Smart Philip

Colour, 35 mm
Czech Republic, 2003, 99 min
Section: Czech Films

Synopsis

This began life as a play of the same name by Václav Marhoul, which he produced and directed on the stage of the Sklep (Cellar) Theatre in the autumn of 1986. The story, set in Los Angeles of the 1930s, is a parody of American detective stories of the rugged school from the pen of Raymond Chandler. However, smart Phil Marlowe played by the charming Tomáš Hanák (the role was written to suit him) is the exact opposite of a successful man; he knows everything except how to make a decent living. But he doesn’t sell himself for money or threats, or even favours from beautiful women. In our story, commented on by the detective himself, he has been commissioned by a client to find his twin brother. Understandably, the investigation becomes complicated, and Marlowe is given conflicting information by numerous characters caricatured in the spirit of the genre… In a gentle, intelligent parody with many quotations and references, filmed entirely in the studio, the charm of Chandler’s characters is married to the poetics of the Sklep Theatre. Awarded Czech Lions in 2003 for Best Design and Best Camera.

About the director

Václav Marhoul (b. 1960, Prague) graduated in production from Prague’s Film Academy (FAMU). His first job after graduation was at Barrandov Film Studios. He left Barrandov in 1986 was to become a producer for Pražská pětka (Prague Fivesome). Returning to Barrandov in 1990, he became director of the studio and shared in its privatisation. In 1997 he founded his own company, Silver Screen, where he produces variously in the fields of theatre, film and visual art. He is a member of Sklep Theatre and the fine art group Tvrdohlaví (Stubborn Heads; he was co-founder in 1987, and as manager still organises its activity). He appeared as an actor in Michálek’s film America. Smart Philip is his debut as a director, but he also wrote the story and script and produced the film as well.