Povídka malostranská

The key to success in this case is the quality literary source - the characters Jan Neruda once encountered and populated his stories with are interesting yet believable. It's nice that this story leans more towards amusing situations and comedic elements rather than tragic ones - Neruda isn't always so optimistic in his storytelling. Jiří Krejčík solidly adapted his text and relied on a strong cast. My only quibble might be with Jiří Menzel's somewhat naive acting; his directing, after all, usually fares better. Overall impression: 75%. (02/12/2009)