Kontroll

What an unexpected pleasure! It doesn't happen very often to me that I go watch a movie completely in the dark; when I do, it's usually because somebody dragged me to it - as was the case here - and more often than not, I regret it afterwards. This was a very welcome exception. What a find! This movie has simply everything: great characters, superb cinematography, a kick-ass soundtrack; it's a comedy, a mystery thriller, a drama and a romance - and the performances and the direction are flawless. The main storyline follows Bulcsù, who is a ticket inspector for the Budapest subway. He lives in the dark, depressing tunnels below the city and never leaves them, having chosen his own personal hell after a life above which he seems to desperately want to forget. Bulcsù is a very ambiguous character and it's precisely the ambiguity and the symbolism of his story which make this film stand out for me. You have to fill in a lot of the blanks yourself and the further the story progresses, the more you're left wondering and guessing. I will not spoil anything here, but what makes me call this film great instead of just very good, is that there is a wide range of different interpretations possible for this marvelous movie, from the mainstream one to the dark and disturbing or even the religious - and they all work beautifully. Great, smart entertainment and outstanding cinema. 10 out of 10.

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The movie is a cinematic triumph! Don't need to say much, very good acting with amazing and very rare atmosphere. Solid story and amazing soundtrack! The perfect example that you don't need a big budget or the fancy actors to make a very good movie! A absolutely must see! Kontroll!

Please make more movies like this !

The Independent Film Channel has been screening the full length version of Kontroll (111 minutes by my reckoning), widescreen, with nice clear subtitles. I watched the first 3 minutes and was hooked, open-mouthed, for the duration of the movie. The stunning "railing" sequence, a spine-tingling dolly shot that simply refuses to cut away, is like one of those dreadful nightmares wherein one is being chased by the dark, hooded figure who gets ever closer ... in fact the entire movie is a dream-state, a blossoming of those flowers of evil any city dweller has sensed in a subway late at night, when there are few people around ... it took me back to my days (or nights) working late in the West End of London, and catching the last, late underground train home ... Strange that nobody has commented on the way the movie navigates the low-key sexual tensions between the (almost entirely male) characters, with the leader of the rival "railing" gang making a gay-baiting comment about his antagonist ... and thus it is even more interesting that the young woman - Bela's daughter - is reductively described by many reviewers as Bulscu's 'girlfriend' when she doesn't really fulfil that prosaic a dramatic function, any more than the 'pusher/shadow' is a literal serial killer in the manner, say, of Lustig's 'Maniac'. She occupies a similar space to the magnificent owl, a being that sees what is going on in the darkness (and that also is sacred to Athena, goddess of -among other things- wisdom). And while the subtitles refer to her as wearing a "bear" suit, viewers on IMDb and amazon seem to think she's in a "bunny" suit, while I would swear she's in a kangaroo cozzie. In fact the presence of real or masquerade animals in the movie is mythically interesting - I counted 3 dogs, for instance, and was reminded of the 3-headed dog Cerberus, the Guardian of the Underworld in classical mythology (also a reference Fincher made in 'Se7en') I could write reams about this astounding movie. Dream-like, nail-biting, humane and terrifying in equal measure, it's a work of which all involved in its making must be amazingly proud. And can anyone identify the brilliant young man who plays the dazzlingly choreographed fare-dodger, spraying Tibor's face with ... what ? Crazy Foam ? Shaving cream ? ... and parcouring magnificently down the escalator before meeting his (shocking) fate ?

I think, it's one of the best Hungarian films what had been ever made. Bulcsú's character is very good, and Kovács Lajos (the drunken metro driver) is a great actor, the story is exciting, and the pictures have very dark feelings, so it's a perfect film from a genius director, Antal Nimród. The story is very dark, and grabs your deep inner frightens. And it shows you the real world of Budapest subway, it's the same that you see in the film, expect the shadow murderer with the hood. Csányi Sándor's first main role wasn't too difficult for this fantastic young talent, he did his performances more perfect than the perfect. If you aren't a ticket inspector, or a subway passenger, you should watch this film. I can recommend it to everybody.

(sorry for my poor English, but I haven't got a language exam yet :-) )

KONTROLL is a Hungarian film from director Nimród Antal. Yes, that's really his name. The first thing he did when he introduced the film was make fun of the fact that he was called Nimrod, which is great.

The film is about a group of ticket inspectors in the Hungarian subway system, with the focus on at least one in particular (Bulcsú). Each character is extremely likable, even the passengers become memorable characters, as none of them buy a ticket and are chased or shaken down by the inspectors, which is commonplace in Hungary. There is even a young girl in a bear suit (don't ask) that is absolutely gorgeous. The interaction between her and Bulcsú is sweet and funny. They had the kind of chemistry that is difficult to capture on film.

The entire film takes place in the underground, which is effectively presented as a separate world than the one above ground. Some characters even talk about "up there" with a child- like wonder in their voices.

The cinematography is beautiful. Some of the scenes or long panning shots in the underground are breathtaking. Who'd a thunk it'd look so cool down there? You can tell the director has a photography background, by the wonderful shots he selected.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the rockin' soundtrack. Unfortunately, the band that did the music (NEO) are no longer together. Lets hope the director gets the soundtrack released.

This film is not all laughs however. It has a very serious side that is dark, and an ending that makes you think. If this is the kind of film we can expect from Hungary, I'm eagerly anticipating more. I definitely recommend this film. (8/10)