Dear Aunts and Me

Zdeněk Podskalský is one of those filmmakers who did not succumb to ideological pressures, even in the 1970s, and who offered audiences quality entertainment, e.g. the musical Noc na Karlštejně (Night at Karlštejn, 1973), the tragicomedy Kulový blesk (Ball Lightning, 1978), and the crazy musical comedy Trhák (Blockbuster, 1980). Further proof of Podskalský’s appeal can be found in the comedy with crime elements Drahé tety a já (Dear Aunts and Me), which was made in 1974. The director used his own script as the basis for this ageless film, which was atypical for Podskalský’s film work (in the case of Ďábelské líbánky [Devilish Honeymoon, 1970] and Křtiny [Christening Party, 1981] he collaborated with the experienced Jaroslav Dietl). We can therefore view Dear Aunts and Me as the filmmaker’s authorial work. It is an impulsive, whimsical tale full of madcap ideas about two old sisters – the aging spinster Fany and the widow Andělka, who live together. One morning, the sisters go shopping. Fany, however, mistakenly identifies Michal, the fiancée of their niece Hermínka, as the perpetrator of an armed robbery in a savings bank. He comes to introduce himself to his girl’s aunts, but unexpectedly becomes a feared criminal sought by the police. When the sisters realise their mistake, they conduct their own investigations and ultimately nab the real criminal… This crime comedy, adorned with musical numbers, primarily owes a lot to Joseph Kesselring’s play Arsenic and Old Lace. As scriptwriter and director, however, Podskalský made a purely Czech film, using the sleepy atmosphere of a small, south Bohemian town and a cast of entertaining characters. Miroslav Ondřiček’s camerawork, which follows the action added dynamism to the story, as did the perfect casting. Nataša Gollová gives a towering performance in the role of Fany while Andělka is played by Eva Svobodová. Jiří Hrzán made good use of his comic talents as Michal, but Iva Janžurová remains rather underused in the role of Hermínka.