Goethe! / Young Goethe in Love (Germany, 2010)

One challenge of living in the US is that good European films don’t always reach me. That must be how I missed this lush German romantic period piece, with one of my favorite actors Moritz Bleibtreu. He is not the Goethe, but he and the other characters play well together. The move inspired me to read more about Goethe’s life, and I found that this dramatized version was mostly based on true events. My sociological training also picked up subthemes, beyond the restricted genius trying to break free. As usual for the era, marriage is treated as an economic and social contract rather than an expression of personal desire, which is the main problem for the young lovers. Or to put it another way, focusing on gender inequality: for women, marriage must be an economic security, caretaking as a duty, and limited autonomy in choosing partners. The depiction of the law firm, where Goteher and his friends worked, with its clear rules and hierarchy, has shown us how emerging modern institutions disciplined young men into conformity. So plenty to think about beyond the rich production and vivid characters.

The Last Boat (Hungary, 1990)

A month before the famed Hungarian director, Béla Tarr, passed away, someone posted on YouTube a half-hour-long short film of his from 1990. I was fortunate enough to see it before it was taken down because of copyright issues. If you had a chance to watch it, you know that it’s about the last boat leaving from a desolate Budapest. (I cannot avoid comparing it to the weird experience that I was on the last train in 1989 that left East Berlin before the GDR closed its borders, forbidding  East Germans to leave their country.) You will find Tarr’s slow, symbolic signature shots and repetitive editing here mesmerizing as always. Its focus on society in limbo perfectly reflects the era in which it was made, the year Hungary’s uncertain shift from communism to capitalism exploded. It made existential unease tangible. You could also consider the context in which the film was made. Part of the City Life project: “a visual anthology of twelve short stories by twelve innovative directors from all over the world.” (I wrote a different kind of review of the film right after I saw it.)

UFO Sweden / Watch the Skies (Sweden, 2022)

I never got into Stranger Things, despite it being a cultural phenomenon. It was too horrific for my taste. But I am not prone to 80’s nostalgia, after all, I was a teenager in that decade, absorbing contemporary pop culture in my formative years. This movie provides plenty to satisfy my 80’s need, but in a more subtle way than the bombastic US ways. Or maybe I know less of how Sweden was in the 1980’s, although I visited there 2 or 3 times in that decade. What else does the movie have to offer: An underhanded, mysterious sci-fi combined with a coming-of-age story. The teenage protagonist is not the only one who experiences grief, abandonment, and the human need for meaning. Her search for her father parallels the group’s search for signs in the sky: both quests are attempts to impose coherence on chaos. The film is also about resistance. Resisting to accept official narrative. It uses UFO mythology as a metaphor for this refusal. Or you could watch it as a light, fun, and redemptive sci-fi.

The Water Horse (UK, 2007)

I would watch Emily Watson, a superb actress in anything. In this delightful family fantasy set in 1942’s Scotland, she once again supported the cast of children and soldiers with fabulous acting. The titular role was a tamed-down, CGI version of “Kelpie”, which in traditional Scottish mythology is a terrifying monster. Here, this being a kid movie, starts as a cute little pet, and while it develops into a huge and powerful creature, but … No, I will not spoil the movie fully for you. Just enjoy the ride and internalize its lesson that true care sometimes means releasing what we love, even when it’s painful. 

Yi pi bai ma de re meng / To Kill a Mongolian Horse (Malaysia, 2024)

I thought I was watching a Mongolian movie, but when I checked, I learned I was somewhat wrong. It was shot in Inner Mongolia, China. It was directed Jiang Xiaoxuan, a native of the region, and the film was mostly in Mongolian with some Mandarin. IMDB lists Malaysia as the first of seven countries of origin, so I suspect it was at least partially funded by Malaysian money. None of that matters. Instead, just immerse yourself in the harsh, wintry, and desolate landscapes of the grasslands as the film captures the traditional, yet disappearing, lifestyle of local herdsmen and horseback performers. From the truly hypnotic opening scene through the increasingly harsh reality, it is a journey you can enjoy as a spectator while also feeling the pain in the protagonists’ decisions and relationships. The female writer-director did not shy away from exploring the themes of changing masculinity and identity. The obvious association, given the title, is the 1969 drama “They Shoot Horses, Don’t They?”. My more obscure, personal association is to “Élő kövek/Living Stones”, a Hungarian short film I saw right about the same time. The relation to a horse also plays a pivotal role there, as does the question of identity. No other connections, though. Meanwhile, we can all relate to the issue in this fast-paced modern world, where we are caught between old and new worlds, and we often have to navigate loss, duty, and identity with no easy answers.

The post Films viewed in November 2025 appeared first on PGabor.

Et si on vivait tous ensemble? / All Together (France, 2011)

I picked this movie to watch (from the always overwhelming options) because of two actors whose work I really like: Jane Fonda and Daniel Brühl. They did not disappoint, but neither did the other stars I was familiar with: Geraldine Chaplin and Pierre Richard. It is a sweet and funny movie about how communication (and miscommunication) drives both escalation and resolution between people in the same and different generations living together. Its focus is less on logistics and more on emotions, particularly about the importance of patience, compromise, and belonging. 

De grønne slagtere / The Green Butchers (Denmark, 2003)

I don’t know how I missed this movie when it came out. It is right up my alley: a dark comedy with an absurd premise, not too horroristic execution, starring Mads Mikkelsen, reaching cult status with plenty of social commentary undertones. These include what defines a “normal” workspace, the pressure to keep up with coworkers and competitors, and contrasting vegetarianism with cannibalism.  These are represented by two roles, played by the same actor, Nikolaj Lie Kaas, as twin brothers. Both are damaged characters striving to break free of their limitations. Painfully hilarious and mocking small-town society.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (UK, 2018)

History, books, period dramas – three from my favorite topics combined with a great dosage of romanticism in this movie. History: I knew very little of the Channel Islands and their history, but now I do a bit more. This delightful film whetted my appetite to learn more, so I’ve read quite a bit about it since then. Books: Books can play many roles in films, but this was a novelty in multiple ways. Not surprised to learn that the film is based on a best-selling book itself, while it builds around a by-now almost forgotten bestseller from the 19th century: Charles Lamb’s Essays of Elia. Furthermore, the acts of writing a book, reading it aloud, and connecting it to a small community are also key elements in the plot. And I just adore the aesthetics of postwar material culture, which was well presented here. These are just the romantic plot’s settings, which are progressing nicely. Its predictability did not bother me at all, as there were so many other parts to love. 

Gut Nuiuseu / Good News (South Korea, 2025)

I don’t remember the last time I laughed so hard or for so long as during this movie. It is like a twisted, exaggerated version of Goodbye Lenin with an unusual sense of humor.  Can you imagine the potential for hilarity from the premise: 1970. Japanese communist terrorists hijack a plane full of passengers. Their demand: go to North Korea. They were told OK, but were sent to a South Korean airport masquerading as a North Korean one. This is an almost true story, while the outlandish characters in the movie are less so. But it is a truly and utterly enjoyable weird re-interpretation of the events. So much fun, satire, and suspense while ridiculing bureaucracy, geopolitical pressure, and small cell infighting.

Salt of the Earth (USA, 1954)

WOW: In an era of ever-lighter and ever-meaningless movies, created solely as vehicles of escapism and entertainment, a movie that is heavy, important, and real. Shows how and why the social struggle is turning into a physical one. It did not even start as a social movement; it was simply about money, justice, and rights. Being brought up in a late-stage communist country, I experienced attempts of state-induced indoctrination, but by then it was a weak copy itself. Nevertheless, the Marxist idea of seeing history as a series of class struggles got so ingrained in me that I could never fully shed it. It may even have something to do with the fact that I studied sociology. I also saw plenty of Italian neorealist cinema. But I have never seen an American movie like this. I will not rehash the story behind the story, but please read it on Wikipedia or in James J. Lorence’s book “The Suppression of Salt of the Earth: How Hollywood, Big Labor, and Politicians Blacklisted a Movie in Cold War America.” The book’s title gives away why I am suggesting that you read the story. Back to the movie: I was shocked, angered, and in awe for a long time after watching it and reading its background. The–or an–injustice broke through my veil of everyday complacency. Yes, I am aware that this film is also propaganda. But it is effective if you let it. I did. Give it a try too. OK, enough vagueposting, here is the basic summary from IMDB: “Mexican workers at a zinc mine call a general strike. It is only through the solidarity of the workers, and importantly, the indomitable resolve of their wives, mothers, and daughters, that they eventually triumph.”

The post Films viewed in October 2025 appeared first on PGabor.

7 Prisioneiros / 7 Prisoners (Brazil, 2021)

The premise of this drama is harrowing: a young man from a poor rural family moves to a big city for a promised economic opportunity and finds himself essentially as a slave/indentured servant in a scrap metal business. What makes the film effective is not just the meticulously depicted details of the physical and mental hardship of being trapped in a situation. However, for me, having watched so many Hollywood movies with redemptive endings, the character development’s surprising arc was the most brutal to accept. Makes one wonder about human nature and idealistic expectations.

Het Boek van Alle Dingen / The Book of Everything (Netherlands, 2024)

Fear is real. Overcoming it is hard. Particularly if you don’t have many positive experiences, what happens when you do? So is the case of a nine-year-old boy who lives with his family, including his tyrannical father, whose puritanical religious devotion is in overdrive. The father takes the idea of ruling his family with a firm hand too far. Fortunately, the boy has almost four things helping him: a friendly, helpful, and engaging Jesus figure, a similarly inclined witch living nearby, and the pretty and interesting new girl moving into the neighborhood. The fourth is the most important in helping him stand up to his father: his imagination. Despite the few cruel scenes, it is a charming coming-of-age movie with some innovative visual ideas and great acting.

Myth of Man (USA, 2025)

Like many, I had a phase when I adored the aesthetics of steampunk style. If you like it, and I still do, there is a lot for you in this unusual movie. During the first half of the film, my jaw kept dropping at what I saw, and my head kept spinning as I tried to figure out what was going on. And I mean these in a good way. The aural experience—i.e. no comprehensible spoken words but a montage of sound is present throughout–also added to the unique ambiance. Then there was the issue of vaguely familiar street backgrounds. I had to check: yes, a lot of it was shot in Budapest, where I grew up. But the five years of post/production made it barely recognizable. The end result: it became my new favorite movie, and now I am on the hunt to check out the mother movies of its creator, Jamin Winans. 

Nandauri (Georgia, 2025)

I visited Georgia, the country, in 2011, both in rural and urban areas. This surely and heavily influenced how this film affected me. On one hand, there is the slowly unfolding story of who the characters are, what their relation to each other is, and why they are doing what they are doing. That in itself is worthy of your attention; “that” being the answers to these questions, but also the process of how they are being shared with the viewer. It is a great story with complex people and no easy answers to the moral questions it raises. On the other hand, it is also a visceral depiction of the Georgian countryside, its people, their hospitality, customs, foods, and drinks. Having a personal peek into it made me reminisce. It is such an honest country that even if you don’t like something there, you appreciate how it comes across.

Tmunat Hanitzahon / Image of Victory (Israel, 2021)

Key bullet points about this film

• At the time, it was the most expensive Israeli film. Money well spent as it turned out to be a stunning anti-war war movie.
• It is based on a true story. The individuals and their interpersonal relationships did not necessarily exist, but the major plotline is historically accurate.
• It shows both sides of Israel’s conflict with Egypt with details; neither side is just good or bad, and both suffer trauma
• Spoiler: The title refers to the smile of the protagonist right before she is executed. It is an all-knowing smirk with a whole lot of stories and a huge personality behind it. The title also refers to the propaganda reel that Egyptians ruler demanded and showed a false narrative of an unnecessary line of events that may be effective to nurture their national spirit

The post Films viewed in September 2025 appeared first on PGabor.

L’amant de cinq jours / Five Day Lover (France, 1961)

Watching this 80-year-old French movie is not just a trip in time to and place, but also into a different culture and social attitude.  We are all performing personal balancing acts between the rules that govern our interpersonal relationships, aka social constructs and (breaking through or lack of) individual boundaries. This seemingly light flick allowed me to peek into a society with a different set of explicit and tacit rules about fidelity. But it is not as light as it seems as the major players here are trapped in their own pretenses and mutually set up illusions. Their choices may be subconscious, but maintaining the resulting love triangle is not, and it reaches the breaking point. There is an ever-increasing emotional frustration due to the impossibility of maintaining the illusion forever. This follows disillusionment as each character sees their fantasy cruelly turn against them.

Das Lehrerzimmer / The Teachers’ Lounge (Germany, 2023)

How important is the question of “goodness”? Nowadays, it often seems to be receding. Not so in this film, where its depth is explored. Context matters, though: the answer differs depending on whether it concerns intention, common sense, or personality. The teacher’s intentions are good in absolute terms, at least from her perspective. This is the increasingly disturbing vantage point of the movie throughout. But then she breaks a rule she wasn’t aware of. She may not have been aware of it because of her naiveté or “othered” cultural background. Either way, she and we get a lesson in “the road to hell is paved with good intentions”. Does it mean we should not strive for the common good? No, just need to be careful, even more delicate about it, and acknowledge our own post-modern fallibility that multiple and parallel truths are possible. It is a hard movie to watch for the morally sensitive people. But absolutely worth it as it is a real movie in the best sense of the word.

The Penguin Lessons (Spain, 2024)

I have seen several movies with Steve Coogan that I could not stand him in. I found him annoying and pompous. These very qualities made him charming in this film. The way he manages to overcome his personal tragic backstory and cynicism and start to care about something else. Something bigger and smaller than himself or his own survival is a well-played human story. First, he cares for a bird after a magical zero-night stand. Then he cares for a young woman who has disappeared, whose story becomes an entry point into an important lesson in Argentinian history.  Meanwhile, he begins to care for his students, and the feeling is mutual.  He even cares for his perceived enemy/principal, played by the always excellent Jonathan Pryce. With all this caring, I ended up caring for the movie too. It is funny, warm, tragic, and optimistic, and it is really based on a true story.

Pop Aye (Thailand, 2017)

The clichéd solution for an upper-class man’s midlife crisis in the US is to buy a sports car. Here we have Thana, whose marriage is failing, who is being ousted from the firm he founded, and whose first building as an architect is being demolished. Instead of shifting into high gear, he gets into no-gear by buying the elephant, who was his only childhood friend. The two of them go on a road trip, where, as usual, they encounter quirky characters, build new relationships, and have positive and scary adventures. During the process, he has a chance for spiritual reawakening and to reground himself. I acknowledge that part of the movie’s charm for me was its “exotic” nature, meaning a window onto the (for me) unknown Thai culture, people, and customs. But really, it is a peaceful and deep movie about what is important in life, how to find and fight for it. As it is sprinkled with universally valuable lesson,s I would say go for it. 

This Beautiful Fantastic (UK, 2016)

I am not impartial: any movie where a library is part of the plot, and not just the setting, draws me in. Here, the protagonist is an assistant librarian with OCD, a rather useful trait in this position. I am saying that as someone who appreciates order. She eventually and only to some extent overcomes this condition’s limitations and her other fears. It is an “oddball” romantic comedy disguised as an unrealistic fairy tale. It is unrealistic because it requires the viewer to suspend disbelief about almost everything. I was happy to do so, because it has quirky, idiosyncratic, and likeable characters, an upbeat yet melancholic ambience, plenty of memorable one-liners and quips, and a redemptive positive ending. This and the enchanting, enchanted garden are enough to make it a memorable movie, even if it is far from perfect.

The post Films viewed in August 2025 appeared first on PGabor.

My first set of reactions would not yield to a coherent review. The three ideas below are associations based on my memories of the era and are utterly subjective. Or you can also take them as a cultural context for the film for those from a different background.

1990 was a cataclysmic year in Hungary, politically and culturally. One of the big dilemmas was what to do with the perpetrators and members of the informant network and secret police working for the system that was falling apart. Many victims and society in general demanded “átvilagitás”: a systemic check and an unveiling of who they were, and some form of consequence for what they did. This word is also used for the X-ray screening of baggage at airports. During the minute-long shot from 15:14, we see the innards of suitcases as they are being screened. These are the belongings of the people who are boarding the boat. Not being trained as an airport technician, I did not recognize too many of the objects exposed by the machines. That is precisely why this process and visual is such a great metaphor of the times. If you attempt to screen through the past, you may not even recognize what you uncover. The fact that “Truth and Reconciliation” never happened in Hungary is one of the heaviest burdens the whole society, all sides, are still carrying. 

Starting at 19:25, someone recites a poem. He sounds like he is in pain and looks like he is doing as if doing butoh-inspired movements. The poem itself is not a poem. It is the lyrics from one of the most prominent Hungarian underground bands of the early 1980s, Kontroll Csoport (Control Group). And the performer in the movie is László Kistamás, who originally sang the song with the band. However, that was only a cover version, performed by Hédi Zsolnay in the 1950s; listen to it here. And at the end of the rabbit hole is Jacques Prévert, who wrote the original poem in French, “Je suis comme, je suis.” If you pay attention to the words, it is about a celebration of living freely, without shame or constraint. Which is ironic, considering that when Kistamás sang it with his band, living freely was just a dream for many under Communist Hungary, and that in the movie, his space and movements are heavily constrained, confined to the belly of a boat.

There is a scene in the film, starting at 21:53, in which a barber interacts with a customer and delivers a monologue in which he threatens the customer verbally. One of the actors in the movie is Miklós B. Székely, who was part of Studio K., a theater group founded in the 1970s that performed Woyzeck by Georg Büchner. In their renditions of Woyczek, there was a central scene where a barber, played by Székely, shaved a customer. That powerful scene has haunted me since childhood when I saw it live. In this movie, Székely is not in the barber scene; nevertheless, it triggered me. The atmosphere is menacing in both, though in different ways.

What a watershed moment! People entering a vessel, leaving behind the known and moving towards the unknown. The desperation and misery of the past, the anxiety and anticipation of the future, the painful transition. Destination unknown, with hesitant hope barely present.

P.s. The movie was born as part of the “City Life” project. To quote their credo: ” [It] is a visual anthology of twelve short stories by twelve innovative directors from all over the world. In each contribution, each filmmaker presents their personal view of these cities they know so well. In this way, an inside view of the political, cultural, and social changes in the cities of the world of the 1990s is provided.” Read more about it on its site: citylifefilm.com

The post Review of “The Last Boat” (Hungary, 1990) by Béla Tarr (and you can watch it here too) appeared first on PGabor.

The Annihilation of Fish (USA, 1999)

I was blown away by the performances of James Earl Jones and Lynn Redgrave (Vanessa’s sister, but a fine actress in her own right). It is a tragic comedy, heavily layered with symbolism and issues. Complex characters, with mental differences, playing against and with each other, in unusual situations created by their conditions and obliviousness to the world around them. Topics handled include a love story, loneliness, lunacy – all around weirdness, set mostly in San Francisco. I like weird, but it may not be for everybody.

Esau (Israel, 2019)

On one hand, this movie is a retelling of the biblical story of two brothers, Esau and Jacob. But it is so much more:

• A love triangle
• An artisanal food show
• An intimate depiction of class struggle – blue vs white color ethos and prejudices
• A sociology lesson – Russian immigrants in Israel and an Israeli immigrant in the US

All of these played superbly by well-known actors (Lior Ashkenazi, Harvey Keitel, Shira Haas) and lesser-known ones, including the Russian Ksenia Rappoport, whom I recently saw in The Prague Orgy.

Four Good Days (USA, 2020)

I knew when this movie came out that I wanted to watch it, but I also knew that it would be hard on me. It is the tension and destruction of human connection that is hard to watch when one hits bottom, struggling with drug addiction. Sure enough, I was emotionally exhausted by the end. Thank you, Mila Kunis and Glenn Close. You two are just too good. The best movie on the topic. (I wrote the same thing about The Outrun a few months ago, but that was a solitary journey, while here the trust and the relationship are what get tested. Different animals.)

My Old Lady (UK, 2014)

It might be getting boring, but again, this movie is carried by the three star actors: Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, and Maggie Smith. After watching this dramedy, I checked, and yes, it is based on a play. Being set in and around a house, with the action mostly consisting of dialogue between the characters, it was not a difficult guess. But what a house, and what words, and what a built-in tension created because of the existence of the viager (an agreement where a property seller is allowed to remain in their house or apartment for life, in exchange for a lump sum and regular payments from the buyer). This was once a common option in Hungary as well, where a clear conflict of interest exists between the parties and their obligations. Here, at least, we have a sort of happy ending, although there are other mysteries that need to be addressed.

Un Mariage sans fin / An Endless Wedding (France, 2025)

I am so tired of the shiny and formulaic Netflix comedies that I wanted to bring a bit of fresh air and something new. A French comedy, set in Morocco, that is also shiny, yet in a different, more human/less artificial way. The story is rather similar to that of the movie “Palm Springs”: two people in a time loop of an endlessly repeating day are drawn to each other and eventually form a connection. Situational comedy, of one scene after the other. Pure simple fun – if that’s what you expect, that’s what you get.

The post Films viewed in July 2025 appeared first on PGabor.

Атлантида / Atlantis (Ukraine, 2019)

I had to keep rechecking when this Ukrainian movie was made. The answer stayed 2019, despite the distinct feeling that it must have been after February 2022. It is set in an imagined future a few year (in the distant 2025) after the war with Russia ended with Ukraine’s victory. So it was created even before it started. If you don’t count the Russian’s grab of Crimea and clandestine war from 2014. (You should though as it is the real war.) Strongest movie I have seen about PTSD and isolation. Very different from the American movies, where the soldier suffering from PTSD has conflict with the family, support system, or society in general. Here the conflict stays inside him and rarely breaks through the surface. The process that may bring some healing for him involves a human connection, but mostly exhuming and inventorying victims of the war. This devoted action makes his life somewhat meaningful. The movie consist only of longshots, so be prepared for the slow, hypnotic rhythm of bleak, ravaged landscapes.

Prazské orgie / The Prague Orgy (Czech Republic, 2019)

I admit I am not a Philip Roth fan maybe I am just too prudish to be able to enjoy his books. I found enough to connect with though in the movie made from his book. The absurd cruelty of communist secret police; the intricate infighting of intelligentsia, the constants need for moral balancing, the cluelessness of an American fish out of water, the handling of hopelessness with humor and so many other familiar topics create the ambience that I don’t miss but enjoy the reminder of with a guilty astounded pleasure.

Le Règne Animal / The Animal Kingdom (France, 2023)

Finally a movie about mutants, with a different outcome that the lore usually requires. I value originality and humanity and this one had both. I don’t want to spoil the end, so all I want to say that love between family members proves to be stronger, not just hate between strangers, but also duty prescribed by insensible authorities. It is not exactly a feel-good-movie as it does not follow the formulaic happy end, but it made me happy. As long as you can expect uncertain future where nature and humans have a chance, even if it is unusual, you could feel happy to for this fictional future.

Der schweigende Stern / First Spaceship on Venus (East Germany & Poland, 1960)

The very first Eastern European big budget sci-fi film. An international cooperation not just between East Germany and Poland, but also showcasing more dozen nations. Based on the Stanislaw Lem book, The Astronauts. The German titled would translate to The Silent Star, but for the West it was marketed under the sexier First Spaceship on Venus title. What else should I say about this movie, before divulging that some of it did not age well. The story is intelligent and interesting with non-humanoid aliens, but the politics transpiring through it is dated. The purposefully international cast is almost a farce, clearly shows the ideals of united workers proletariat. The cigar smoking, individualistic American is painted not as bad as it could have been, but still not the hero like his eastern counterparts. Still, it is a first and better than one would expect. So many hardliner movies came after this that this silent start is refreshing.

Woman in Gold (UK, 2015)

Some movies I feel I have to watch as part of my duties to my site dedicated to Jewish Films. I feel this way mostly the ones that are played at many festivals. Then if something is a duty, I can drag my feet about it. Therefore, although I knew that Woman in Gold had a great reputation as a movie, and Leopold museum is one of my favorite museums in Vienna, I rather avoided watching Woman in Gold. Now that I finally saw it, I feel relieved: it did not disappoint. The tension, the storytelling, the knowledge that is it is a true story are all crucial for making it a great movie. However, so is the cast. I don’t have to introduce Helen Mirren and Ryan Reynolds to most movie goers. The other actors are also getting quite familiar, including Daniel Brühl from Goodbye Lenin, Tatiana Maslany from Orphan Black; not to mention Jonathan Pryce, Moritz Bleibtreu and Tom Schilling.

The list of films watched

The post Films viewed in June 2025 appeared first on PGabor.

და ჩვენ ვიცეკვეთ / And Then We Danced (Georgia, 2019)

It would be a cheap move to call this the best Georgian gay ballet movie, as the field is probably not too crowded. It is an excellent movie in its own right, regardless of the label we put on it or the box we put it in. You may call it a coming-of-age movie as it is clearly about the development of a young adult man and the discovery and self-acceptance of who he is. Not an easy job against the backdrop of the conservative culture of the country, living in the shadow of and struggling with not stepping into the footsteps of his father, and attempting to find the balance between modernity and folk traditions. As I have spent some enjoyable times in Tbilisi, seeing those lovely places and people holds a special place in my heart.

Ema a smrtihlav / The Hungarian Dressmaker (Slovakia, 2024)

Warning: a tough movie to watch, see below, but still do so:

• Subdued color palette: almost at the grey end of greyscale
• Mixed, multilayered motivations: heroes and villains are not born that way, but develop in context. In one situation, they do good, and in another, they do the opposite. Internal conflict of interest in a lot of crucial and crushing scenes.
• Four or five languages are spoken, often in the same scene. I loved this obvious and accurate presentation of post-monarchy multiculturalism, but it was not easy on the ear.
• The horrors of war and its perpetrators are not covered up by shy film conventions.
• No redemption at the end.

Hector and the Search for Happiness (UK, 2014)

A fun movie to watch if you disregard the white savior aspect, or the meek inherit the world, poor knows the key to happiness, or the unlikely premise that one can just pack up and go for an indefinite length world tour. If none of this bothers you (and it barely did me), then you will enjoy the bullet points that our traveling seeker gathers. Here are the first three. There are 12 more points, but for them, check out the movie.

1. Making comparisons can spoil your happiness.
2. A lot of people think happiness means being richer or more important.
3. Many people only see happiness in their future.

The Lost Okoroshi (Nigeria, 2019)

To remedy that, I don’t watch a lot of movies from Africa, I jumped on this Nigerian, Jungian gem. It has a followable storyline, but also incorporates plenty of surreal elements that prompt you to ponder what it’s really about. Fortunately, it also features an expert who researches the very topic of the movie: how archetypes and ancestral influences are incorporated and manifested in modern life when people move away from traditional lifestyles. The answers presented are not simple, but I can assure you that they are all about relationships.

Valerie a týden divu / Valerie and Her Week of Wonders (Czechoslovakia, 1970)

I wonder what it reveals about my psyche that, besides a Jungian film (The Lost Okoroshi), I also selected a Freudian film among my top five for the month. It is a Freudian about the awakening of a (very) young woman. Symbolic drop of blood at the onset of womanhood, lover boy who may be her brother, aggressive seductive step (or real?) father, dream sequences… Freud’s notions are ever-present here. This film could not have been made in today’s environment, and I’m unsure whether that is a good thing or not. The main character is played by a 12-year-old girl, whose innocence is mixed with sexualization. I don’t think of it as exploitative, but I am also keenly aware that she was in no position / of age to give consent. The film remains beautiful, even if I admit to not being able to decipher all the symbols.

The list of films watched

The post Films viewed in May 2025 appeared first on PGabor.

Cultural artifacts are the products of their era and area. It is not a coincidence that both films were released in 2021. This means the filmmakers likely began working on them during the height of the pandemic. I suspect that the uncertainty of the future and the feeling that this might be the end of the world heavily inspired the creative process. COVID was a sudden, shocking event with global consequences. So is an asteroid hitting our planet. Both require extensive processing, albeit one of them is fictional and results in a faster collapse than the other. For months/years, it seemed to many that COVID also would bring global societal collapse. Then it didn’t. Despite that, I remain of the opinion that human history is inching towards a slow collapse. For science fiction writers and filmmakers, it is more interesting to write about or make movies with dramatic, sudden endings. Its dramas are more pointed, and it provides simpler closure than handling a slow devolving policrisis we are really facing.

The differences between the two movies are like day and night. Literally. One of them is shot entirely during the day in sunny Los Angeles, while the other is almost entirely indoors, with the majority of scenes taking place in evening or nighttime settings. The lighter one is a comedy. A comedy set on the day before the world ends; nevertheless, none of the characters are taking it tragically, despite the sudden closure of humankind. Instead, they are mostly just looking for closures with a fellow being or two. It is a deliberate reflection of the self-focused delusions of LA culture. They are all individualistic to the not-so-bitter end.

The Russian movie reflects the traditional concept that the entire nation has a dark soul. The individuals are also full of needs and desires, but they sort out their issues not through archetypal chats, but by brute force. The only closure worth having for a problem is the killing of its source. It is darker than a dark comedy. Nobody is pure here. However, all characters possess positive characteristics, even if they are not strong enough to be truly redeeming. I would not go so far as to say that they are embedding a more communal spirit than their American counterparts, but their connection to the surrounding society definitely plays a more central role in their actions.

One can drive the differences between the movies by comparing what happens when a car gets stolen, which is a minor plot element in both. In Asterrarium, one of the brothers steals a car that is nicer than the one he was driving. The reason he wants to show it off and brag about it at the last (family) supper. He does, but eventually he blurts it out that it is not his and that he killed the family that owned it, including the children. Lack of morality and misguided motivation at its worst. In How it Ends, it doesn’t even matter why the car was originally stolen. What the films spend more time on is how the thief is spending his last day on earth trying to give it back to the person from whom he stole it. The socially prescribed and practiced guilt results in shy, appropriate, and extended action.

I enjoyed Asterrium for the dynamics between the characters and the dark depths of their inner lives. The material culture presented was also a fabulous trip down a faded memory lane I never had. How It Ends was a much fluffier and more fun experience, with the incessant Jungian talk to one’s younger self. Are they the best ever movies? No. Do I recommend both movies? Sure, I liked both of them more than most movies. Do I recommend both of them to everyone? Definitely not. Requires a different kind of taste, and I doubt that many people would enjoy both. Unless you are like me, a film consumer who casts a wide net in the sea of genres and countries when selecting movies to watch. 

How It Ends on DVD, PrimeVideo, IMDB, Tubi. Its trailer:

Asterrarium on IMDB. Its trailer:

P.s. Check out the screenshot with Olivia Wilde in the wine-in-films series on my other site.

The post Cosmic Collisions: How It Ends vs. Asterrarium and the Art of Dying Differently appeared first on PGabor.

Mundo grúa / Crane World (Argentine, 1999)

This 25-year-old, award-winning movie, about a working-class man struggling to stay afloat, is very much in the vein of 1940s Italian neorealistic movies. It is black white, although it is even more grainy. Unlike the Italian ones though it has zero bitterness, the main characeter except his place in society, likes to reminescene about the gory days when he was a somewhat famous musicians, but focuses all hsi energies to make enough money to live What uis left is barely enough for handling his 20 year old son, initiate a romantic relation or stay in touch with his friends. The movie is sad and powerful. He is neither.

Безславні кріпаки / Once Upon a Time in Ukraine (Ukraine, 2020)

A fun mix of a samurai movie and a folk hero story, made in the style of and home to Tarantino. If you are unfamiliar with Ukrainian history, it is worthwhile to research the figures this movie fictionalizes to an extreme. Or at least Taras Shevchenko.

Ik ben geen robot / I’m Not a Robot (Netherlands, 2023)

The good news is that you can watch this Oscar-winning short drama for free online here. The bad news is that it might leave you uncomfortable in two ways. It is pushing the question on the limits of free will, and the little captchas online, where you have to prove you are not a robot, will annoy you even more in the future.

Good Morning, Miss Dove (USA, 1955)

Being the son of a teacher who taught (and was loved by) thousands of students, I could very much relate to the situation of the small town teacher whose students, one by one, come to her sickbed and recall parts of her life and story. Her public image and self-image change by the end of the movie. For the better. However, the movie is also filled with lines that do not conform to current social standards. I believe it was progressive for its time. I still felt the cringe, though, during the class visit to the Jewish family.

Futni mentem / Gone Running (Hungary, 2024)

I finally watched the light comedy that was the blockbuster last summer in Hungary. Light escapist entertainment with only slight touches to reality. Now I can report that I filled a hole in my pop culture knowledge.

The list of films watched

The post Films viewed in April 2025 appeared first on PGabor.