In Empties, father-son Czech collaborators in the Oscar-winning Kolya focus on how poorly a cantankerous high school teacher adapts to what amounts to forced retirement.

Sverak's work anchors a cast that delivers a series of delicately executed performances as the actors bring to life a great range of lightly comic characters.

Under Sverak's shrewdly unforced direction, other thesps are natural and appealing.

[An] affecting Czech sort-of-romantic comedy.