The action begins in 1939 with Czechoslovakia under the rule of Nazi Germany. The movie shows a Prague where no Nazi uniforms are in sight and everything seems to be normal except for Gestapo goons (in mandatory leather coats and felt hats) detaining one or other member of the Resistance. Among these are Jindrich and Otto, and most of the movie deals with their wives, sisters Vilma and Eli, their sons and daughters and third sister Bedriska, all left alone to fend for themselves with the help of kind doctor Jirí (who is also a member of the Resistance but narrowly escaped the Gestapo). Jirí carries a torch for Vilma but refuses to acknowledge it out of respect for the absent Jindrich. He is the family friend referred to in the second part of the title. The first, Garden Store, refers to a nursery owned by one of the relatives.
Family relations and interactions are deftly portrayed, and the effect of missing, possibly dead family members on wives and children are are convincingly shown. However, there are some surprising distortions, or rather omissions of history. The defeat of the Nazis is shown after the fact by Soviet soldiers milling around leisurely. In fact, Prague was liberated after a major offensive by the Red Army, 6 to 11 May 1945, the last major military operation of WWII, fought concurrently with an uprising by the Resistance and the people of Prague. This is not shown (or even referred to).
I liked this movie with reservations. Pros: Acting is excellent (especially, but not uniquely) from the child actors. The reconstruction of time and place is flawless, as well as the other production values. Cons: It is slow and there is some difficulty to navigate all the family relationships on first viewing, although things begin to fall in place halfway through the film, which is the first part of a trilogy. It probably deserves a view.
