Obsluhoval jsem anglického krále (2006)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Jirí Menzel

Writers:

Bohumil Hrabal (novel)
Jirí Menzel (writer)

Release Date:

11 January 2007 (Czech Republic)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance | War

Plot:

A look at the glamorous life at an old-world Prague hotel.

Plot Keywords:

Waiter | Boyfriend Girlfriend Relationship | 1930s | Window Dresser | Nazi

Awards:

8 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Ivan Barnev	...	Jan Díte, younger
Oldrich Kaiser	...	Jan Díte, older
Julia Jentsch	...	Líza
Martin Huba	...	Skrivánek
Marián Labuda	...	Walden
Milan Lasica	...	Professor
Josef Abrhám	...	Hotelier Brandejs
Jirí Lábus	...	Hotel Boss
Jaromír Dulava	...	Waiter Karel
Pavel Nový	...	General
István Szabó	...	Stock Marketeer
Tonya Graves	...	Abyssinian Emperor
Rudolf Hrusínský	...	Tichota
Petr Ctvrtnícek	...	Stockbroker
Jirí Sesták	...	Waiter
Zdenek Zák	...	Militiaman
Emília Vásáryová	...	Mrs. Rajska
Zuzana Fialová	...	Marcela
Oldrich Vlach
Ladislav Zupanic
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Václav Chalupa	...	Hrdlicka
Petra Hrebícková	...	Jaruska
Rudolf Jelínek
Eva Kalcovská	...	Wanda
Sárka Petruzelová	...	Julinka

Directed by
Jirí Menzel

Writing credits
Bohumil Hrabal		(novel)
Jirí Menzel		(writer)

Produced by
Rudolf Biermann	....	producer
Petr Dvorak	....	co-producer: TV Nova
Andrea Metcalfe	....	executive producer: AQS
Robert Schaffer	....	executive producer: AQS
Helena Uldrichová	....	co-producer: Barrandov Studio

Original Music by
Ales Brezina

Cinematography by
Jaromír Sofr

Film Editing by
Jirí Brozek

Production Design by
Milan Býcek

Costume Design by
Milan Corba

Makeup Department
Jirina Pahlerova	....	makeup artist

Production Management
Pavel Cechak	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Jiri Ml. Kacirek	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Milan Babik	....	assistant property master
Karel Vanásek	....	property master

Sound Department
Petr Cechák	....	post-production sound assistant
Lukas Chyska	....	conforming sound editor
Radim Hladík Jr.	....	sound re-recording mixer
Jose A. Manovel	....	sound re-recording mixer
Roman Rigo	....	playback operator
Andrea Veselková	....	foley artist
Vojtech Vetrovec	....	boom operator

Visual Effects by
Jiri Cvancara	....	digital intermediate
Ales Dlabac	....	3D artist
Jiri Forejt	....	digital compositor
Miro Gal	....	Flame artist
Lukas Herrmann	....	digital matte paint artist
Jan Heusler	....	digital compositor
Tomas Kalhous	....	digital compositor
Maros Kesjar	....	digital effects artist
Jirí Linhart	....	digital effects artist
Robert Loudil	....	visual effects artist
Petr Masek	....	digital compositor
Boris Masník	....	visual effects supervisor: UPP
Tomas Munzar	....	digital compositor: UPP
Vaclav Ondrousek	....	digital compositor
Robert Pik	....	digital compositor
Petr Vcelicka	....	digital compositor
Kim Wiseman	....	digital compositor

Camera and Electrical Department
Andrej Arnautov Jr.	....	lighting technician
Klaus Fuxjäger	....	camera operator
Borivoj Klecka	....	gaffer

Other crew
Adam Fuchs	....	location manager
Mila Radova	....	unit publicist
Kristián Suda	....	script editor

Production Companies

• AQS
• Barrandov Studios
• Magic Box Slovakia
• TV Nova
• UPP

Distributors

• First Distributors (2008) (Hong Kong) (all media)
• AmaFilms (2007) (Greece) (theatrical)
• Bioscop (2006) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Blanco & Travieso (2007) (Venezuela) (theatrical)
• Bowjapan (2008) (Japan) (theatrical)
• Cine Colombia (2007) (Colombia) (theatrical)
• Distribution Company (2008) (Argentina) (theatrical)
• Farbfilm-Verleih (2008) (Germany) (theatrical)
• Gutek Film (2007) (Poland) (theatrical)
• Moonlight Films (2007) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Sony Pictures Classics (2008) (USA) (theatrical) (subtitled)
• Argentina Video Home (2008) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Brunbro Entertainment Group (2007) (Belgium) (all media)
• EuroVideo (2009) (Germany) (DVD)
• Indies Home Entertainment (2008) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• Misteria Zvuka (2008) (Russia) (DVD)
• Scanbox Entertainment (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• Sony Pictures Home Entertainment (2009) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Dolby Laboratories  sound mix

Also Known As:

I Served the King of England (International: English title)
Obsluhoval som anglického krála (Slovakia)

MPAA:

Rated R for sexual content and nudity.

Runtime:

Czech Republic:120 min

Country:

Czech Republic | Slovakia

Language:

Czech | German

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Slovakia:12 | Czech Republic:12 | Netherlands:12 | South Korea:18 | USA:R | Hong Kong:IIB | Argentina:16 | Australia:M | Finland:K-13

Filming Locations:

Harrachov, Czech Republic

Company:

AQS

Trivia:

The scenes for the Hotel Pariz restaurant were filmed in the main restaurant in Prague's Obecni Dum (Civic House), just around the corner from the actual Hotel Pariz. Both restaurants were designed in the Art Nouveau style by artist Alphons Mucha, but the Obecni Dum restaurant is larger.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During the montage of Jan making love to Lise, stock footage is shown of SS men marching through the streets of Prague. The same footage is later reused by flipping the film from left to right, which is evident by the Nazi armbands moving from their left arms to their right arms and swastikas reversing direction.

Soundtrack:

Rapsodie krvaveho mesice

Beautiful and sweet film

While filming a novel is always difficult.. I think this film captures the spirit of the novel.. one man' life as he succeeds and fails and survives and never seems to be really touched by the world events happening around him (the story starts in 1920's and ends mid-1960's) The actors are perfectly cast, especially the two actors playing Jan Dite. The cinematography is wonderful, as is the music. I have read the novel and I live in the Czech Republic, so I have familiarity with both the story and the culture, but I think the story is universal enough for all audiences to enjoy this film.

This is one of the biggest budget Czech films ever and you can see ALL of the money on the screen, costumes, sets and locations (including the beautiful Hotel Parziz in Prague, which is unchanged from when it was built!)

highly recommend this film to anyone who loves melancholy, sweet stories with a bit of political commentary thrown in for good measure....