Since I really loved ‘Saul fia’ (it is easily one of the best movies I have seen during the last 10 years), I was really eager to check László Nemes’s next directorial effort. Well, within a few mins, I immediately recognized his unique directing style. Seriously, where did this guy learn to shoot movies like this? Apparently, at some point, he did enrol in a NY film school but dropped out fairly quickly. Anyway, pretty much like in ‘Saul fia’, everything was filmed so closed to the main character, either in big close-ups or from behind just above her shoulders. This way, you get the feeling that you are following this girl every step of the way and it did create an immediate sense of urgency. Still, after a while, it did get rather suffocating and, to be honest, even exhausting. Furthermore, a huge difference between this movie and its predecessor was that, with ‘Saul fia’, I was actually much more aware about the historical background around this story which wasn’t the case here at all and, as a result, I had a rather hard time to get a good grip on this tale. The fact that it was dealing with one of the most confused and confusing characters I have seen probably didn’t help either. I mean, I won’t blame Juli Jakab, she delivered a very strong performance but her character was equally mesmerizing and frustrating. Seriously, how many times did she simply walk away and completely ignored what everyone around was telling her? At least, the damned thing was certainly unpredictable and its chaotic nature made the whole thing look like a feverish dream which was quite fascinating but also rather frustrating to behold. Anyway, to conclude, even if this movie didn’t completely win me over, there is no doubt that Nemes has delivered here another intriguing movie and it is definitely worth a look, especially if you are interested in this director.
7/10