21/34
Most of the actors who play in it are the writer-director, Gabor Reys’ friends, students or teachers
Chronology
Abel is a high school student struggling to focus on his final exams while being hopelessly in love with his best friend Janka. Due to the subject matter of the film, the Hungarian government did not grant funding for the film, so it had a small budget and crew.
The main premise is a bit implausible, which distracts from the story
There was a lot of buzz around this film last year, which is not surprising, considering the fact that it is not a film – the producers are dealing with today’s politics in Hungary. I understand that the creators wanted to show how an insignificant thing can be blown up in today’s political climate, but it still makes the whole story feel a bit insignificant.
Also, although there are some funny/satirical moments, overall it is neither a comedy nor a drama
It is clear that the filmmakers wanted to avoid denigrating any one side (right-wing conservatives or left-wing liberals), but as a result the film seems too cautious. With that in mind, there are some effective scenes showing how deep the political divisions are now in the country.
I also liked the ambitious portrayal of the right-wing journalist, although her portrayal could have been more complex
Although the main character conveys very effectively what an awkward time adolescence can be for many people, this character is too uninteresting to be even remotely memorable. In this respect, this film reminded me of Ferenc Török’s Moszkva tér, also with unmemorable teenagers.
The most complex character in the film is probably the right-wing father, and I liked István Znamenák’s performance
It is interesting to note that in the early 1980s this actor played the teenage hero in the Hungarian cult film Time Stood Still (Megáll az ido), a film with many memorable teenage characters.
