Surviving Life (Prezít svuj zivot)

Bea says: Went to see this completely on spec, as we had a couple of hours to kill in Newcastle and were charmed by this lovely Art Deco arthouse cinema. The film was starting as we arrived, and an appointment later in the day meant we needed to see something right then and there, or not at all, so we bought tickets (half price on Tuesdays) and ran up three flights of stairs to catch the opening credits.

That it was going to be a surreal experience was obvious from the outset - a kind of semi-real animation, lots of symbolism (apples, snakes etc), but there is a story to follow: in a city I assumed was Prague, office worker Evzen (Vaclav Helsus) experiences a kind of mid-life crisis when he dreams of a beautiful young woman, who at first is known to him as Eva (Klara Issova). So entranced is he by this experience that he searches for ways to control his dreams, via a psychoanalyst and a second hand book dealer, in order to repeatedly return to his dream life with her. Slowly, the true identity of Eva is revealed (although I had already guessed who she might be - no contemporary young woman would wear an outfit like her red one!)

Although the symbolism was at times baffling and at times heavy handed, the animation is quite wonderful, and the story engaging. Some 15 years ago or more I spent some time in Prague in the deep midwinter, and the grey streets, basic living accommodation and curt service in shops and restaurants really rang true - for that time anyway (although Prague seems to be nothing like that anymore). Watch out for the crone (Emilia Dosekova), who, just like in Greek tragedy, will give an interpretation of what's happening...

Not a bad way to spend a dull winter's afternoon.
***

Cecil says: Well, we walked into the cinema just as the opening shots were on screen, and I thought for a minute I'd walked into an old Monty Python showing, with Terry Gilliam's animations. But no, this was the basis of the whole film: Monty Python meets Bunuel.

Those Python cartoons were good because they were filled with humour. Some members of our Tyneside audience tried the odd cheerful chuckle, but this film was not a barrel of laughs (though, funnily enough, the last Czech 'comedy' I saw had a similarly surreal theme, so maybe it's the way they tell 'em over there...).

Surreal is usually lost on me, mainly because I resent spending a couple of hours of my life trying to guess just what allegory or irony the director is trying to get across.

I guess this way of combining animation with real actors is just a bit better than the Jurassic Park, Cowboys & Aliens genre, so I wasn't exactly bored but I can't say this is a film I would have chosen, had we sat down and studied the listings for Newcastle yesterday afternoon...

And films about dreams? They're almost as boring as hearing other people recount their previous night's dreams. Unless you're a psychoanalyst, maybe?

*.5