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Former Czech Republic president Václav Havel died from respiratory problems earlier today. Havel, who had been a heavy smoker, was 75.

Besides his role as a political dissident during the Communist regime and as a representative of Czechoslovakia's transition from Communist rule to economically and politically troubled constitutional democracy, Havel was also a playwright.

A number of his plays were filmed for television throughout the '80s and '90s. In 2011, Havel himself directed for the big screen an adaptation of his play Leaving, which was released in the Czech Republic in March. Making clear allusions to Havel himself and to his nemesis and successor, Czech president Vaclav Klaus, Leaving is a dramatic comedy about a once-popular chancellor (played by veteran Josef Abrhám) whose fortunes have taken a dramatic turn for the worse. As a result, he must vacate his posh official residence so his successor, Vlastik Klein (Jaroslav Dusek), can move in.

Beauty in Trouble (Kráska v nesnázích) Directed by: Jan Hrebejk Cast: Anna Geislerová, Roman Luknár, Josef Abrhám, Jana Brejchová Running Time: 1 hr 50 min Rating: Unrated Opens: Dec. 12 in Portland at The Living Room Theaters Plot: After a flood ravages much of Prague, Jarda (Roman Luknar) starts running a chop shop to support his now destitute family. His wife, Marcela (Anna Geislerova), leaves Jarda after disagreeing about his illegal activities. She moves to her mother's apartment, bringing her children along. This upsets Marcela's stepfather, Richard, who does not appreciate the intrusion of this family into his already cramped apartment. Jarda is arrested after one of his accomplices steals a car belonging to Evzen Benes (Josef Abrham) that's equipped with satellite tracking. Benes offers to aid Marcela financially and get...

By Neil Pedley

On offer this week is a veritable gallery of the eclectic and the eccentric as M. Night Shyamalan goes R-rated, Edward Norton goes green, Werner Herzog goes to the Antarctic, and two of Herzog's fellow countrymen go to California to climb a big rock very, very quickly.

"Beauty in Trouble"

Czech director Jan Hrebejk and writer Petr Jarchovský continue their longtime collaborative partnership with this dense ensemble drama loosely inspired by Robert Graves's poem of the same name. This time, the duo who balanced humor with drama in the Oscar-nominated Holocaust-set "Divided We Fall," turn to the devastating series of floods that swept Prague in 2002, and tell the story of Marcela (Anna Geislerová), an overworked mother of two living in squalor. When her ne'er do well husband is taken in by the police, she's courted by a well-to-do businessman (Josef Abrhám) and Marcela is forced to...