Najlepszy

If anybody has great life stories, then it is the Poles. The ones they base on a true story are usually unbelievable. One can only wonder how they come up with stories like that. Personally, I was wondering if it is because our nations have historically a lot in common, so we Czechs can connect with them better, or it is because the fate played with them and tested their characters more than the other nations. In any case, the movie Najlepszy is an absolutely brutal story about a junkie who hits the rock bottom to start bounce back later on. It is, of course, made with a great attention to details, so there is nothing to criticize. The performance of actor Jakub Gierszal is beyond perfection. The production did a great job, and you can see that the script was written by someone with a real gift for it. The Poles are the absolute best in the contemporary European cinematography. (02/05/2019)

If someone told me that Ondřej Trojan filmed it, I would fall for it hook I can't help myself, but it's based the same "relaxed but serious" approach as Identity Card, a picture of one generation, which, through amusing stories and proclaiming characters, turns step by step into something much more serious and severe. In any case, the first half is significantly better than the second. Precisely because it only captures the "normalization" escapades of one junkie. However, as soon as it becomes based on schematic plot "how he stood up to fate and medical reports and found a new drug in sport", it abuses all imaginable clichés in the cheapest possible way. In any case, acting and destinies are so strong that they will undeniably drive the movie anyway, but this clearly called for a slightly more subversive approach than something that is just another movie from of a number of endless variations of the same. (01/10/2018)

A strong story about a man who falls into drugs and becomes a walking wreck. And just when it seems like he's a lost cause, he goes into treatment, gets himself together, and goes on to win the Triathlon at the Olympics. I really enjoy these stories of downfall, loss, and the desire to triumph. Although I would have liked more races and sports, in the end, it is more of a drama about drug addicts. However, it’s not boring, it keeps the viewer's attention, and that is important. 8/10. (01/30/2021)

I didn’t hesitate what rating to give even for a second, despite the fact that I like junkies about as much as clergymen. I didn't mind the junkies in this film, because the creators gave me enough space to hate them and even rub my hands together with glee during certain scenes. When the closing credits rolled, I realized I’d had fun the whole time, and even though the actual story of the (anti)hero must have been altered, I didn't really mind. (08/05/2019)