FIRST: Let us FOCUS on the Title's Content and Context....
When viewing this MADE IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC FILM! The phrase CULTURAL CLASH kept popping into my brain! But not in the tradional sense.... Instead... The CLASH between U. S. Viewers and the CULTURE of the characters and situations that appear during its 95 Minutes!
Ahhh! The joys of the simple life!!! ....Yes, which go hand-in-hand with the joys of a simple movie! The COUNTRY TEACHER proved to be both an immensely enjoyable and, indirectly, an oddly educational experience!
Watching movies from MANY different countries is an absolutely enthralling endeavor! Each nation's films tend to exhibit a peculiar cultural signature spin, that is a delightfully intriguing puzzle, waiting to be deciphered and savored. An appetite for Czech films is undoubtedly an acquired taste!
Let me share some of the things that made TEACHER such a cinematic plum. Very In-Your-Face, but without straining in the least to do so! The very first thing that jumps out at the viewer is the physical appearance of the actors themselves. WOW! Talk about the antithesis incarnate of the 2-hours-per-day-at-the- gym-capped-teeth-multiple -plastic-surgery-and- hair-implant-monthly-Botox-injections "LOOK" that seems to be practically the NORM in Hollywood! This cast looks like they were sent from "Real-People 'R' US", just after dropping out of their weekly AA meetings!
Also, there were a couple moments in the film where I began feeling somewhat uncomfortable with the direction the movie began to go in, but before this discomfort escalated into something more serious, the movie veered off instead in a pleasantly unexpected direction!
Absolutely ZERO formulaic Hollywood fluff, here...NO Siree, Bob! Two cultural notes: Boy, these Czechs sure are at ease with nudity! People running around nude in the house.... Hey, doesn't EVEN raise an eyebrow! Also, people are ever so cooperative with official government policy! OK...Now Dee Government say "No more discrimination against gays in Dee workplace!" and its: "DAH! Dee government says vee must do dis, so vee are on Board 100% !"
One pleasant and unexpected surprise...The Tradtion Czech Folk(?) music! Very soothing and haunting melodies. I'll have to ask some of my Czech students to fill me in! Be sure not to miss it! Recommended by Friend-MOVIE Freak 66-Please Read her Review also!
7.75* Rounded up to 8********
ENJOY! / DISFRUTELA!
