unusually depressing episode about Milena Dvorská, who has received attention in all the major acting cycles of the present. So what was it about? About her role as a mother? About her in The 13th Chamber? About political attitudes? About her missed chances at the National Theater? About the fact that she used to be cast mainly based on her looks? As usual, everything was just hinted at, expressively portrayed by relatives, classmates, colleagues and last but not least by the theater critic Just, who dreamed of the question: what did Milena Dvorská do wrong not to take part in the new wave? As always, basic facts are missing, emotions are more important, and after all these years of documentary series, that makes it really boring. (11/30/2016)

Unfortunately, this documentary about Adina Mandlová, in which such actresses as Zdenka Procházková or Hana Talpová are identified as her colleagues, is completely off. Not to mention the fact that in the film edits, the authors did not recognize the difference between Adina and, for example, Věra Ferbasová or Truda Grosslichtová. Everything else is merely a subjective over-interpretation of her memoir. (01/16/2013)

A classically tiresome episode from the Czech series about famous people - impressions and experiences of various people (relatives, acquaintances...) above all, yet it can't be said that it somehow holds together. We don't get the basic axis of professional life, nor do we get a clear outline of the main aspects of the private life. Pavel Taussig didn't even make it into his first film role... But it's nice that even Blanka Kovaříková was surprised about who she was actually writing a book about. Unfortunate. (11/30/2016)

How are you going to make a proper show about Raoul in the Czech Republic when all you use is that he was handsome and we all know he acted with Mandela? Wrong. And the Mladá Boleslav acting memorabilia certainly won't help. (09/29/2013)

What more can I say? Gossip, gossip, and gossip, friends, 1st wife, 3rd wife, son from his first marriage, and almost no time left for an acting career once again. (04/01/2018)