I Served the King of England

‘King’ serves viewer well with lots of plots

IVAN BARNEY (far left) in “I Served the King of England.”

“I Served the King of England” has precious little to do with a king or England.
But there are many other topics, like love, sex, hate, violence, work, relationships, advancement.
This film from the Czech Republic opens with main character Jan Dite, played at this age by Oldrich Kaiser, being released from prison in 1963. Why he was there, we don’t know.
He breaths the air of freedom and promptly moves into a wooded area, living in a decrepit old cabin.
The film is a comedy, but also political, a drama, even a fantasy.
The story is told in flashbacks, with the Dite character played as a youngster by Ivan Barney.
Young and wide-eyed, he seems a bit dense at first, but he seems to find a way to get the jobs and positions he wants, as well as the women.
As an old man, who works to build a road of stone, he thinks back to his storied life.
He spends many years working in upscale hotels, restaurants and resorts.
He marvels at the head waiter who can balance several dishes while dancing and dodging through the crowd. But when the waiter does drop a plate, he goes completely undone and leaves the restaurant with a few inches of china rubble.
Dite becomes the head waiter.
But no matter what formal position he has, living and working with the rich and famous, something happens that makes him decide to leave each job.
Dite also has a certain amount of disdain for the rich. He enjoys throwing coins on the floor, just to watch the wealthy on their hands and knees scraping up the loose change.
Dite gets involved with a young lady who comes into one of his establishments who turns out to be a prostitute. They end up with a relationship that is beneficial for both. He learns what women want and ends the evening with rose pedals all over the young lass.
Eventually he meets a woman, played by Julia Jentsch, who is sympathetic to the new rulers of the country, the Nazis.
She is so fiercely loyal she goes off to fight in the war. Meanwhile, his hotel is turned into a sort of resort of young, beautiful Aryan girls who are trained to be breeders to continue the German race. The girls swim and bounce about in the nude all day in front of Dite, as if he isn’t there. But they run and hide when other males appear.
Eventually, his young bride re-appears. They decide to marry but Dite must show his sperm is of proper quality to impregnate an Aryan girl. There are some pretty hilarious antics here, including some involving girlie magazines and a sympathetic older lady.
After the marriage, wife wants to give Adolph another pure Aryan, so the two jump in the sack. But during sex, wife insists on having in full view a large Monty Pyhonesque head shot of Hitler.
Back from the war, the Jentsch character shows millions of dollars worth of stamps she gleamed from Jewish homes.
Now Dite is no fan of the Nazis but goes along with his wife and takes the stamps and runs, after the war, to open his own palatial hotel. Unfortunately, wife doesn’t live to see the remnants of her wealth.
And when Czechoslovakia goes Communist, well, let’s just say, easy come, easy go.
“I Served the King Of England” is trotted out in a leisurely pace and covers much ground over the span of the film.
We see greed, hatred, love, determination. It is both funny and horrific. At one point, Dite seems to be noncommittal to his wife’s love of the Nazis, but suddenly grabs the sandwich of one of the elite and starts running down the railroad tracks, trying to give it to emaciated Jewish prisoners being carted off to their deaths.
Like many foreign films, this is one of those pictures you won’t easily see being translated into an American film. If you are a student of history, or people, this is a great movie to watch.

I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND
• Directed by Jiri Menzel, written by Bohumil Hrabal and Menzel
• Rated R for content and nudity
• Runtime: 120 minutes
• 3 1/2 stars out of 4

The Invention of Lying

‘Lying’ premise solid, needs better plot

ROB LOWE (left) and Rick Gervais in “The Invention of Lying.”

Suppose we all lived in a world where everyone told the truth all of the time, the blunt truth.
Such is the unique premise to “The Invention of Lying.” The concept opens itself up to all kinds of situations.
The fact the plot could have been fleshed out more can’t be denied. But what is here is certainly worth a look.
Ricky Gervais, a modern-day Lou Costello, is a historical writer trying to find himself some female companionship.
The film opens as he starts a date with the luscious Jennifer Garner.
It appears not only do the people in this world always tell the truth, they can’t keep their mouths shut to avoid inappropriate comments either.
So when Gervais’ character, Mark, shows up for a date, the Garner character tells him he interrupted her performing a rather personal act on herself. She also informs him she is way hotter than he and it is doubtful they will sleep together. While he sits down, she goes back upstairs and says she will finish that personal act, but will try to do it quietly so he doesn’t notice.
So there’s lots of openings for great comedy and often it works. In the restaurant, the waiter tells Garner’s character she is way hotter than her date. When he brings drinks, he admits taking a sip.
The truth and nothing but the truth results in a different world than we are used to. For example, movies have to be absolutley the truth. That means every film is based on real events and consists of an elderly man describing an historical event.
Well, Mark’s life isn’t going too well. No, he doesn’t get to sleep with Garner and after everyone tells him at work he will probably be fired, he is.
The next morning, his landlord tells him to pack up and leave, because he hasn’t paid his rent.
Mark goes down to the bank to take out his last $300, not enough to pay the rent. But the computers are down. Since nobody lies, the teller asks Mark how much he wants from his account.
Suddenly we see his brain. Something is happening to it. He lies and declares he needs $800.
Ah, but the bank system starts operating again and the clerk sees he only has $300. So what does she do? She gives him the $800 and tells him the computers aren’t working correctly, because they show he only has $300.
Ah, Mark has hit upon something. He starts telling friends wild stories and they believe them all. He gets a kick out of it.
And when his mother lies dying in a nursing home, he decides to comfort her by painting this rosey picture of the afterlife. He literally invents heaven.
Trouble is, the doctors and nurses hear this tale. News services pickup up the story of this pudgy guy describing the hear-after.
The next morning, he opens the door and as far as the eye can see, is lined with people. Everyone has a question about the afterlife.
As Mark tries to answer their questions, the lies get bigger and bigger. But no matter how wild, everyone immediately agrees.
Part of the humor comes from the fact there are no words for terms like “liar” and “truth.” Until Mark’s “invention,” there was no need.
Gervais, with his British accident, is able to carry the part. Rob Lowe is great as a co-worker who tells Gervais he is going to woo and marry the Garner character.
The film has underlying themes about truth and people and religion. It has its share of laughs and frankly, I’d like to see a better-written sequel, returning to this same world because there is so much humor that can be mined from the premise.
How about a story on the troubles ensued when everyone is compelled to be truthful no matter what? Don’t even go into the idea of people lying.
That’s a better idea. It’s a premise I came up with. No, I’m not lying.

THE INVENTION OF LYING
• Directed and written by Ricky Gervais and Matthew Robinson
• Rated PG-13 for language including sexual material and drug reference
• Runtime: 99 minutes
• 3 stars out of 4

Whip It

Page film ‘Whip It’ a fun romp

ELLEN PAGE in “Whip It.”

It comes off as a bit far-fetched.
A petite 17-year-old with a pushy mother who finds herself in a myriad of beauty pageants decides what she really wants to do is join a roller derby team.
Huh? OK. It isn’t too realistic. But heck, the ride is still pretty fun.
Perky Ellen Page by herself is almost enough to make you want to see a movie. She’s so darn cute and you immediately pull for her in any plot.
So she’s in the mall with mom Brooke Cavendar (Marcia Gay Harden), buying new shoes, when in comes a herd of roller derby chicks, passing out leaflets, advertising their latest contest.
Now this roller derby league is a real by-the-seat operation. The building they play in is dilapidated. It regularly exceeds capacity, prompting a raid by the local fire department.
The film is directed nicely by Drew Barrymore, who is a fellow member of the Roller Derby team. She’s Smashley Simpson. Perhaps because of her directing, you see less of Drew than in most movies.
Somehow, little Page, whose name in the film is Bliss Cavendar, makes the team. Her ‘player’ name is Babe Ruthless. Other players include Juliette Lewis as Iron Maven, Kristen Wiig as Maggie Mayhem and others with monikers like Rosa Sparks and Eva Destruction.
TV host Jimmy Fallon plays ‘Hot Tub’ Johnny Rocket, the zany announcer and Andrew Wilson is the coach. Fallon appears to ad-lib a series of wisecracks in his game commentary and after an event, holds up a sign that he is available and STD-free.
The team is named the Hurl Scouts and each season, members resign themselves to last place. They get pushed and hammered and slammed, but they always come out on the bottom.
Page, who was 22 when the film was made, can easily play a 17-year-old high school student, lies and tells the team she is, well, 22.
Somehow, with help of a friend, she makes the rather lengthy trek to Austin for practices and games. She lies to her mother and father, saying she is practicing for her SATs when she is actually practicing Roller Derby. Well, close.
You have to suspend belief here.
She gets away with it and the team actually uses some of the plays put together by its hapless coach.
So with fast and feisty Babe Ruthless on the team, they have a chance at the championship.
But a raid because of too many people in the building causes a turn for the worse.
Her clueless parents learn Bliss, or Babe, isn’t really so studious.
But hey, fooling mother isn’t anything new. Her husband, played by Daniel Stern of “Home Alone” and “Breaking Away” fame, has told her for years he’s working on a big contract when he’s sitting in the family van watching football.
A sidestory really doesn’t go anywhere involving a boy in a mediocre rock band. In a throw-away scene, they sneak into a building and Bliss strips to her underwear while swimming underwater.
The finale is pretty special, although by now a bit less Fallon would have been better. Yes, shock of shock, Bliss or Babe, does get to participate in the final game. It is a doozy and her biggest fan turns out to be dear old dad.
Isn’t that usually the case?
“Whip It” isn’t nearly as good as “Juno” or “Hard Candy” but Page brings her fresh-scrubbed persona to his gritty role and it really works.
There are interesting characters, like the single-mother player, that make for nice sidetrips as the plot follows the main path.
There’s thrills, there’s chills, there’s fun in “Whip It.” So whip out some cash and rent it.


WHIP IT • Directed by Drew Barrymore • Written by Shauna Cross, who wrote the novel and does the screen play • Runtime: 111 minutes • Rated PG 13 • 3 stars out of 4