★★★★ Empties

[Twinkletoes: 4.0]

And with this I will have finally finished reviews for all 29 films screened at the 2008 Philadelphia Film Festival! A task that I have never been able to accomplish at any film festival in the past (excluding the Trenton Film Festival and all cinemojo sponsored events). So without further ado, Empties is a Czech comedy about a newly retired school teacher that just doesn’t know what to do with himself. He eventually decides to take a position at the bottle return counter at a local supermarket. While this is going on various things are happening in his life. The threat of an automated bottle return machine looms. His daughter is going through a divorce. He tries to secretly play matchmaker for her. His wife is upset that he doesn’t want to spend his retirement at home with her. A younger man shows interest in his wife. He has fantasies about the younger women that come to the counter. All of this is told with a very light touch. All in all this a nicely made, low key and sweet little film about aging.