Márta sucht János

This film does a fairly good job at drawing a moody, atmospheric european cinema not unlike Krzysztof Kieslowsk's works. The streets and bridges of Budapest as the story's setting, the score, the camera work and direction all become together to enchant us as viewers in a somewhat magical mystery-romance piece.

The storyline and the narrative though, is when the film fails to keep up with those virtues. The main character falls in love with a man who does not appear to recognise the face of the former and thus the mystery commences with a series of stalkings, conversations and events which lead to the upfilting of the mystery. But when that uplifting happens, it's just not merely interesting or impactful to leave its mark. The film could have definitely been much stronger had it had a deeper, more detailed and structured script.

Nothing about the events portrayed in this movie was believable and the ending was just plain silly, but it had a steady, chill vibe and the lead actress had a very captivating screen presence.

Recommended if you just want to relax for 90 mins, but don't expect anything deep.

Thus is a superbly executed and beautifully acted psychological mystery involving a lonely Hungarian doctor and her relocation from the USA back to Hungary to follow through on a new romance. There are immediate complications and one quickly wonders if she has imagined the whole affair due to mental illness. The two leads deliver wonderfully understated performances and there are some erotic set pieces that are clever in conception and playful in their choreography. I was spellbound throughout the film and felt great empathy for the lead character and her anguished search for a resolution to the mystery at the heart of events.

Having never seen a Hungarian movie before, I didn't know what to expect. From its setting in beautiful Budapest to its haunting theme and the instant connection we feel with its main character, this film gripped me from its opening moments to the end of the credits.

Is it a mystery? Yes. Is it a romance? Yes. Will you be surprised by the ending? Perhaps. I liked that it kept me guessing and on my toes. We never really knew what was real and what was in her head.

A beautiful and touching film that I'll recommend to others.

"Márta, a 40-year-old neurosurgeon, falls in love. She leaves her shining American career behind and returns to Budapest to start a new life with the man she loves. But she waits for him at the Liberty Bridge in vain - he does not appear at their rendezvous. Márta starts to search for him desperately, but when she finally finds him, the love of her life claims that they have never met before."

Very atmospheric film. Somewhat nice to be immersed in the protagonist's mind. Some may be bothered by the floating from scene to scene, non linear storytelling, and the unreliable narrator. That all being said, it does flow, albeit haltingly. But that ending seemed so sudden. This ended up feeling like a too long short film or a weakly executed feature length film. Almost everything needs to be expanded upon for a fulfilling story.