‘Father’ Review: Tereza Nvotová’s Examination of a Life Barely Scratches the Surface [C] Venice
Selected as the Opening Film of this year’s Venice International Film Festival’s Orizzonti section, Tereza Nvotová’s Father features an interesting premise, rarely discussed in film, and some memorable performances but ultimately falls flat in part because of how its subject matter is handled. It’s disappointing because the film had much potential early on, and despite a well-shot 15-minute early sequence through which we are introduced to the characters and their fast-paced world that leaves them very few moments to breathe and ponder, the film never really takes off after that.
Michal is in his forties and is happily married to his second wife Zuzka. Together they share a daughter, Dominika, who is naturally a demanding child. Grappling with signs of ageing and keen on improving his physique while balancing out ever-growing work pressures, Michal’s life seems to be a game of balance. He tries to meet others’ expectations from him while finding his own space to pursue the things he’s passionate about. That becomes increasingly difficult as the company he had launched years ago had just undergone an acquisition and is struggling to stay afloat.
The film opens with a regular day in Michal’s routine. He goes on a run, his way to breathe and take off some of the pressure on his shoulders, and then heads back home to kick off another long day ahead. His wife asks him to drop his kid to the daycare just before he swings by the office to attend an important meeting: the new company head is supposed to visit the office and speak to the team about the changes to come. The company needs to find a way to avoid bankruptcy, and despite the acquisition, it is not in the black yet. Losses are aplenty and new re-structuring is required to ensure a sustainable feature. To add to the pressures, Michal’s ex-wife calls, reminding him to ship some urgent items for her ailing father.
The first 15 minutes of the film mirrors Michal’s frenetic lifestyle, filmed as almost a one-take to show how breathless and exhausting Michal’s day is going. Non-stop calls, meeting requests, tasks he needs to carry out, growing tensions at work all seem to signal the day is going to be a long one. When he drops his kid to the daycare and arrives at work, things are as tense as expected – but it doesn’t stop there. An alarming call from his wife forces him to make a shocking discovery – one I won’t spoil here – and he soon spirals into one nightmare after the other.
The film relies on that particular moment to deliver a major surprise that twists the narrative and forces us to re-examine what we just saw in the early sequence. But instead of building on the shock value and going deeper into the intricacies of what could have happened, the film seems to stop right there. The two thirds that follow ring hollow as they never go beyond two key narrative elements: the after-shock and the legal and logistical ramifications of what Michal had unintentionally done. Instead of turning into a layered character study that opens doors for us into Michal’s psyche, much of the running time is wasted of showing us things we already know: the accident Michal causes surely destroys lives and comes off as unexplainable – but the film just goes in circles by addressing and re-emphasizing the gravity of the situation rather than attempt to examine its character beyond the immediate actions and dilemmas at hand. An odd narrative choice is also made later during the film as it turns into a courtroom drama, barely telling us anything we hadn’t already known nor anticipated. The ending also fails to elicit emotions as by then, we feel we’re already let down by the mundanity of it all.
Despite fantastic performances by Milan Ondrík (Michal) and Dominika Morávková (Zuzka) as the struggling couple, the film falls short of its potential because it refuses to take risks or offer real insight. Shock value is not sufficient to create a thoughtful film – and while the mental health issues discussed here are essential and noteworthy, the result is ultimately a film that doesn’t scratch the surface.
Grade: C
This review is from the 2025 Venice Film Festival.
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