There was a lot of hype around this film last year, which is not surprising, given the fact that not many film-makers tackle these days present-day politics in Hungary.
The basic premise is a bit implausible, which detracts from the story. I get it that the creators wanted to show how a minor thing can get blown up in today's political climate, but still, it makes the whole story feel a bit insignificant. Also, even though there are some funny/satirical moments, all in all, this is neither a comedy, nor a drama.
It can be felt clearly that the creators wanted to avoid vilifying either side (right-wing conservatives or left-wing liberals), but as a result of this, the film feels too cautious. Having said that, there are some effective scenes showing how deep political divisions run now in the country. I also liked the ambitious right-wing female journalist character, although her portrayal could have been more complex.
Even though the main character conveys very effectively what an awkward time adolescence can feel to a lot of 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 adolescent characters.
The most complex character in the movie is probably the right-wing father, and I liked István Znamenák's performance. It is interesting that in the early 1980's, this actor played the teenage protagonist in Hungarian cult movie Time Stands Still (Megáll az ido), a film with plenty of memorable teenage characters.
The basic premise is a bit implausible, which detracts from the story. I get it that the creators wanted to show how a minor thing can get blown up in today's political climate, but still, it makes the whole story feel a bit insignificant. Also, even though there are some funny/satirical moments, all in all, this is neither a comedy, nor a drama.
It can be felt clearly that the creators wanted to avoid vilifying either side (right-wing conservatives or left-wing liberals), but as a result of this, the film feels too cautious. Having said that, there are some effective scenes showing how deep political divisions run now in the country. I also liked the ambitious right-wing female journalist character, although her portrayal could have been more complex.
Even though the main character conveys very effectively what an awkward time adolescence can feel to a lot of 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 adolescent characters.
The most complex character in the movie is probably the right-wing father, and I liked István Znamenák's performance. It is interesting that in the early 1980's, this actor played the teenage protagonist in Hungarian cult movie Time Stands Still (Megáll az ido), a film with plenty of memorable teenage characters.