Shakespeare's famous line, "I have liv'd long enough. My way of life. Is fallen into the sear, the yellow leaf" does not hold water here in this film. Vladimír Michálek pokes fun at, & at the same time offers a shoulder to rest heads on to, those who are counting their last days because, as the saying goes, their days are numbered.Frantisek Hána (Fanda), who is just a few paces away from his grave, thumps his nose at old age and lives life king size; at one place he says, 'old men should be rich and respectable.' Being in the autumn of his life his spring does not fade; rather it's the spring that's mightier. If Fanda is the obverse of the coin called life, then Emílie Hánová is the reverse of it. She's all autumn: and she even tries to make her autumn (death) grand and peaceful. She stashes away money for their funerals; reads various dead person's epitaphs and even, rather hilariously, copies them; she also books a place where their graves would be; she desires herself and pesters Fanda to shift to an old-age home before death. Emilie, a woman rather obsessed than sad and afraid of death, through her small, almost blink-and-you-miss, acts in the film has painted a picture of the intensity of a soul to live every moment of one's life. it's just that her intensity to live has overgrown and surpassed towards death itself. Hence, she wants to die a peaceful death and even stay there peacefully.For Fanda death may be the ultimate upshot, but why whine and pine for it? His gather-ye-rosebuds-while-ye-may attitude towards life jars Emilie's preordained plans. He plays pranks with unknown people and wines and dines in posh restaurants; squanders Emilie's hard-saved money in whimsical trifles; pretends to be a ticket collector or a well-off personality looking for a mansion and so on. The man may be a jumping light of happiness, yet he does not desert them who are not: he often helps people in need with money, though he has none. The way he looks at life becomes a dish to savour and hang on with till the last breath. Jiri Hubac has touched upon the pathos of old age and the outright resignation of such traditional pathos of a man when his last days can be counted on his fingers.A subtly dark, but hilarious, humour plays upon the various strings that transform the film into a musical unison of life and its counterpart - death. The film celebrates and undoes before the viewers the various themes of marriage, friendship, life, death and how they work in consonance with everything that meets the eye. The carpe-diem motif signified by Fanda wins over Emilie's pessimism. She spends most of her savings in the end only to enjoy, and more precisely, to live a moment in her life with Fanda before the Reaper wields his sickle.Ed (Stanislav Zindulka) remains as a living image of friendship and a perfect companion and a sweet accomplice of Fanda in good and mischievous deeds. Ed's death at last tells upon Fanda which signifies the approach of autumn, though spring never fades in this movie - only changes colours at times which seem like autumn.Jara (Ondrej Vetchy), the prying and covetous vulture that he is, tries every opportunity to make his parents' life miserable. He spreads a shroud over the eyes of Emilie which she later clears off. He fails to do anything to Fanda - a master of and in his own terms.

I found this film to be one of those great heart-warming gems. The story line is tightly woven and the character development throughout fantastic! I am a big fan of non-US films anyway and this is right up there with: "Happenstance," "The Closet" even "King of Hearts." Vlastimil Brodsky as Fanda, is fantastic. It is a love story in the true sense of loving life and the twists and turns it takes to get the viewer to understand/enjoy Fanda's view of life (which nearly costs himmore than he is prepared to give) are wonderful. His co-star Stelle Zazvorkova is unforgettable as his fed-up wife. I highly recommend this movie for the whole family--my children loved it.

As a Czech I am very pleased when I read these comments here. I am absolutely sure that this film is great. And what you maybe don't know is that story was specially written for Mr. Brodský. The man you can see is him and his typical attitude - to live and to resist death. He was one of great actors and we are very lucky that we he has made so many beautiful films during his life. You are lucky you could see at least one of them. Enjoy.

Renowned Czech actor Vlastimil Brodský, mostly known in North America for his leading role as Jacob in the original Est German/Czech production of Jacob the Liar (Jakob, der Lügner 1974) gives us a last brilliant performance as a 80 year old prankster who refuses to admit that he is about to die.Jirí Hubac's screenplay is exquisite. Funny, moving and well-developed. It explores well both the subject of advanced old age and the motivations of characters that are precariously strong and fragile, happy and unsettled. Frantisek (Vlastimil Brodský) and his best friend Eda (Stanislav Zindulka) are up to all types of shenanigans and are making sure to make the best out of their dying days. Meanwhile, Frantisek's wife is preparing for their death, saving up for funeral money and chastising Frantisek for his endless childishness and irresponsible attitude. Their son is about to take their apartment over and put them into a retirement home, but Frantisek doesn't want to hear any of that. He wants to enjoy life and make people around him laugh. He wants to help and love and give... but at what cost?Sure to captivate adults of all ages, this fine piece of film by talented director Vladimír Michálek is both touching and funny. It makes you think of how we live our lives and why we live our lives. It brings the simple story of a charming stubborn old man to the forefront and allow us to reflect and feel what life is all about.After an active career lasting more than 40 years, it is somewhat sombre to know that Vlastimil Brodsk died in April 2002, no longer in the grip of terminal cancer. It is however uplifting to think that he had the chance to be a part of such a moving script and to be the catalyst of this ode to joyful old age that has not even started to make the waves it is about to create in North American repertoire cinema. After the international success of Jan Hrebejk's "Divided We Fall (2000)", it is starting to be clear that Czech cinema has indeed something to offer to the world. This film at least is a must see.