Before Tonight is Over (1965) – Peter Solan.

Peter Sloan's dazzling multi-character drama, perhaps, remains one of the lesser-seen masterpieces of the 60s Czech new wave. Set over one especially eventful night in a wintry ski-resort hotel, the increasingly inebriated guests colourful interactions make for unusually compelling cinema. Not dissimilar to Milos Forman's ensemble masterclass Fireman's Ball, Sloan's vibrant, immaculately performed narrative does occasionally suggest that the plot may suddenly take a much darker turn. While Before Tonight is Over is frequently playful and witty, there's a tangible sense of melancholy throughout, imbuing the motivations of these increasingly noisome revellers with a profound pathos. While Solan's fascinating film is manifestly of its time, the deleterious malaise following WW2 and the incumbent ogre of Soviet communism are undeniable, but Before Tonight is Over remains strikingly relevant, and deeply relatable, potently crackling with the galvanic intensity of Dogma manifesto Festen. I adore vibrant European cinema that inspires, offering compelling insights into a country's beleaguered history, and in many instances I am called to reflect upon the old adage 'the more things change, the more they stay the same!'