This offbeat slice-of-life chronicle - a seriocomedy with darkly comic moments yet sad thematic undercurrents - hones in on the quadragenarian Václav. A sufferer of mild autism who lives with his mother, Václav finds himself relegated to black sheep of the local village; its residents mock the poor fellow and dismiss him as an idiot. Meanwhile, Václav's brother, Frantisek, competes with him relentlessly, both for the devotion of their mother and for the affection of Frantisek's lover, Lida. In time, their competition degenerates into a violent criminal act that lands Václav behind bars - and puts him at the mercy of brutal fellow prisoners. Soon, Václav discovers that he is dying; this devastating news prompts his mother to attempt to summon amnesty for her son by appealing to the president and the local villagers.
~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide