Man About Town

Three country plasterers are living in Prague while they renovate façades. In order to probe the mysteries of urban nightlife and not come off as naïve yokels, they buy proper suits and get training in the social niceties. At the swish Diplomat Grill, the trio meet three elegant beauties. Unbeknownst to them, the girls are also pretending to be members of the elite in order to fleece the three masons, whom they mistake for their betters…. One of the best domestic comedies of the period, the film was co-created by director Zdeněk Podskalský and screenwriter Vratislav Blažek. The casting of the film boosted the appeal of this seemingly easy-going gloss on the moral decay of socialist society. First Republic star Oldřich Nový shines in his role as a former charm school teacher, while the female half of the cast is debonairly dominated by Jiřina Jirásková, Jiřina Bohdalová, and Iva Janžurová, actresses who have enjoyed decades of fame on the Czech film scene and who this year celebrate landmark birthdays. –KVIFF