Kontroll (2003)

At long last there is an excellent, competitive Hungarian movie about different ways of the ego and soul, about love and crime and the background there is symbolic world of subway. I really enjoyed the characters because they all are basic symbols of our life. There is the good, the bad, the lover, the friend and so many characters who can help the protagonist to reach his right way of self-realization and in the other hand there are the dark forces, all those who try to balk our hero to reach the glory. But what the glory really is? It's always personal and different. The same in all ways is to make the dream true. Our hero can beat his evil instincts with love and reach the glory (and to be able to make his dreams true). After all I really enjoyed Nimród Antal first movie and my advice is the next: U have to see it!

Fmovies: Weird, whacky, amusing, unsettling with a thumpingly good soundtrack, Kontroll is a funky cult-style adventure in the Budapest subway system, the scarily unbalanced but mostly good-hearted (and fictitious) ticket inspectors, their adversaries, games of dare, the weirdos that play games of evasion, a gorgeous woman dressed in a teddy bear suit and so many other out-there and unpredictable aspects that you never know whether a seen will make you laugh or jump. Not for the very squeamish. The movie is perhaps slightly longer than it needs to be, but the aesthetic ending more than makes up for the sometimes dissipated storyline. The ingenious lighting and costumes, and the sheer audacity of the script and execution shriek of great things to come from this director.

for the first time again since Avalon I felt completely lifted to another world... I didn't know what to expect when I decided to watch this one tonight as opener for the Fantasy Film Fest in Hamburg... I was skeptical since the last openers were highly promoted but quite dull... This one is different... A team of very different persons work together as ticket inspectors... each of them is differently weird but fun to watch... The whole movie happens in the subway and stations... no daylight... The images are great and the music fits perfectly to this extraordinary composition. Just don't ask what this movie is about... or if there is a story being told... I don't know... I don't care... I loved to watch and I hope to join this ride soon again...

Kontroll fmovies. I can't wait to see this film again! There is a DVD coming out with Canadian distrib. ThinkFilm in the 1st quarter of 2005...i can't wait this long!!! Gah! The director was there for a Q&A after the film, and was wonderful to talk to (which is always a nice surprise). He told me that they got the high contrast look with a 'bleach-bypass' developing of the film, and it amplified the beautiful camera work.

First review says it all, gorgeous cinematography, great directing, great acting, great story. The lead actor also had the most incredible screen presence. I couldn't tear my eyes off his performance once, i hope he continues in the business with much success. I'd also keep my eyes on the other actors, as they were all fantastic.

-cheers.

CONTROL (Nimród Antal - Hungary 2003).

The film opens with a prologue featuring a real-life Budapest metro official declaring this film is in no way representative of Budapest's underground system, but nevertheless he's in full support (!) of this feature. Probably enscenated by the director, or he must be one hell of a charming fellow to convince the underground authorities in Budapest to allow this kind of endorsement.

This is a smart film. A cynical blender of genres and styles, completely in tune with the 21th century world of chaos, anarchy, despair and poverty we live in. It's a modern language. If this was American, it would define a generation. I'm positive it had this effect on many young Hungarians.

We have a closely confined space here: The Budapest underground rail system. Bulcsú, our main protagonist, is a controller in the Budapest metro. That's his job, leading a motley bunch of rival ticket inspectors. The film never comes above ground. Bulcsú never even leaves the system. He sleeps on the platforms, all he seems to eat or drink is coffee from the machines on the platforms. God knows what he lives on.

The crucial part is in the second half when Bulcsú meets an acquaintance of him on the platform, an middle-aged man who seems like a former professor of him or some kind of mentor. He is clearly embarrassed to run into him in the state he's in. What is it he's hiding from? He seems a well-educated young man. His acquaintance speaks of the promising young Bulcsú. Was he a promising scientist? What was his life like prior to the hellish job he does now? The rest, the extremely aggressive and unwilling passengers, rivalry among colleague ticket inspectors, even a shadowy serial killer who pushes unsuspecting travelers before trains, it's all a sideshow, but a brilliant one. The perfect backdrop for his troubled existence.

Sándor Csányi gives a brilliantly understated performance, perfectly in tune with the daylight-ridden world he lives in.

The silent scene where Bulcsú sits on a large ventilator shaft, echos Ridley Scott, a kind of existential ALIEN-film. Long tracking shots, a neon-lit world, an energetic techno-driven soundtrack. One can argue about the choice of music, the moral stance of the incredibly aggressive passengers but all is perfectly on par with the director's visual ideas. This director is in total control and knows how to express his ideas on film.

Very impressive, make sure you see this.

A small side-note: Nimród Antal, who grew up in LA, is currently finishing his latest film VACANCY, starring Kate Beckinsale and Luke Wilson, scheduled for US release on 20 April 2007 and, I can hardly believe it, a cinematic release in the Netherlands as well, scheduled for 19 July 2007). I expect the worst and hope for the best.

Camera Obscura --- 10/10

This is such a great film from a first time director. This movie makes you fall in love with the character and actually care whats going on in his life. And they do this with great music, funny situations, and some fun action scenes. This is definitely a treat if you can find it somewhere. This is one of my favorite films that has been shown at south by southwest, it goes along side The Thing About my Folks, and Palindromes. I can't wait until this comes out to DVD in America, i am definitely going to buy this film. Overall i give it a 9.1 of 10. Don't mess out on a chance to watch this movie.

.