L. KENT WOLGAMOTT / Lincoln Journal Star | Posted: Thursday, July 21, 2005 7:00 pm
"Kontroll" is an odd little movie that takes place entirely in the subways of Budapest, Hungary. Its hero is a former architect who won't leave the system, sleeping on the platforms before working all day as a "kontroller." Its villain is a "Phantom of the Opera"-style hooded character who pushes people in front of speeding trains.
But the quirky story really isn't about the conflict between them. Rather, it is a slice-of-life look at the subterranean world and those who spend most of their lives underground.
The first feature by Nimrod Antal, whose parents were Hungarian but who was raised in Los Angeles, "Kontroll" opens with a statement read by a subway system spokesman (who may or may not be an actor) that is a disclaimer of sorts saying that the movie is symbolic and that the real ticket inspectors are nothing like the film's kontrollers.
The kontroller's job is to ask those who come into the system for their passes or tickets, the only way of keeping some kind of control on the honor system used for riders on the trains. Needless to say, the passengers aren't thrilled by being accosted by the unkempt lot who have taken on the far-from-glamorous kontroller positions.
Bulcsu (Sandor Csanyi) is the head of arguably the worst kontroller group. He's obviously bright, but disillusioned. But the rest of his crew are pure misfits, from the narcoleptic Muki (Csaba Pindroch), who rants, raves, then falls asleep, to daft newcomer Tibi (Zsolt Nagy), who sees something weirdly heroic and authoritarian in the job.
As they ride the trains, we see the kontrollers confront a plethora of passengers, give chase to a guy who lives to harass them and confront other more professional crews. One of those confrontations is called "railing" a death-defying race in which Bulcsu and the leader of another crew climb up onto the tracks after one train passes by and sprint to the next station and hope not to be run over.
There's also a romantic element in the film. Sofie (Eszter Balia) dresses in a bear costume and comes to the subway every day. She never buys a ticket. But that's because her father is one of the train drivers. There's an attraction between Sofie and Bulcsu that helps set the stage for the movie's ending sequences that include another murder on the tracks, a bizarre costume party, a beating and a railing.
Utilizing the Budapest subway platforms and trains to the fullest extent, Antal has crafted a film that is at once arty and action packed. The claustrophobic surroundings come through the camera lens, instantly giving the film a mood, and the characters are uniquely human rather than being stereotypes.
Antal, who wrote and directed the movie, wisely parcels out the information about them, gradually filling in backgrounds and motivations. But they maintain a mystery, each holding something back likely why they have found their way into the subway world. That's made clear during a scene in which each of the kontrollers has to visit a psychiatrist.
What Antal really has done is create a community and, as "Kontroll" runs, we see how the members of that community relate to each other seeking support, finding competition, struggling for power, looking for answers, etc. That, in microcosm, reflects the wider world above ground.
But the quirks and action make the world of "Kontroll" far from the every day.
Reach L. Kent Wolgamott at 473-7244 or kwolgamott@journalstar.com.
Kontroll
***1/2 (out of four stars)
Director: Nimrod Antal
Stars: Sandor Csanyi, Zoltan Mucsi, Csaba Pindroch, Eszter Balla
Rated: R (for language, some violence, brief sexuality); in Hungarian with subtitles
Now showing: Ross
The reel story: This quirky but compelling film is set entirely in the subway system of Budapest and shows the lives of the ticket inspectors there, one of whom never comes above ground.