Vlastníci

The film’s slogan: "a comedy for those who haven't experienced it. A drama for those who have" quite aptly mirrors the general atmosphere of the film. So many characters, so many different personalities, whose interactions with each other throughout the film, which takes place in one room for much of its running time, elicits both genuine laughter and chills. This tragicomedy builds mainly on a superb cast and a dynamic script that offers a number of exceedingly funny but also sharp sequences. By the end, I may have found it a bit theatrical and over the top, but since this film has its roots in a theatre play, there is little to be surprised about. That said, I still stand by the fact that this is one of best Czech films within its genre in recent years. An incredibly funny yet distressingly authentic excursion into the lives of many of us. (01.12.2019)

A wonderful micro-comedy from an environment that inspires by its very potential. Jiří Havelka is an interesting personality of today. As an actor, he is handsome but awkward, but as a director he is creative and one of the best from the new Studio Ypsilon generation. His film Owners has a great, even stellar (by Czech standards) cast. Excellent turn of phrase and especially comedic timing. Bear with Us offered a similar kind of humor, but I feel that I will indeed be returning to Owners on a regular basis. "You can build an elevator from the second floor!" (28.11.2019)

I sadly didn't have fun the way I should have (or wanted to). The characters are all overly exaggerated caricatures for my taste, although I can't say that I don't know a representative of each group personally, and all their replicas and dialogue skirmishes mostly only sound like a well- written script, but still lacking something real. The actors, headed by Jiří Lábus and Teresa Ramba, help it as much as they can with their utmost efforts, and the result is not a bad, but rather an awkward bitter comedy that can only dream of being as good as Forman's or Papoušek’s dissections of human nature. (13.02.2021)

An hour and a half of concentrated depression. I didn’t see the play, but it must have made you think about ending it all after seeing it. The acting’s great, apart from some minor exaggeration and (in my eyes rather forced) attempts at humor, but this is popular with the viewers, so I quite understand. I was surprised how realistic the portrayal of the owners was, and I would have gone for a more vicious ending, causing greater catharsis. (04.01.2022)

If Ramba’s in it, it's a given that it's not going to suck. And not just that clever girl but the whole bunch of her colleagues gave it their all. It was so damn real I wanted to cover my eyes. I know this, I've heard this, I hear this a lot, that's exactly it, I can't believe it. These were the thoughts going through my head. The kind of atmosphere that makes you want to escape, but at the same time you want more. I’m not giving it full marks because I didn't like the ending of the film at all. And by that I don't mean how it ended, but the manner in which it ended. I didn't like the choice of music and the last 5 minutes or so evoked mixed feelings in me. Otherwise, it was awesome. 4.5 stars. (26.11.2019)