White God (2014)

Directed by: Kornel Mundruczo
Country: Hungary / others

Movie Review: After a spectacular opening scene where filmmaker Kornel Mundruczo shoots hundreds of dogs frantically running throughout the streets of Budapest, I immediately thought: maybe I didn’t read appropriately the film's title - was it 'White Dog' or ‘White God’? Actually, I was expecting something different here; according to its title, probably something more austere and masterful, but surprisingly the film stands in the middle of an affecting family adventure and a slightly gory thriller. A dangerous position since it may be too light to please horror-thriller fans and too violent to be watched with family, especially if you have little kids. The story has two protagonists: the 13-year-old trumpet player, Lily, and her cute mixed-breed dog, Hagen. When Lily’s mother leaves the city for a few days in the company of her new boyfriend, she is forced to stay with her picky father, Daniel. Lily takes the inseparable Hagen with her, but Daniel dumps the poor dog into the wild streets. While the sad Lily steps into risky situations and starts misbehaving as she looks around for her best friend, Hagen tries to avoid the dog-catchers of the municipal kennel, but eventually falls in the hands of rascals, being subjected to maltreatment and then turned into a fighter, for their own profit. As a dog lover, knowing that there are people out there inflicting this kind of treatment to innocent animals, gives me the creeps and really pisses me off. These moments were the ones touching me more since the rest relies on a farfetched canine feast of rambunctious chases, tenacious attacks, and emotive incidents. Production and direction are splendid, yet the script is not tight enough (no bad guy escapes to the dogs’ fury, not even Daniel’s snitch neighbor). In the end, the positive factors ended up obfuscating the negative ones.

The Notebook (2013)

Directed by: Janos Szasz
Country: Hungary / others

Movie Review: “The Notebook”, Crystal Globe winner at Karlovy Vary film festival, is a grim tale of survival based on the first part of Agota Kristof’s war trilogy, published in 1986. Set in 1944 Hungary, the story follows two inseparable twins who learned how to survive when they were left in a countryside farm at the care of their hostile grandmother, in order to escape the horrors of WWII. The bitter old woman, accused of having poisoned her husband, was constantly punishing the boys with no reason. The artful twins, focused in staying strong and keep on studying as their parents recommended, started training their bodies to endure pain, cold, and hunger. During these harsh times, they become friends with a strange Nazi officer, and with a retarded thief girl who lives next door. Some powerful scenes remain in our heads, like when the twins meet an insensitive anti-Jew woman who takes an erotic bath with them, or when they drag the prostrated grandmother through the snowy fields. However, other situations are a bit strained, particularly when trying to accentuate the boys’ determination (the fight with their mother’s new man didn’t convince) or their abrupt changing in the relationship with grandma. With sharp images composing the expressive cinematography by Christian Berger (Michael Haneke’s regular choice) and a mysterious score that sets an intriguing atmosphere, “The Notebook” is an interesting psychological study that evinces pure darkness hidden behind naive faces. A good time is guaranteed, despite the less successful aspects mentioned above.

The Door (2012)

Directed by: Istvan Szabo
Country: Hungary

Plot: This is a story of a special relationship between two women.

Review: Based on semi-autobiographical writings by Hungarian Magda Szabó (1917-2007), “The Door” didn’t enchant, but didn’t disappoint me also. The plot concerns the odd relationship developed by a young woman-writer and her maid. After “The Queen”(2006), Helen Mirren has another superb performance, being the key element for maintaining the movie in acceptable levels. The main characters conveyed affection and care for each other without being slushy, but I didn’t feel much intensity or enthusiasm in the story, maybe because it was too straightforward in its narrative and didn’t give us enough time to absorb some details. Easy watching, though.

Relevant awards: -

The Turin Horse (2011)

Realizado por: Béla Tarr
País: Hungria

Não é nada fácil entrar no universo do mestre húngaro Béla Tarr, mas uma vez entrando, nunca mais conseguimos sair ou esquecer as magníficas imagens a preto-e-branco que conseguem falar por si próprias. Este é um filme repetitivo e duro de assistir, assim como é dura e repetitiva a vida das suas personagens. Baseado num evento registado em 1889 protagonizado pelo filósofo alemão Nietzsche, Tarr dá asas à imaginação, criando um filme sobre a morte. Um pai e uma filha tentam tudo para sobreviver, após o seu cavalo, único meio de subsistência, adoecer. Consegue fazer-nos suspirar de angústia e desconforto, com o "fim do mundo" para estas personagens a ser encarado com tristeza e resignação.