After his fairytale-themed film debut Čarovné dědictví (Enchanted Heritage, 1985) writer-director Zdeněk Zelenka turned to the subject of adolescent growing pains in his next film Jsi falešný hráč (You're Card-Sharper). The main protagonists of this 1986 film are two young school friends on the cusp of adulthood, whose time together serves as an escape from troubled family lives. Gifted Adam Martínek is battling with a distant and ambitious mother, while Dušan Petera is suffering from the effects of having an alcoholic father. The friends manage to make money thanks to a band set up at the local people’s art school, in which Adam plays trumpet. But the tight-knit friendship soon begins to unravel. Non-actors Roland Samek (Dušan) and Filip Mourel (Adam) take the lead roles. The effectiveness of this story of rural youngsters is assisted by its adult cast – Ladislav Mrkvička and Daniela Kolářová in the roles of Dušan’s parents, and Iva Janžurová as a local and understanding class teacher.
Adam Martínek plays a trumpet in the music school group. His best friend is Dušan Peter. When their parents are quarrelling, the boys sometimes overnight with each other. Peter's father began to drink because his wife is unfaithful to him. Adam is escaping from her cold and ambitious mother. The class teacher is taking them regularly to school by car. She does not understand why the talented Adam failed the entrance exams to grammar school. When Dušan's father is drunk, he breaks the music instruments of the musicians in the pub and they cannot play at a golden wedding. Adam persuades his group to play there because of Dušan. For this performance the boys get money. They like it and they choose Dušan as a manager and a cashier. Adam becomes jealous of Dušan, and their friendship gets a first crack, which gets bigger by mutual mistrust. Adam said to Dušan, that he failed the entrance exams to the grammar school to spite his mother. Dušan breaks the given promise and tells the reason of Adam's failure to the teacher. They also become rivals when they both like the same girl. The group of boys plays at a wedding during a time when they have classes. The teacher comes to pick them up there and Adam suspects Dušan of a betrayal. The boys fight and Adam writes to Dušan that his mother is leaving the family because of another man. Peter boozes away the money which belonged to the group. The group harshly wants the money back. Adam advocates him, but despite of that the boys don't reconcile. Adam admits to Dušan that he failed the exams because of examination fever. When he is supposed to go with his mother to the school appeal commission, Adam unhappily tears his trousers. Dušan wants to help him, but they don't manage to mend the trousers. However he releases him from the examination fever. He calls it an unnecessary fear from his mother. The boys are friends again and their nice teacher supports them.
František Palka is the author of the Valachian motifs on the walls of the restaurant Valašský šenk (Valachian taproom) in Vizovice.
Voice by Michal Dlouhý
Dušan Petera
Voice by Petr Strnad
trumpetista Adam Martínek
třídní učitelka Jarmilka Tauferová
zdravotní sestra Peterová, Dušanova matka
Petera, Dušanův otec
Dana Martínková, Adamova matka
Martínek, Adamův otec
Viktor
Voice by Radek Pechlát
Zbyněk
Emil
Voice by Petr Šimák
Filip
Voice by Filip Čáp
Ondra
Voice by David Novotný
David
Simona Jiroušková
ředitelka školy
Drábková
hostinská
kapelník
Burda, hráč na basu
vlezlý host v restauraci
Voice by Dalimil Klapka
výpravčí
novomanžel
ženich na zlaté svatbě, Burdův otec
rváč-klarinetista
zástupce ředitelky školy
číšník
otec na svatbě
Voice by Jiří Wohanka
karosář
mistr v lese, Peterův šéf
Voice by Zdeňka Sajfertová
vrchní sestra
frajírek, Simonin přítel
Voice by Hana Talpová
přísná učitelka
Voice by Gabriela Osvaldová
zdravotní sestra
zdravotní sestra
zdravotní sestra
Voice by Karel Urbánek
strojvůdce motorového vlaku
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
hráč dechovky LŠU
žačka Brudňáková
Voice by Lena Birková
korepetitorka
Voice by Jindra Kvardová
stará Burdová
stařeček
paní výpravčí
Voice by Tomáš Jančařík
svatebčan
muž ve rvačce
muž ve rvačce
muž ve rvačce
muž ve rvačce
muž ve rvačce
Pavel Nášel, Filip Renč
Josef Vojtášek, Jiří Balga, Josef Franěk
Josef Javořík, František Fabián, Jitka Zvirocká (zvukové efekty)
Ludvík Malý
Zdena Bláhová
Jiří Zemanec, Věra Kopecká
Milan Sedláček
Jaroslav Bílý
Hana Daňková (klapka), Otto Kamenský (fotograf)
FISYO (Music Conducted by Mario KlemensJosef Pech)
Song Composer tradicionál
Song Composer lidová píseň
Song Composer Jiří F. Svoboda
Writer of Lyrics Naďa Urbánková
Singer Naďa Urbánková
Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer dětský sbor
Singer sbor
Singer sbor
Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer sbor
Song Composer Teodoro Cottrau
Writer of Lyrics Zdeněk Borovec
Singer Ladislav MrkvičkaRoland Samek [dab]Michal Dlouhý
Singer sbor
Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer dívčí sbor
Song Composer lidová píseň
Singer dívčí sbor
Jsi falešný hráč
Jsi falešný hráč
You’re Card-Sharper
film
featuretheatrical distribution
children
Czechoslovakia
1986
1986
literary Screenplay approved 06/1985
start of filming 3 January 1986
technical Screenplay approved 03/1986
end of filming 22 November 1986
withdrawal from distribution 31 December 1992
premiere 1 September 1987 /suitable for youths/
feature film
77 min
2 200 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
colour
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech
Exhibition: 19. národní přehlídka filmů pro děti Ostrov
1987
Ostrov nad Ohří / Czechoslovakia
Zdeněk Zelenka