Sunday League - Pepik Hnatek's Final Match

I thought that the odds of me ever going to the cinema for a film about football and liking it – and liking it more than two friends that once played football at some lower level – were the same as winning the lottery. But it happened. True story. The film version of Sunday League is a perfect tragic-comedy with flawless performances (a brilliant Miroslav Krobot!), great comedy timing, and realistic dialogues (when was the last time this happened in a Czech film?). And even though you’ll go looking for just fun, the film has a rather sad plot arc that really touched me. The character of Coach Hnátek, who has sacrificed almost everything for his trivial hobby, is beautifully tragic in its own way, while the characters around him (in particular Vetchý) are a chapter on their own. If it was a tiny bit more socially critical, Sunday League would be a work of Forman proportions. I think I’ll go buy myself a lottery ticket. 9/10 (31/03/2012)

Prušinovský learned from one of the best episodes of the series, Na váhu, and attracted a great actor and despotic madman from the Dejvice Theater. Krobot brings a piece of titanic tragedy to Sunday League, as if the glory of destructive football giants and wildcats shone on the violin pitch for a moment. The screenplay contains a lot of narrow-minded, but at the same time tastefully assembled gags, the dialogues are, as always, brisk, the acting slightly exaggerated but extremely entertaining (Vetchý really found himself in playing Jiřina and is completely irresistible with his cabaret manner). In addition, Krobot's personal story and highly problematic psychological profile tighten the film without much difficulty, while the carousels, the cat businessman Norbert Lichý and the secular primitive Jaroslav Plesl give it the right agrarian feel. If Czech folk comedy didn't look the way it does, Sunday League would be solid above-average television with a lot of potentially cult moments (Jiřina's ingenious analysis of the coach's notebook still rings in my head)... but given that autocracy of tastelessness and dementia reigns here, Prušinovsky's film is something like a small miracle. It has been a long time since I laughed at shallowness without shame, because it is not self-serving, but it is poetic. Despite all the insurmountable reservations, this worked. Definitely... [70%] (27/03/2012)

The prequel with Krobot. About kicking about, but nothing really to do with soccer, even on the sidelines. A “no really so much" comedy for regular people, where the regular people isn’t a synonym for fecal jokes, depravity and red-neckedness. If only Prušinský hadn’t tripped himself up with an unnecessary own-goal in the last twenty minutes, when it loses its ability to score that goal... But enough recrimination... It’s just good! Just the Spurs supporters will be in tears again. (30/03/2012)

Since I'm a sucker for the intersection of the TV and film mediums, I'm having fun with the intersection of Sunday League. That's all. But that’s also enough. (01/09/2016)

A beautiful film. I'm football illiterate, but just like in the District League series, this was not a handicap for me. Sunday League - Pepik Hnatek's Final Match is excellently written, cast and acted and its bittersweet atmosphere reminded me of the classics Hogo fogo Homolka or The Firemen's Ball. Thank you for this film. I haven't laughed so hard (and from the heart) in a long time (especially with a Czech film), been this emotionally moved and made to think all at the same time. (19/09/2012)

It's one thing to view this film as a run-of-the-mill comedy full of great situational humour, but even more than the series, Sunday League – Pepik Hnatek's Final Match is a proper local district showdown, a perfectly harmonious and delightful look at the complex workings and bitter troubles of a small provincial club, which Prušinovský, with his open-minded approach, has taken to the status of the best village comedy since Menzel's My Sweet Little Village. Apart from his direction, the main credit goes to Miroslav Krobot, who, as a born Spartan and a hard advocate of best practices is absolutely perfect and handles the main role as brilliantly as possible. Similarly, Ondřej Vetchý once again confirms his status as one of the best Czech actors of today and his performance is simply incredible. The entire cast is flawless, actually, and if you're someone even only partially interested in village football, at least one character will look more than familiar to you. And therein lies the greatest strength, but at the same time perhaps also a bit of a weakness of the Sunday League, because it’s probably difficult for someone who doesn’t like football to fully understand all the jokes, innuendos or Hnátek's life attitude. But if you love football as much as I do, you’ll have to admit that Prušinovský literally pulled it off without losing a point. 85% (17/09/2012)

Bien que beaucoup de mes comédiens préférés venant de théâtres variés jouent dans ce film, je ne suis pas tellement tombé sous le charme et j’en viens à me demander où est cet aspect génial que les gens semblent lui trouver. Ce n’est évidemment pas mauvais, mais je m’attendais à plus. Et de me demander si c’était vraiment une bonne idée d’acheter le film et la série en DVD… (03/03/2013)

Unfortunately, I haven't had the luck to see the TV series "Okresní přebor" (The District Championship), but considering the positive reviews it received, I told myself that I should at least give a chance to the movie that is based on the series and serves as its prequel. Here, you will encounter all the characters that you liked from the series and that have become iconic. The veterinarian who acts as the team doctor and has trouble pronouncing the letter "r", which he replaces with a beautiful "j", Jirka Luňák, who is such a repulsive kiss-up and scumbag that it's not even funny, but also a great club chairman portrayed by Luďek Sobotka. However, there is one character here who never physically appeared in the series, more or less. Josef Hnátek is the coach of the Slavoj Houslice team, a team that doesn't have what it takes to move up from the district championship. Nevertheless, he tries his best and leads his team with a firm hand, even if he may slightly underestimate the players, although it's true that he doesn't overestimate them either. But Hnátek has one problem. His health. The film revolves around his health, even though football is still the main focus. Pepík Hnátek is played by the brilliant Miroslav Krobot, who simply elevates every character to the pedestal of the unforgettable. He proved that in "Příběhy obyčejného šílenství" (Normal People), "Účastníci zájezdu" (Holiday Makers), but especially in the film "Dům" (The House). "Okresní přebor - Poslední zápas Pepíka Hnátka" (The District Championship - Pepík Hnátek's Last Match) is just proof that this theater director embarked on an acting career at the right moment. However, it's not just Krobot who rules the film, it's also the subtle humor with which the film is filled. It's not slapstick, although in some cases you will laugh out loud, but I think that's exactly the strong point of the whole series and the movie. Memorable characters, good humor, and of course, football. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2013/01/tobruk-valcik-s-basirem-2-dny-v-new.html (04/03/2013)