Paris high-risk blog

Kontroll

Richard Nilsen

The Arizona Republic

Jun. 24, 2005 12:00 AM

It's hard to know whether

Kontroll

is a comedy or a nightmare. The Hungarian haze is both.

Set in the subways of Budapest, it not comes up because of daylight. Filled with a dozen or so idiosyncratic characters, it once settles on one who may be a hooded serial killer. The definitely it asks is whether he can live cheerfully ever after with the bird-beaked woman who wears the bear costume.

Not to indicate that before the film's credits, we watch an official of the Budapest subways speak in place of a few minutes on the fact that the film is purely fiction and the real Budapest subways are not really that bad.

bill

The movie doesn't explain much, but apparently, the Budapest underpass is beat on the honor system, except for the teams of "controllers" who discern-X subway riders for tickets or passes. They are obliged to prevent and fine any scofflaws, but because no one takes them seriously, they don't collect much in the way of fines.

In fact, the controllers themselves are such lowlifes and losers that out the pimps and street crazies look down on them with contumely.

Our team of five includes one old misanthrope, one narcolept, one idealistic tyro, everyone weasel-face and our "leading man," Bulcsú, who at no time leaves the underground railway system and sleeps nights in dark stations, eating from vending machines.

Add to this consort an old train driver who drinks excessively and can't always stop the train on conditions, a vandal named Bootsie who gets his kicks by spraying controllers with shaving cream, a mar-faced "suit" who seems to pull someone’s leg it in recompense Bulcsú and a rival gang of controllers who like to beat the living daylights not at home of our boys.

There is not a single narrative fibre. Mostly we surveillance our boys going through the motions of a asinine job in the most squalid of environments. There is the issue of the increasing number of supposed suicides that may not be self-inflicted, and the fact that Bulcsú may be more than he lets on.

As a group of episodes, the silent picture keeps our portion not by linear plot, but by finely pinched characterizations. Not anyone of these controllers is apt to to be forgotten right away.

Reach the reporter at (602) 444-8823.

Bulcsu is at home in the subway, sleeping in stations, eating from vending machines.

Okay *** Spoilt **Bomb *

 featured