As always when traveling to Hungary, I visit the Tesco Hypermarket near by. I don’t have to much good to say about these hypermarkets, as they first of all kill most smaller businesses and secondly kill variety. So also with movies, Tesco has a huge section with DVDs. Perhaps even bigger then some DVD shops, but the selection is more or less limited to (American) blockbusters. Just one small, little shelf with some Hungarian movies on sale.

I ended up buying three movies this time, one older one and two more recent movies. The first one I found was Üveg Tirgris 2 (2006). I just loved the first movie, it’s a classic. I got it recommended from several of my Hungarian friends, and I really understand why. It has achieved a cult status. The sequel is also a nice way to kill an evening, but as always sequels never keep the same level as the first movie. One thing I found sad was that the second movie didn’t have English subtitles as the first one. A few words about the movies is in place I guess, most of both of them are filmed on one small location, in front of a roadside buffet. It’s amazing what situations the 6 loosers manage to get themselves in to!

The second movie I bought was an early film by Dobó Kata

Európa expressz (1999). She made two brilliant appearences in Csak szex és más semmi (2005, blog entry) and Szabadság, szerelem (2006). Európa Expressz was one of her first movies, and it was the first Hungarian action movie after communism, but unfortunately the realisation is somewhat awful. One of the casts also appeared in both Üveg Tigris movies. Another one, Sandor Csanyi, played against Dobó Kata in both Csak szex és más semmi and Szabadság, szerelem. He is most famous for his role in Kontroll (blog entry), and as you might now from my blog, that is one of my favourite movies. What I find special with Európa expressz is that is has a new generation of actors and actresses, that are today the core of Hungarian movie industry.

The last movie that I bought this time, was the Bonnie and Clyde-like movie Konyec (2007). The movie is from the film house Hungaricom, and they were behind Csak szex és más semmi. And surprise, surprise, the actress Schell Judit played again Kata Dobó and Sandor Csanyi in that movie.

Konyec is about an old married couple living in post-communist Hungary. They are happy, but poor. After not being able to pay the bills, Emil decides to stop it all and leaves his council house that is threatened by debt collectors. He drives his old Russian car (a 1958 Chaika GAZ, luxury car of communist party leaders) and leaves to rob – gently and politely – the first post office he comes accross. His next target was gas station, and then we get introduced to the two out-of-town investigators, talented Ági (Schell Judit) and the hot-headed Andor. They try to set a trap for Emil by using Hédi but during the confrontation Hédi runs away with her husband and they set out on a journey that makes them both feel free and gives them the chance to live out everything they dreamed of in their youth. With the police partners after them, they find shelter with an old friend who pulls them into trying something much bigger…

The deeper part of the movie is showing some of the differences between old-age couples and young couples today. A movie worth watching.