IVAN BARNEV AND ASSORTED FEMALE FRIENDS IN DIRECTOR JIRÍ MENZEL’S I SERVED THE KING OF ENGLAND. COURTESY SONY PICTURES CLASSICS. Ji?í Menzel is rather like a character from literary fiction, the brilliant best friend who is beset by bad luck but accepts his lot in life with a wry, philosophical smile. Menzel, born in the former Czechoslovakia on the cusp of World War II, grew up with a passion for theatre but failed to get into drama school due to a perceived lack of ability. Instead he went to film school, where he was taught by the seminal Czech director […]
by Nick Dawson on Aug 28, 2008