Corpo e Alma

ON BODY AND SOUL is an invigorating comeback of Hungarian filmmaker Ildikó Enyedi, her first feature film in 18 years which stimulatingly dances away with the Golden Bear in Berlin.

The plot can be basically boiled down as follows: when a lonely man meets a lonely woman, how the pair fumbles to build an authentic connection without forfeiting their individuality, because both are crippled in very different terms, for a middle-aged Endre (Morcsányi), it is his corporal handicap, a liability which might explain why he is a singleton, but for the young Maria (Borbély), her condition is far more unusual and intriguing, she seems to be stuck in a limbo of emotionally arrested development, equipped with no social skills, and eschews human contact of any sort, but in accordance with the less unconventional "idiot savant" trope, she is also endowed with a preternatural power of memory, which might fairly explain her credentials as a quality inspector, newly appointed to work in Endre's abattoir, where he assumes the job as the chief financial officer.

Despite of its well-trodden narrative arc, ON BODY AND SOUL refreshingly channels a mystical dream-reality correlation between the two protagonists, embodied in their shared dreamscape as a stag and a doe and through a subplot of psychological assessment, its earth-shattering revelation is comically underlined by Klára (a voluptuous Réka Tenki and an uncanny Jennifer Lawrence doppelgänger), the psychiatrist who is in a snit of believing that she has been taken for a ride (indeed, comical elements are friskily deployed throughout). It is this paranormal tie-in propels their bonding in motion, which reverberates as a sobering call, how could these two isolated souls even start a tentative gesture if there were no such beggar belief fabrication to break the humongous glacier between them, one must venerate Enyedi for her keen insight of the intrinsic difficulty apropos of human interactions, and her diligent craftsmanship of balancing the dream- reality dyad with an intimate but non-judgmental outlook amid the film's gorgeous imagery.

It is still a bumpy road ahead after that, not least for the tabula-rosa Maria, who really steps out of her comfort zone and out on a limb to prepare herself for the ineluctable carnal ritual, but at the same time, her gawkiness sends many a wrong signal to an increasingly frustrated Endre, who is self-aware of their gaping age difference and dubious of his own potency. When the crunch comes Enyedi doesn't flinch from radically bringing a splurge of red into play, even if it offends the squeamish, which is not dissimilar with the slaughterhouse mise-en-scène, viewers are impelled to stare at pain and gore vis-à-vis, because cruelty is the staple among human beings, whether we (sometimes even obliviously) cast it on our own kind or lesser beings.

The two leading performances are of high caliber, dramaturgist Géza Morcsányi is well at ease with Endre's resigned, contemplative demeanor tinged with a smidgen of sophistication, whereas a doe-eyed (no puns intended!) Alexandra Borbély is simply mesmerizing to hold our attention from stem to stern, often appears like an ethereal creature with her impassive lineaments, and registers her unaffected agenda at the same time in pinpoint economy.

Mournfully honed in Laura Marling's WHAT HE WROTE, the thematic dirge bewitches Maria and audience alike, ON BODY AND SOUL reaches its crescendo with a hard-earned happy ending, when magic dissipates, a new lease on life is inaugurated, which could be also read as a herald of Enyedi's own future, career-wise. In fact, she is a few years younger than Géza Morcsányi in real life, so guaranteed by this fascinating love story, her next offering looks pretty buoyant, with only one proviso, the waiting time must be significantly pared down, an 18-year hiatus is an egregious waste of her talent.

I always think A good movie is one that can touch your heart and move your feelings ,The good story does not necessarily make a good film , this is Unusual romance from Unusual Director Ildikó Enyedi ,It won the Golden Bear for best film but also deserve an Academy Awards for Best Foreign Language Film . the magical realism Presented in this film tell us that Love Is beautiful dream & Life deserves to live To experience love . I think movies like On "Body and Soul" Explain The big difference between European cinema and Hollywood , in Europe Cinema is an art of soul and heart & that is what cinema was invented for thanks Mária and Endre ,Alexandra Borbély&Géza Morcsányi for For the beauty that you have done thanks Máté Herbai for great Cinematography thanks Adam Balazs for the beautfuil music thanks for all cast &crew

Beautiful. Moving. Funny. Touching. Magical. Shocking. Wonderful. A film for grown-ups with hearts and minds. The direction - the shots, the camera-work, the framing - are a pleasure: one admires parts of the film as one does a painting. The acting is so natural as to forget one is not watching a real life scene. The script is elegant and sparse - there is so much left unsaid; it's the space between the words that count. The all encompassing vision makes one proud to be a human being.

As somebody who is disabled and has Aspergers myself, 'On Body and Soul' did resonate a lot with me and really did feel a big emotional connection with it.

'On Body and Soul' is not a perfect film, with the unflinching savage elements (even in the unusual slaughter house setting) not really gelling with the rest of the film and feeling almost gratuitous in the shock value. Having said that, it is also a really beautiful film that was made with a lot of good intentions and heart. Really respected that it handled Aspergers and disability with sensitivity and tact, doing it in a way that makes one genuinely connect with the characters even more so than we do already. It's not overdone and it's not trivialised either.

Unusual a love story that in 'On Body and Soul' is, but it is also one with soul and a lot of pathos. The excellent performances from the two leads Geza Morcsanyi and particularly Alexandra Borbely help bring a genuine poignancy to the story and their chemistry is heartfelt in its realism. Nothing is rushed or far-fetched, it progresses at a realistic rate and it really does look like they are in love. The rest of the cast are also strong but it's all about the two leads.

Visually, 'On Body and Soul' is very well made. It is beautifully filmed and a lot of the imagery is splendidly unsettling. The music is hauntingly beautiful and Ildiko Enyedi's direction is controlled and intelligent, excelling in the connection between human and animal behaviour and the depiction of the alienation of modern urbane living.

The script is nuanced, poignant and thought-provoking, with some pertinent points made about the subjects it explores. Pacing is deliberate but never dull.

Summing up, a very good and often very moving film. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Snowfall in a forest of firs, gentle wind, the soothing sound of flowing water and two deer nuzzling in the mist. Endre and Maria are fastidious loners and mere acquaintances, yet they share this recurring dream. Though Maria has extreme difficulty with physical contact, she strives to overcome this limitation with her vivid imagination and immense desire. The mutual and expanding dreams tug at the pair, body and soul, but so do their fears, obsessions and predilections for solitude.

I loved the sensual nature of the film and the two main characters who delight in little things such as the warmth of sunlight and the brushing of hair with a hand. Close-up photography, of faces, reflections in the water and more, adds another layer of sensuality to the film. Both Endre and Maria work in a slaughterhouse and while the story does not dwell for too long in the raw bloodshed of this, it is enough to make you vow to become a vegetarian. I appreciate the film's slant on the subject, which Endre gives voice to in telling a candidate for a job at the slaughterhouse, "if you don't feel sorry for the cows, you can't work here." The character chemistry seems a little off, as Endre appears much older and uglier than Maria, but maybe it is just me. Seen at the Toronto International Film Festival.