Charlatan

A powerful story about an exceptional person and his cruel fate. It’s a great experience watching both Agnieszka Holland’s outstanding work and the two main protagonists in action. It’s good that this story inspired by real life has been given some space, reminding viewers of a time that mustn’t be forgotten. That people are a nasty species and that love shouldn’t be forbidden. And lastly, I would like to praise how she works with life and the great screenplay. (03/06/2021)

My rating is a bit biased, because any time I’m lucky enough to see a Czech film in a cinema outside our country, I'm touched and proud. Especially when it's in a place where I wouldn't expect to see on of our movies. So for me it was more about where and how I saw the film than what it was like. I liked the complex and ambiguous nature of the character of the charlatan, I liked the cinematography, but the atmosphere was at times a bit more uncomfortable than I would have liked. Because of that, and a few distracting scenes, I don't think I'm going to catch it when it airs on TV. PS: So I thought it was impossible for me to forget to rate a film here, but actually you can. Thanks, user, for reminding me of Charlatan with your review today. 3.5 stars. (09/18/2021)

Charlatan perfectly fulfills the expectations of this year’s most anticipated domestic movie. Moreover with the level of quality which can’t be denied to Agnieszka Holland. Only if the movie would answer more questions than it would arise. After seeing this movie, it was really hard for me to make some sense out of Jan Mikolášek’s life. Nevertheless it is obvious to me that if there is but one thing clear about his life it is mainly the fact that his persona was strongly conflicted. But why Agnieszka highlights meaningless violence in some scenes is a mystery to me. Especially one particular scene really pissed me off and I would really like to know why it even was included into this movie. It doesn’t really explain anything, it just gets you some insight into one particular character. You want to like them for what they are doing, but you can’t really do that for the way they are acting. But at least this movie shows the reality of the Gestapo and communists and what horror it was in both cases. It is good that similar period movies are still filmed in our country and I would show these type of movies to contemporary communists on a loop so they would know how it ruined this country. From the movie making aspect, this movie is an exceptional experience. The performances were flawless as well. Each actor has his/hers place and there is nothing to complain about regarding their performances. Of course, Ivan Trojan is the absolute best even though intentionally slightly emotionless while his son is also becoming a contribution to Czech cinematography. But I have to admit that it was Mrs. Jaroslava Pokorná whom I enjoyed most. Her role was beautiful, one of the most beautiful I have seen lately in Czech movies. Considering all aspects of the movie, I have to say that Charlatan is a movie on European level and even though I find a lot of points to discuss in it I have to say I really enjoyed it. (08/25/2020)

A drama of (almost) European parameters. The best scenes are definitely the ones with the young Mikolášek (the acting talent of the Trojan family is undeniable) and then the final act of the film when things really start to get rough. I admire Marek Epstein and Agnieszka Holland for how much of Mikolášek's life they managed to capture in a 110-minute film. Still, the way in which the "life and work" of Jan Mikolášek is presented has an air of ambiguity in some ways, and unfortunately that is definitely not a positive in this case. On the one hand, I applaud the fact that, alongside the portrait of the "poor man persecuted by the Nazis and the Communists", the filmmakers play out a very personal storyline in some passages and do not hesitate to portray Jan Mikolášek as a despicable manipulator and narcissistic egoist. Unfortunately, these motives remain largely unexploited and the viewer watches the gradual physical and moral decay of the main character with the absence of a corresponding conflict. Still, this is on the whole an above average piece of filmmaking that would find its place in some of the wider European top tier. (09/08/2020)

After a long time I went to the movie theater to see a domestic film and after watching it I know I couldn't have chosen better. It never ceases to amaze me how wonderfully everything fit together - from Mark Epstein's thoughtful screenplay and Agnieszka Holland's uncompromising direction to Martin Štrba's amazingly sensitive lighting and camera work, to the disturbingly dosed music. I must also not forget the great acting performances of all the actors, among whom Ivan Trojan excels. The last time he got under my skin like this was in a period drama In the Shadow. Josef Trojan also impressed me a lot, and I had big doubts about his talent until recently, but now I am sufficiently convinced that he has talent like his father. I couldn't believe my eyes at how similar the facial expressions were. However, it is also worth mentioning the excellent Juraj Loj as Mikolášek's life partner and the touchingly human Jaroslava Pokorná. Of the downright negative characters, I was most chilled by Miroslav Hanuš, who played the slimy minion of the regime to perfection. Charlatan shows, among other things, the monstrosity of communist thinking and the actions of the rulers of the time. I have to admit that, immediately after the screening, I was completely emotionally shattered, and even now many of my feelings are still reverberating. The story of the contradictory healer Jan Mikolášek is so impressively filmed that I want to find out more about him. Certain ambiguities in the film actually invite that. This is not a bad thing, quite the opposite. When a film sparks my interest in the fate of the person it depicts, then I'm sure I haven't wasted my time. (95%) (08/23/2020)