The Candidate

The story of the film The Candidate takes place during two months of campaigning before a non-specific presidential election in one specific country. The author of the diary entries has no idea for whom he is recording the eavesdropping and enthusiasm for an interesting job in which he follows a bishop, a crazy owner of an advertising agency and a bland presidential candidate with the eloquent name Peter Potôň and an even sweeter-sounding family history, soon give way to disgust and confusion. His diary becomes a file with transcripts of conversations, information about characters and characters, emails, scraps from psychiatric medical records and pictures, which he scribbles at first out of boredom, later because words and rational explanations are no longer enough. The candidate is a political farce, a sad-funny depiction of what happened, is happening, and could very easily happen in this small country.

Directed by Jonáš Karásek, The Candidate leans on a strong ensemble — Marek Majeský, Monika Hilmerová, Michal Dlouhý — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about comedy titles of 2013.