Kontroll

"Kontroll" gives me new hope that Hungarian filmmakers are finally capable to make pictures that appeal to audiences at home, movie critics (and probably also foreign audiences) alike. An excellent, though a bit weird mixture of satirical comedy, mystical drama and thriller. The metro stations become a world of their own, the neon lights create a new reality.

While in the beginning the film focuses on a whole group of ticket controllers and we expect a satirical comedy about their lives, in the second half the storyline concentrates on the terrifying experiences of Bulcsú, a man with a mysterious past. He used to be an artist or in some other kind of creative business not specified further, but left this life for unknown reasons and started to live in the metro. It also becomes clear that for some reason he is not able to leave the metro system until the end - when he overcomes the dark forces (that probably have also been lurking inside him). Everything about this story is deeply irrational (except for the satirical elements that are in some ways very close to reality :-)), this is just a terrible world, where love means the only hope (I was a bit reminded of Terry Gilliam's "Brazil").

An excellent movie that I would also strongly recommend to foreign viewers. I don't know if this will ever come to other countries, but I would very much like it to be so. So that Hungary could be put back on the landscape of international moviemaking.

P.s.: The Budapest multiplex I saw this in was absolutely packed with people. I was astonished what a great success "Kontroll" has become in Hungary, because I think that most people in the audience there have probably never seen anything that could only remotely be called arthouse - and "Kontroll" wasn't exactly an easy popcorn movie....

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.

Favorite films: http://www.IMDb.com/list/mkjOKvqlSBs/

Lesser-known Masterpieces: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/

Favorite Low-Budget and B-Movies: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls054808375/

Favorite TV-Shows reviewed: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls075552387/

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.

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 !

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 :-) )