Review of Closely Watched Trains

From the opening shot of Jiri Menzel's Closely Observed Trains, the viewer knows what will follow. The story of a young man and his life, not to mention a deeply embarrassing problem that he seems to address to every character, captivates one in its simpleness and whimsy. Every shot is beautifully framed, even that not usually considered so; take, as an example, the attempted suicide of our main character, filmed expertly enough to draw comparison to a credit sequence shot of a pigeon captured in mid flight. The acting, too, is flawless; a fantastic performance from leading man Vaclav Neckar is backed up with a solid, supporting and most importantly realistic cast. Overall, a great film, which should be recommended to film experts and casual viewers alike.