The Owners is a simple movie at surface level. A group of apartment owners in the Czech Republic meet for their dreaded HOA meeting and struggle to agree on anything. The film is anchored around Mrs. Zahradkova, played by Tereza Ramba, the matriarch of an apartment and the volunteer leader of the meeting. We watch in laughable frustration as the diverse group of homeowners debate the procedure of the meeting (voting on who will tally the votes), snidely remark on each others’ terrible habits (chiding one’s frequent late-night visitors or another’s disproportionate use of water) and negotiate individual incentives needed to sign off on renovation projects. The film shows the difficulty in achieving harmony within a group, particularly when people are scared of change and of doing potential harm. Ostensibly, the film is satirizing democratic government – nothing gets done because people, often corrupt or selfish, won’t play ball and work together with pure motives.
Depicting an HOA meeting as a microcosm of government is a clever concept, as the discourse around the everyday concerns of apartment life is easy for an audience to connect with. Plus, the community of neighbors within an apartment building can be so naturally diverse – some are young and loud and others are old and begrudging. Forcing them to hash out an agenda of familiar issues is fun (albeit frustrating) to see play out on screen. But while the plot is easy to connect with, a byproduct is that the film also seems very ordinary. Not only does it nearly entirely take place in a small conference room, but also the film’s depth of characters, comedic beats, and stakes of the overall situation all feel mild.
Many of the film’s comedic moments are corny, often because the characters have some one-dimensional gimmick. There’s the guy who has no right to be at the meeting, constantly handing out business cards to pitch one of his countless businesses; then there’s the quiet pawn who has no opinion of his own and is told when and how to vote. Surely these are key points to the broader metaphor – and funny at first – but these jokes get old after a few beats of the horse. Sure there is situational humor, but this also begins to feel repetitive after some time. One interesting element, at least from an American view, is the casual way in which sexuality and race are incorporated into the tension and comedy. It feels anachronistic and sadly honest, and delivered in a way that’s different from many Hollywood films. Perhaps it’s just a cultural difference, but at least these moments stick out as novel and bold. Overall, there are a few funny jokes and gags, but they are often chuckle-to-yourself funny and not laugh-out-loud funny.
Like the comedic elements, the overall plot also falls flat, mainly because nothing significant really happens and the situation remains quite ordinary. It seems that in creating a relatable metaphor, Havelka also set the ceiling low for the film as a whole. There are few risks taken or surprising moments – ultimately, it feels that the story may be better suited for a stage-play instead of the silver screen. Sure the metaphor is clever – and maybe it requires some deeper knowledge of Czech history to fully appreciate (there are several references to Czech politics and history) – but the events happening on screen are still a bit boring.
While the comedy and surface-level plot may underdeliver, the film’s primary saving grace is the performance from Tereza Ramba. In contrast to the one-dimensional cast of supporting characters, Ramba excels in the role of the ‘straight man’, voicing our frustrations as viewers through passionate and eloquent pleas. It’s satisfying to watch Ramba deliver our gripes, and emotionally draining to see her futility. Ultimately, The Owners is a solid film. It’s got a message, a good performance, and some cute comedy. Unfortunately, there are no big risks and the satirical elements aren’t enough to elevate this from a film that just feels small.
Photo courtesy of Big World Pictures
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