Up and Down
Up and Down
| 16 September 2004 (USA)
Up and Down Trailers

Milan and Goran are two criminals who smuggle illegal immigrants. One night after they complete a smuggle, they discover that one of the immigrants has left a baby behind. Milan and Goran decide to sell the baby to Lubos and Eman, who are responsible for running an illegal baby adoption center. Lubos and Eman make attempts to sell the baby to Miluska and Frantisek, a barren couple.

Reviews
petrparizek

Drama with surprisingly funny moments. This movie pretty accurately describes various layers of contemporary Czech society. From lowlifes to intellectuals, from immigrants to emigrants. Acting on the whole is very good and adds further realism to the well written characters. Director's Hrebejk's specialty after all are human interactions. Plot is a complicated one and involves racism, emotional exhaustion and solitude, fear, greed and hope. There are many life-like stories in this movie which unexpectedly intertwine as it happens in real life society. Quality camera work was done by senior Czech cinematographer Jan Malir. Moral of the film: No decision in life is made and nothing happens without affecting sooner or later somebody else. Crucial question - can it be understood by a non Czech audience? Perhaps, but I would recommend second viewing, then it will offer more than just entertainment.

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samuelsson91

A genial tragicomedy= HOREM PÁDEM. A couple of clues, not coheretive at the first look, matched at the end that is HOREM PÁDEM. The situation humor brings you a lot of laugh, although you know that it is not humor, it is the cruel reality. A mother, who wants to have a child, but she cannot, because her husband, a football/soccer fan is in condition. But he tries, until the end when he sees that his trying was useless. The second clue is about thieves and transferors through the borders; the third one about a tossed family. You would not believe how this will fit together. Plus wonderful actor performances and nice settings. Unbelievable dialogues; with one sentence: you must watch HOREM PÁDEM!!!

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kolikasp

This is type of well now czech movies... You know, lot of talking, lot of emotion, lot of talking, talking, and movie without typical action... But it is not action movie, it's movie about racism, and it is true movie, I mean the situation in the movie and in the Czech republic is same...First time, when I saw this film, I was little disappointed, it's hard to explain, what was bad for me... Maybe I know, this film is just "so czech"... I wanna something new, when I'm watching movies, and that is just "one of many"... But when I saw it second time... Ou, OK, it is good film, really good film, not perfect, not different, just good czech film...

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htravis

"Horem pádem", stood up well to a second viewing, from DVD, a year later. I'd agree with the most favorable comments of others here. I'd add that the treatment of immigration, nativity, nationalism and personal identify, as it intersects with 4 fractured families, is witty, tender, and humane. Even some of the native criminal class gets an opportunity to make claims for justice, even if the latter is satirized.Did anyone mention the exceptional use of music, and how imaginatively the film is lit and shot? A team of artists at the top of its game collaborated on this film.

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