Teroristka

I admit expecting something better. Much better. Like this, I don’t even know what I’ve just watched. A comedy? A drama? Martin Hofmann plays himself, which is great. Pavel Liška also plays himself, which is also great. The girls are here to provide some emotion, which is also fine, but the result? The screenplay is nuts. It was too dramatic in places, so I kept losing track of when I was supposed to laugh and when not. (13.04.2020)

A situational comedy? A black comedy? An idea for an undergraduate short story? Radek Bajgar seems to like dealing with unreal situations in a typically Czech environment. His series work also refers to crazy normalization comedies and if in his feature project the focus is once again on the iconic face of Iva Janžurová, then that’s it. As a subject for a small TV movie, perhaps Shotgun Justice could have shone, but this is an unnecessary elevation of a banality to a feature film. (01.02.2020)

A markedly unbalanced black comedy. The film is directed more in the style of a serious social drama, in which a realistic drama clashes with humor in a disharmonious inconsistency and, instead of collaborating and complementing each other, both suppress each other. Comedic exaggeration is the only thing that saves the film from the accusation that, by celebrating the character of a former teacher (almost styled as a western justice fighter who decides to protect a cottage settlement from an evil mobster with an illegally obtained shotgun in hand), the film basically defends the idea of achieving your goals with firearms. The creators did not, of course, intend to encourage people to use rifles against anyone who stands in their way, but they also present any nonviolent solutions as ineffective, leaving a bitter taste from the absence of a way out for anyone who finds themselves under unfair oppression from callous or corrupt rulers. Even if this film were to present itself as a crazy comedy detached from reality about a vengeful pensioner (which really isn’t the case at all), The Lady Terrorist is weak and lacks intensity. Among other things, the protagonist hasn't even thought out her attempt to commit murder properly. The film is subordinate to the fact that she is a fragile senior who has never held a gun in her life, she never watches her back and her murder plan is amateur and sloppy, making the culmination of the film come off more so as deliberate improvisation. This is also a film in which women are continuously sexually blackmailed, and where a kick in the crotch is supposed to be sufficient punishment for the death of a dog. However, most viewers will probably not spend much time thinking about any of this and will be satisfied with Iva Janžurová’s performance. They will laugh at her aiming the shotgun she carries in her shopping bag on wheels together with a cake pan. (04.04.2019)

Shotgun Justice impresses especially with its black-humoured atmosphere and unpredictable script. The whole film is dominated (in more than one sense) by the seasoned Iva Janžurová, an Actress with capital A whose character decides in her old age to take justice into her own (slightly trembling) hands, whatever the cost. But the other members of the cast also give convincing performances, from the arch-nemesis Martin Hofmann, to the promiscous Tatiana Vilhelmová, to the deathly ill and scary-looking Eva Holubová. The film's highlight was definitely the confrontation between Maria and Mach, followed by the inevitable ending. In the final act, I couldn't help but notice the unmistakable resemblance to Keeping Mum – Janžurová is the Czech Maggie Smith. (07.04.2019)

Radek Bajgar can skate incredibly well on thin ice. In Theory of Tiger, he brought it to near perfection, and Shotgun Justice isn't far behind. I stare in disbelief at the low ratings here. In my opinion, this black exaggeration, imbued with irony, hit the nail on the head and that is not usual in the Czech Republic. It has its flaws, but what dramedy doesn't? The somewhat lengthy start is richly compensated by the escalating second half of the film, supported by a fitting musical score. Iva Janžurová is absolutely outstanding in the lead role and the other actors second her wonderfully. A pretty decent achievement by Czech standards. (70%) (03.05.2020)