Sytuacja awaryjna

I don't particularly like Jiří Havelka as an actor (and his performance in Head over Heels has a lion's share in that), but I do like Jiří Havelka, the screenwriter and director. I had a great time watching The Owners, and this film seemed like it would be just as good, but then there were a few issues, so in the end, I hesitated between three and four stars. I was thrilled at first because the group of train passengers was great, the dialogue was lifelike, and Romana, portrayed by Jana Plodková, had hilarious one-liners. I initially liked the idea of the terrorist attack, but the creators pushed it too much, which slowed down the whole film and made it less fun to watch. Fortunately, everything returned to the "right track" just before the end, and I could give a higher rating. It's a joy to see a Czech comedy once in a while that makes me laugh, even though Václav Kopta almost had to sweat blood to achieve that :-) The weird but helpful undertaker, Jaroslav Plesl, was a great character. / "You have a helicopter?" "Well, yeah, but I don't like lending it." / "The crisis staff meets non-stop, often even longer." / Lesson learned: Don't drink from someone else's thermos without permission. (02.03.2023)

Jiří Havelka shifted the plot of his intimate comedy from an owners' meeting to a local train and this time he did not rely on a star-studded cast, but gave a chance to lesser-known faces. Leaving aside the fact that from a physical point of view, such a long reversal at constant speed is not entirely possible, even though the story is inspired by a real (14-minute, supposedly) event, Emergency Situation manages to entertain, especially thanks to the ubiquitous absurdity and caricatures of Czechs. A trivial technical malfunction starts a merry-go-round of misunderstandings, accusations, confessions, conspiracies and mental outbursts, and even if the film loses its breath a bit at times (like the poor engineer), I was entertained from the beginning to the end. The parrot line was, um, weird, but so be it. A weaker four stars! (04.02.2022)

Jiří Havelka proves once again that he is a master of low-key comedy. Quite honestly, I can say that I enjoyed it, along with everyone else in the movie theater. I would never have thought that a real 14-minute event could be embellished into such an entertaining work which is full of references and Czech folklore — and I feel sorry for those who did not notice them. The acting is excellent, especially M. Ludvíková and T. Marečková, whose characters I enjoyed. Immensely. The music and the camerawork were absolutely brilliant. The political storyline was again a pleasant and witty addition with a number of allusions. (05.02.2022)

Unexpectedly thoughtful and playful in terms of finding the pop culture references or the gags in the background. And yet for this very reason it is also spread out over too many genres, too its own detriment. Indeed, when the plot development started becoming beleaguered by screaming and tossing together ever more absurd scenarios, I again had to remind myself that I was watching a Czech comedy, where sometimes they just have to push the envelope. However, it is still an unexpected discovery with an admirable cadence of natural lines and an incredible situation where Jiří Havelka uses a fresh and unexplored cast to set a high standard for comedy, satire, and an escalating mosaic of supporting events. (19.11.2022)

Extraordinary bullshit. (19.03.2023)