Angel

Jiri Strach's Andel Pane (2005) is the kind of tale that returns to Czech television every December. Ivan Trojan plays an angel who ruins everything he touches. As punishment he is sent down to earth and given a single day to learn about love, forgiveness and giving up his own interest. A devil is attached to him for the trip. The Czech Christmas fairy tale works differently from its Western counterparts: it ends well, but most of the jokes along the way are dry and bureaucratic. Heaven functions here like an institution bound by rules. Trojan's performance holds that tone; the angel is not stupid, only careless and proud. It was made for television and the sets show it. Even so it took such a hold in Czechia that a second part was made in 2016. There is humour for adult viewers and a fairy-tale frame for younger ones. Who it's for: those looking for a family film and curious about the Central European fairy-tale tradition. Who it's not for: anyone expecting visual scale and high production value; this is a television film and it looks like one.