Budapest Noir

This is a well-written, and well-acted movie that is beautifully shot. The plot, set in Budapest right before WWII, is an intriguing crime story that unfolds over the course of the movie and keeps you engaged. I loved seeing the re-enactment of Budapest in the 1930's.

1936 Budapest, with anti-Semitism on the rise. A woman is found dead on the streets in the district of whores. The body has no ID, only a Jewish prayer book, and appears to be dressed above the typical street whore. Intrigued, a newspaper crime reporter chases down leads by whatever means necessary, using contacts, thefts, and blackmail. He travels between high society and the rough streets, fighting off elements who want him to stop.

The "Noir" atmosphere is well rendered, and the portrait of a city with rising anti-Semitism seems realistic. The almost-final link seems to stretch believability (which is why I didn't score it higher), though the journey itself is enjoyable. I saw this at the Toronto Jewish Film Festival, and so was more sensitive to the Jewish background.

For starters, the book upon which the film iss based is creating atmosphere, historical authenticity, character building and suspenseful storytelling, all of which are, surprisingly, missing in the movie. Moreover, the actors play horribly, as if they'd lost forgotten metier, the cinematographer ditto. Hungary used to be driving on the left-hand side - the scenes in the underground are set accordingly but all the cars in the movie have wheels on the left - probably the rental of appropriate cars would've been to expensive. The noir aspect is depicted with tons of smoking and blighted courtyards and nothing else. The former issue may be correct in terms of authenticity, but the inner city of Budapest in the 1930s was still shiny and rather brand-vnew as it was mostly constructed 30 to 40 years upon. All the direct facade and ruined courtyards are the products of the neglect during the socialist period. As to the storyline, the movie is as suspenseful as a dead fish. All in all, it is a missed opportunity, the book, as well as other books in the series, is brilliant, and the movie is simply bad, despite the talented artists and actors, and the huge pile of money spent on it.

And this really isn't have english subtitle and audio on Netfilx??? What a madness. I don't really like hungarian films, because lot of them is very silly and lowbudget feeling like old czech films but badder because of they are very forced. So if somebody can tell you the truth listen to me, it's deserve to watch (if somewhere you can get the subtitle, i dont searched for, i just watched it on teh Netflix where it doesen't have). This and "The Whiskey Bandit (2017)" is the greatest hungarian films since "The Stationmaster Meets His Match (1980)" and the old blacknwhite hungarian films what had high quality of entertainment.

Budapest Noir: Budapest, October 1936, dark, smokey, misty, it certainly has the feel of Raymond Chandler Noir but a tad colder. The Hungarian Prime Minister Gombos has striven to align Hungary with Hitler's Germany but now returns home in a coffin after dying in Munich. Anti-Semitism is on the rise and a Budapest City Square is named after Hitler. Gordon (Krisztián Kolovratnik) is a reporter on the crime beat rather than a PI but has many of the attributes of Philip marlowe.

A young woman (Franciska Törocsik) is found dead on a street in the red light district, she has no means of identification apart from a Jewish prayer book. Gordon briefly encountered this woman before and is unwilling to just pass the death off as "just" the murder of a prostitute as the police are keen to do. Joined by his former lover, photographer Krisztina (Reká Tenki) he pursues the case with the determination of a detective rather than just a journalist. Krisztina is all too aware of the rising political tension and Anti-Semitism having just returned from Berlin. As the investigation continues Gordon is warned off by the formerly honest police chief Gellert (Zsolt Anger), he is beaten up by thugs, pistol-whipped by a mobster and Krisztina suffers similar indignities, for this case is bringing them closer to the higher echelons of Hungarian political and business circles.. In a scene reminiscent of Casablanca, Gordon beats up fascists in a bar who object to a "Jewish" song, he is involved in a car chase pursued by communists, yes, this is no ordinary murder. But he goes where the evidence takes him.

The Budapest of 1936 is vividly recreated by director Eva Gardos along with cinematographer Elemer Ragalyi and set designer Pater Sparrow. Tight outdoor shots in present day Budapest avoid the necessity of CGI. Beautiful interiors have been crafted with an elite nightclub providing boxing matches between women over dinner and politicians playing cards upstairs, in a high class brothel women may be chosen from a pictorial menu. This contrasts with street corner card games and bare-knuckle boxing in the streets. Adapted from the eponymous novel by Vilmos Kondor, with the screenplay written by Andras Szeker. 8/10