Prague (2006)

As he is now there's no woman going to make this man happy.. and it's pretty much a given that a very personable, attractive, and mostly unhappy woman might realistically seek companionship with another man. Especially when considering the husband's distant, frigid personality. Did he want out?.. at times acting like he's deliberately trying to sabotage the relationship. Maybe he is.. not looking all too upset upon learning of her extended infidelity. And he has numerous opportunities here to try and win her back.. but when they talk about what they are going to do.. he ignores the question completely quickly changing the subject. Her hanging in there for 13+ years with him would have to be considered some kinda record. He had to have changed from their early years together into someone no one would now knowingly choose to be with, otherwise why would she have signed on long-term with him in the first place. The story otherwise mostly kinda works on its own. Except for the pregnant thing, that just came off a bit too convenient and contrived (a quick deliberate out for him), and actually detracted from the overall effect of the movie.. making the eventual outcome too easy. All in all though, it is a fairly worthwhile film, with solid lead performances, more notably her's (his character gets somewhat overplayed).

Prague is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful old cities in Europe: it is also seen as clinging to many of the old traditions of the rigid life of the past - immutable, on guard, cold. It is therefore a very fitting setting for this brilliant film PRAGUE, a story written (with Kim Fupz Akeson) and directed by Ole Christian Madsen that deals with contemporary relationships, family, and the bifurcation between surface appearance and reality. Christoffer (Mads Mikkelson) and his wife Maja (Stine Stengade) have traveled from Denmark without their young son to tend to the final paperwork following the death of Christoffer's father, a father he has not seen or communicated with for 25 years when the father left wife and son for Prague. Christoffer shows no emotion about this mission and even when the doctor (Josef Vajnar) demands Christoffer view the body for identification, there is no sense of sadness. His father's lawyer (Borivoj Navrátil) make all the arrangements for the shipment of the body back to Denmark and informs Christoffer that the financial balance sheet at the time of death leaves Christoffer with only the house in which his father lived, a place Christoffer plans to sell immediately to end this Prague obligation. But during all the 'business' of dealing with his father's death, Christoffer feels a distance from Maja and confronts her with his knowledge that she is having an affair. The veneer of their marriage cracks open and the couple must face the current status of their relationship, a widening crevice that is in many ways held together only by the frequent video calls with their son in Denmark. Theirs is a history of love examined. Christoffer's closure with his father includes the discovery that his father had a beautiful singer/housekeeper Alena (Jana Plodková) who lived with the father with her daughter. When they meet they have no common language but Christoffer learns of his father's apparent abiding love for Christoffer. Another surprise hits Christoffer when he discovers the relationship between his father and the lawyer, a relationship that explains why the father left Denmark for Prague and a new life. With all the new information about the father he never knew Christoffer faces decisions about his own marriage and his role as a father to his own son and the last wishes of his father before he died. Though eager to return to Denmark there are 'procedural problems' that prolong the stay in Prague PRAGUE is a story about love in all its permutations - disappointments, rewards, and longings both filled and unfulfilled. The manner in which each of the characters plays out the consequences of love against the cold background of the rigid atmosphere of the city of Prague is like watching organisms under a microscope. Enhanced by a powerful musical score by Jonas Struch and moody cinematography by Jørgen Johansson it is a powerful film, beautifully acted, and one with much food for thought even after the film is over. Grady Harp

Incredible performances, patient story telling and an intriguing and moving plot combine to create a dramatic and touching film about a marriage falling apart and the hauntings of a recently deceased father, set in one of the world's most beautiful cities.Ultimately, though, it's a film about broken communication and the outcomes that evolve. Between the main character and his wife, between the main character and the girl occupying his father's flat and between the main character and his father. Those who love European cinema should not miss this beauty of a film. It's original and mesmerizing.

A Danish married couple Christoffer and Maja (Mads Mikkelsen and Stine Stengade) arrives in Prague, Czech Republic to sort out the paperwork regarding the death of Christoffer's estranged father. Assisted by a local lawyer and friend of the late father (Borivoj Navrátil), the couple waits for the bureaucracy to be cleared and runs into problems with their shattering marriage and general alienation in life.The city of Prague becomes a symbol for the forlorn state of the main characters: they don't speak the language, the Czech customs regarding the handling of the dead seem odd and overly emotional to the reserved Christoffer and the locations and people in general seem closed, stale, rude and introverted. The feelings of alienation, sadness and anger that so perfectly come to life on the serene face of Mads Mikkelsen are only emphasized by the gray weather, architecture and infrastructure that clearly have once been colourful and happy, just like Christoffer and Maja's life. The film is not entirely humourless pondering about the impossibility of happiness though: the bizarre misunderstandings with the locals provide small moments of dark humour, and the character of a beautiful pub singer Alena (Jana Plodková) shows that some human understanding is always possible even over the language barrier.One thing I didn't care for as much was the prominence of hand-held camera-work and often outright shaky shots during close-ups. In a way the restless movements augment the feel of naturalism of the conversations, but I tend to find them more distracting than fitting. The music often sounds highly emotional, even sentimental, but ultimately works effectively, especially at the end. Despite minor complaints, Prag is over all a satisfactory meditation on the nature of relationships between humans. The key is to gain an understanding of what's important in life, to refind the lost connection to those around you – the film is not hopeless, but does not content itself with easy answers either.