From Subway With Love

Colour, 35 mm
Czech Republic, 2005, 95 min
Section: Czech Films 2004-2005
Oficiální stránky: www.romanprozeny.cz

Synopsis

An original advertising campaign preceded the creation of Michal Viewegh’s bestselling book A Woman’s Novel: love letters written by a man to the gal that abandoned him were posted in advertising frames on the Prague subway. This element played an important role in the movie version as well. But the protagonist of this ironic romantic comedy (which is not actually only for women) is not the author of the epistles, Oliver, but an employee of a ‘teen-zine for forty-yearolds’ entitled Well Balanced Woman — the emotionally unbalanced Laura. This pretty young woman goes into, then scrambles out of, relationships with American English teacher Jeff and cellphone salesman Rickie until she meets an older, elegant ad agency professional named, of course, Oliver. For a while Laura thinks he’s the ideal man — despite the fact that he was once, long ago, hot for her mother, the translator Jana. Will Laura, her mother, her friends and even her hairdresser ever find Mr. Right?

About the director

Filip Renč (b. 1965, Prague) graduated in documentary film direction from Prague’s Film Academy (FAMU) in 1991. But he began his film career as a child actor: as an eight-year-old he starred in the children’s film The Society of the Black Pen (1973, dir. Ota Koval). An unusual part of his acting work has been regular cameo roles in the films of friend Jan Svěrák (Kolya). At school he created interesting documentaries: Backwater (1987), Fanstory (1987), Little Heart (1988) and The Runner (1990). He debuted in features with the psychological drama Requiem for a Maiden (1991). Subsequent to that came a parable of violence entitled War of Colours (1993), a musical set in 1968, Rebels (2001), a video film of the stage musical Cleopatra (2003) and From Subway with Love (2005). He is a sought-after director of successful music videos and commercial.