On the outskirts of a poor Ukrainian village Barbu (Yasha Kultiasov) and his older sister Mimma (Julia Khanverdieva) often perform impressive tricks for those willing to spare a bit of cash. He is a skinny boy with legs that can barely support his tiny body, she is a charming girl with the smile of an angel.

During a routine performance at the main square in their village a wealthy circus owner (Lazar Ristovski) offers to the parents of Barbu and Mimma a deal they can not resist. Shortly after the two kids are sold to the rich foreigner for a few thousand German marks. Hours later Barbu, Mimma, and Caruso, head to the heart of Europe-Berlin.

In a cold an unfriendly train station on the Ukrainian-Slovakian border Barbu is unceremoniously abandoned. He is told to meet Caruso and Mimma in the German capital. Barbu hides in the restroom of an old and dingy train where the smell of human feces is so strong he can barely breathe. Cold, hungry, and impatient the skinny boy must wait: minutes will turn into hours, hours will turn into days. Once in Berlin Barbu is told that instead of circus tricks he must learn to steal while Mimma is sold to a sleazy child molester running a "profitable business".

Král zlodejov a.k.a King of Thieves (2004) is a film that many will rightfully compare to Lukas Moodysson's Lilja 4-Ever (2002). Raw, uncompromising, and with breathtaking performances by the main leads this recent multi-European production (the film boasts contributions from eight different countries: Germany, Czech Republic, Netherlands, Belgium, Slovakia, Austria, Slovenia, and France) asks questions that certainly will linger with you long after the final credits roll. In the center of the film once again there is a theme that unfortunately more and more often seems to be a topic of discussion on news stations around the old continent-child exploitation. This time around however Czech director Ivan Fila has approached the subject by allowing plenty of room for a secondary plot that appears to be boding quite well with the main message King of Thieves delivers. Unlike Lukas Moodysson's Lilja 4-Ever however the tone of King of Thieves is a bit more optimistic and perhaps a tiny bit less intimidating.

With a spectacular cast led by old charmer Lazar Ristovski whose career skyrocketed after his magnificent performance in Emir Kusturica's Underground (1995) and a notable contribution to Ugo Chiti's enjoyable La Seconda Moglie a.k.a The Second Wife (1998) where the Serbian heartthrob played opposite Maria Grazia Cucinotta King of Thieves is a pleasure to behold. With a beautiful cinematography and a direction that left me very impressed I can see now why world festivals have showered King of Thieves with an endless list of awards.

It is the film's delicate combination of tragedy and romance (indeed, quite a different type of romance has been offered by Ivan Fila) though that kept my attention aroused. King of Thieves successfully avoids being a picture of old clichés where everything falls in a familiar groove. Instead the Czech crew provides the film with an admirable sense of realism without going that extra step Lilja 4-Ever did.

Last year the American market was fortunate enough to see a release of Damjan Kozole's award-winning feature Rezervni Deli a.k.a Spare Parts (2003)-a disturbing Slovenian film about human trafficking. This time around thanks to the kind efforts of US distributor Picture This Enterteinment! American audiences are offered King of Thieves: another alarming feature from the region, stretching its story from Ukraine and Slovenia all the way to the heart of Germany, revealing that after the collapse of communism and state-controlled governing Central and Eastern European countries are faced with some tremendous social challenges.

Awards/ Recognition:

Winner of the Czech Lion Awards for Best Actor (Iakov Kultiazov), Best Cinematography (Vladimir Smutny), Best Music (Michael Kocab), Best Sound (Zdenek Taubler). Official entry Moscow International Film Festival (2004), Copenhagen International Film Festival (2004), Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (2004).

How Does the DVD Look?

Presented in its original aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and enhanced for widescreen TV's King of Thieves looks very good indeed. Colors are strong and well-saturated, contrast is handled very well, and edge enhancement for the most part is kept in check. The print for the film is also in an immaculate condition and I could not spot even a tiny speck or mark that might detract from your viewing experience. Looking at the sourcing for this release I am also very much impressed with the efforts provided by Picture This Entertainment-this is a properly mastered release without some of the more common issues that often seem to plague US releases of European films. If there is one thing that I am a bit uncertain it is the presence of two instances of very minor combing (I was able to spot it only in two scenes yet I am puzzled as to what the nature of it is as the rest of the print is in excellent condition) that goes against the otherwise perfect video presentation. All things considered this is a very impressive release indeed.

How Does the DVD Sound?

Presented with its original German audio track (bits of Russian are also present) mastered in 2.0 and 5.1 mixes the audio treatment is flawless. The spectacular soundtrack of King of Thieves comes off the speakers with impressive clarity and balance is absolutely perfect. Dialog is very easy to follow and I could not detect any hiss-ups of pop-ups that might detract from your viewing experience. Solid job all around! With optional English and Spanish subtitles.

Extras:

In addition to the original theatrical trailer for the main feature and a gallery of selected trailers for other Picture This releases we have a nice though very short documentary titled "Ivan Fila in the Czech Republic" in which the Czech director discusses the history behind this project entirely in English. This is indeed an excellent opportunity for those looking to find out a bit more about King of Thieves, its materialization, the numerous troubles the Czech crew had to endure, and consequently the acceptance the film received from audiences and critics. The entire documentary is shot amidst beautiful scenes from the Czech Republic!

Final Words:

I have truly been impressed with Picture This Entertainment and their most recent releases. With a little extra effort mainly in the area of sourcing where I would like to suggest that high standards of progressive sourcing (no PAL-NTSC ports please) are upheld this could very well be the company we can place right next to No Shame Films. The selection of films Picture This Entertainment have provided is simply outstanding (I see that they are also planning a release of Michael Sturminger's The Whore's Son). If they make the necessary improvements, and with the release of King of Thieves I think that the company is on the right track, I will undoubtedly be one of their greatest supporters. I like everything about them so far!!

This being said, I can not recommend King of Thieves highly enough. Disturbing yet beautifully photographed this Czech production is amidst one of the most impressive independent films I've seen being released this year. Well worth a look!!