Review of I Served the King of England (2007) by Richard G — 06 Jun 2009

Full disclosure: My perceptions of this movie were strongly colored by homesickness and nostalgia for my childhood in the invariably sun-drenched Czechoslovak First Republic.

That said, I loved it and was utterly charmed. The Czechs do this blend of gentle farce and nostalgia that doesn't reek of sentimentality better than just about anyone. Some wonderful Menzel touches, such as the old man who falls asleep while a scantily-clad girl rotates on a lazy Susan in front of him at a backroom dinner for millionaires. (It's beautiful and sensual to watch her spin; it's funny and human that the guy has drifted off.).

I was not as charmed by young Dite as the women in the film seemed to be; his Harpo Marx manners made him a bit too goofy to be sexy.

Is there a moral to the story of an entirely amoral kid from the provinces who uses stamps stolen from Holocaust victims to finance his dreams, only to be jailed immediately by the new Communist regime? I don't think so; I did find myself struck by the slightly dated sense of justice. Remember Hrabal published the book this is based on during the Communist period and Dite is probably an intentionally amoral character - the Communists would have approved of this portrait of a "millionaire.".

The framing story, of Dite as an old man, probably wasn't necessary, though Oldrich Kaiser has a wonderful face and is a delight to watch. Perhaps a post-Communist effort to show everything turns out all right in the end? I read the book so long ago I don't remember if Dite was out of jail in it.

Recommended, particularly if you're not expecting an "American" movie. Relax and enjoy it.