It's been a while since David Ondříček's One Hand Doesn't Clap (in 2003) went into theaters.Director David Ondříček brought in a similar group of people who had worked with him on The Loners, which was the best of his, Ondříček's, films. He cast familiar and tried faces in the lead roles. First of all, Jiří Macháček, who again plays a good guy, more like a jerk, who always steps where he shouldn't and so gets into some trouble.
His film again stars Ivan Trojan, who again doesn't play a completely normal person, he again plays a strange character who only emerges towards the end of the film. Not to forget Jan Tříska, who has been cast quite often this year. First The Acorns, and now One Hand Does Not Clap. He plays a character role in Jelary, but he's far from character now.
Unfortunately, I won't tell you what character Tříska plays, because you'd miss the film's rather interesting point. Not forgetting the film's newcomer actor, Marek Taclik, who successfully seconds Machacek in the who's the unluckier and who's the bigger jerk. Of course, we mustn't forget the female part of the cast. A rather important role is played by KLÁRA POLLERTOVÁ-TROJANOVÁ, who plays the wife of Ondřej Trojan. So she is not only the real wife of O.T, but also the film wife. Then, of course, there is the duo ISABELA BENCOVÁ and KRISTINA LUKEŠOVÁ in the rather cool roles of the female counterparts of Macháček and Taclík.
And what is the story actually about. Well, it's just that Machacek, I mean Standa, is arrested for smuggling eagles, and being the dork he is, he does his time, and once he leaves prison he wants his share of the profits back. Of course, he doesn't get it, because he meets a bigger jerk than himself, Ondrej (Marek Taclik), along the way, and he blows it all for him. And they have no job and no money, and the mastermind of the scam, Zdenek (Ivan Trojan), lives quietly with his vegetarian family. And now it goes from failure, to more failure, to handwaving and creepiness.
Don't expect a second installment of The Loners from the film, unfortunately. It's not really about that, it's just a collection of humorous what-if stories. But rather, why this can't happen, we're living in chaotic times right now, and a little abnormality doesn't hurt.
Original release February 12, 2019 – Kritiky.cz
