One recent Hungarian film I’ve heard an awful lot about is the subway system drama Kontroll. Released in 2003, this was a big domestic hit for director Nimród Antal who immediately bought a single ticket to Hollywood, where he went on to make this rubbish.
On paper though, Kontroll sounds interesting. A film set in the world of miserable Budapest ticket controllers? A critique, perhaps, of the much-maligned Hungarian public transport system, shot on location? Sign me up.
Sadly, Kontroll isn’t very good at all. In fact, it’s a tiresome mess, hovering uneasily between quirky comedy, quirky thriller and quirky romance, the lack of a clear focus giving the unfortunate impression that Nimród was making it all up as he went along. I suppose that ultimately, it would fall into the category of a ‘yoof’ movie, a little like Doug Liman’s Go, or more worryingly, any of Guy Ritchie’s empty, London-based films. The action is frenetically edited, and underscored by a thumping, but lame soundtrack from NEO, which constantly reminds you that if you aren’t under 25 you probably won't get the most out of this film.
Kontroll tells the story of a group of ticket collectors, led by Bulcsú (Sándor Csányi), a man who works, sleeps, and lives in the subway …(although he doesn’t, as far as I can recall, eat Subway). The rest of his crew are a weird bunch of freaks - there’s a convincingly shabby, moustachioed controller, a grizzled veteran, a narcoleptic, and the thick new boy who, for no reason whatsoever, has wheels in the bottom of his shoes. The other characters aren’t much better - we’re introduced to a pretty girl who wears a bear costume (for no reason whatsoever), a rival crew of controllers who hate Bulcsú’s gang (for no reason whatsoever), and a psychotic maniac who pushes pedestrians under trains (for no reaso…. pfffff. You get the idea).
With very little in the way of character development, the film ends up wearing its weirdness like a badge, the sprawling, claustrophobic underground system reminiscent of the effectively bizarre worlds created by Jeunet et Caro, or Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. Only, Nimród’s underground world seems flimsy and pointless - in my book, ten genre-hopping sub-plots don’t make a story. So... Bulcsú is afraid to leave the underground system… where he has these ‘hilarious’ encounters with passengers…. and everyone thinks he’s the pedestrian-pushing maniac... but, he falls in love… 'oooookaaay.' Finally though, so what? I was left firmly stranded at the station.
It’s in the comic sections that Kontroll disappoints the most. Nimród opts for an unimaginative montage technique, and sets up a series of familiar encounters between controllers and ticketless passengers, Japanese tourists, and beautiful women… then, rather than writing funny material, makes everybody SHOUT! It’s like being stuck in a lift with a boisterous six year old.
Interestingly, the film opens with a monologue from a BKV spokesperson who embraces, but also distances himself from ‘his friend’ Antal’s film. There certainly is a clever satire to be made about the flawed underground system here in Budapest, but this isn‘t it. How about a movie which tells the story of controller with a heart of gold, who cares about the passengers, doesn’t take great delight in finding people who are without a valid pass, and genuinely loves his job? Now that, I’d buy a ticket for.
Andy T.
Sadly, Kontroll isn’t very good at all. In fact, it’s a tiresome mess, hovering uneasily between quirky comedy, quirky thriller and quirky romance, the lack of a clear focus giving the unfortunate impression that Nimród was making it all up as he went along. I suppose that ultimately, it would fall into the category of a ‘yoof’ movie, a little like Doug Liman’s Go, or more worryingly, any of Guy Ritchie’s empty, London-based films. The action is frenetically edited, and underscored by a thumping, but lame soundtrack from NEO, which constantly reminds you that if you aren’t under 25 you probably won't get the most out of this film.
Kontroll tells the story of a group of ticket collectors, led by Bulcsú (Sándor Csányi), a man who works, sleeps, and lives in the subway …(although he doesn’t, as far as I can recall, eat Subway). The rest of his crew are a weird bunch of freaks - there’s a convincingly shabby, moustachioed controller, a grizzled veteran, a narcoleptic, and the thick new boy who, for no reason whatsoever, has wheels in the bottom of his shoes. The other characters aren’t much better - we’re introduced to a pretty girl who wears a bear costume (for no reason whatsoever), a rival crew of controllers who hate Bulcsú’s gang (for no reason whatsoever), and a psychotic maniac who pushes pedestrians under trains (for no reaso…. pfffff. You get the idea).
With very little in the way of character development, the film ends up wearing its weirdness like a badge, the sprawling, claustrophobic underground system reminiscent of the effectively bizarre worlds created by Jeunet et Caro, or Terry Gilliam’s Brazil. Only, Nimród’s underground world seems flimsy and pointless - in my book, ten genre-hopping sub-plots don’t make a story. So... Bulcsú is afraid to leave the underground system… where he has these ‘hilarious’ encounters with passengers…. and everyone thinks he’s the pedestrian-pushing maniac... but, he falls in love… 'oooookaaay.' Finally though, so what? I was left firmly stranded at the station.
It’s in the comic sections that Kontroll disappoints the most. Nimród opts for an unimaginative montage technique, and sets up a series of familiar encounters between controllers and ticketless passengers, Japanese tourists, and beautiful women… then, rather than writing funny material, makes everybody SHOUT! It’s like being stuck in a lift with a boisterous six year old.
Interestingly, the film opens with a monologue from a BKV spokesperson who embraces, but also distances himself from ‘his friend’ Antal’s film. There certainly is a clever satire to be made about the flawed underground system here in Budapest, but this isn‘t it. How about a movie which tells the story of controller with a heart of gold, who cares about the passengers, doesn’t take great delight in finding people who are without a valid pass, and genuinely loves his job? Now that, I’d buy a ticket for.
Andy T.
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