Barnes & Noble

Directed by Jan Sverak (Dark Blue World), this world-class feel-good film from the Czech Republic tells the story of a middle-aged cellist whose life as a confirmed bachelor is turned upside down by a six-year-old Russian houseguest named Kolya. The premise develops with simple grace and charm, relying heavily on the brilliant performance of Zdenek Sverak (who also wrote the screenplay and is the director's father) as the aging ne'er-do-well musician, and the rather miraculous performance of Andrej Chalimon as the fearful young Russian boy. Child acting rarely hits this level: Chalimon is completely engaging without being precious, and the film hinges on the carefully paced, subtly drawn relationship that Kolya forms with his surrogate father. Indeed, Kolya nicely underplays all its themes. The film is flecked with the politics of 1988 Czechoslovakia's impending Communist downfall, but not dominated by them. And while Kolya's effect on this aging bachelor's life is ultimately profound, the film eschews moments of epiphany in favor of a gradually evolving mutual affection that seems all the more powerful because it grows out of the simplest realities of day-to-day life and never overwhelms the film's Eastern European melancholia. It's a formula that won Kolya the 1997 Oscar for Best Foreign-Language film, and one guaranteed to warm all but the stoniest of hearts. Gregory Baird

All Movie Guide

55-year-old Louka (Zdenek Sverak) is a gifted musician in Czechoslovakia who once made a good living playing in the State Symphony Orchestra. However, he has little use for the government, and after putting a playfully insulting statement on a government form, he's been banished from official music making. He ekes out a living by giving private lessons, painting gravestones with gold leaf, and performing at funerals. Louka also likes to chase younger women, a surprisingly number of whom are more than happy to be caught. However, when a friend suggests marriage to a stranger, Louka is unexpectedly willing to consider the matter. It seems that Broz (Ondrej Vetchy), a gravedigger and a good friend of Louka's, has a niece, Nadezda (Irena Livanova), with a young son who wants to stay in Czechoslovakia. However, she's a Russian citizen and lacks the proper papers. In order to stay, the young mother needs to marry a Czech citizen, and she and her aunt are willing to pay a "husband" for his troubles. Louka, hard up for cash and in need of a used car, grudgingly agrees to the arrangement and weds Nadezda. However, once she has her papers, Nadezda heads for West Germany to be with her boyfriend, and after her aunt unexpectedly dies, Louka finds himself in custody of his new "stepson," six-year-old Kolya (Andrei Khalimon). A confirmed bachelor, Louka knows next to nothing about taking care of a child, and he discovers that parenthood cramps his style with the ladies. However, Louka and Kolya soon become good friends, and Louka finds his outlook on life beginning to change, just as the "Velvet Revolution" sounds the call of a new era in Czechoslovakia. Kolya won both the Academy Award and the Golden Globe as Best Foreign Language Film of 1997. Mark Deming

Chicago Sun-Times

1/2 It is a work of love, beautifully photographed by Vladimir Smutny in rich deep reds and browns, with steam rising from soup and the little boy looking wistfully at the pigeons on the other side of the tower window. It is said that American audiences are going to fewer foreign films these days. Missing a film like Kolya, winner of a 1997 Golden Globe, would not be a price I would be willing to pay. Roger Ebert

Product Details

• UPC: 786936190458
• Source: MIRAMAX
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Vistavision (1.66:1)
• Presentation: Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital Surround
• Language: Français
• Subtitles: English
• Time: 1:45:00
• Sales Rank: 13,913

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