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HugeReviews.com Reviews:
May Day Mayhem
by Stu Mark
Like Hungarian goulash, Hungarian film is hearty stuff that sticks to
your ribs. And Robert Koltai's latest work, May Day Mayhem, does
indeed fill your plate, yet doesn't leave you feeling too full, just
pleasantly satisfied.
In May Day Mayhem, Robert Koltai stars as the delightfully
mischievous Chocho, a simple man born into complicated times. Set in
post World War II Hungary, May Day Mayhem opens up to show Chocho
as a political prisoner, locked away in a gulag for committing crimes
against the State. Actually, what he did was sing a few songs that were
deemed anti-Communist. However, Chocho is needed, as he is the town's
only hope to properly organize the May Day parade. He's also the only
one who can keep the town's hapless soccer team focused long enough to
win the championship game.
And so we go, following Koltai's Chocho, from one curious
happenstance to another, rooting for Chocho the way we root for Buffalo
in the Super Bowl. Koltai, both as an actor and a director,
insinuates himself so cleverly and yet so gently that we are ashamed
when we lose faith, even for a moment. Unfortunately, we do lose a
bit of faith, as the film lacks a structural perfection necessary to
keep us fully engaged in all the sub-plots. However, Koltai doesn't lose
complete control, and the movie never really suffers. It's just
that the second half lacks the perfection that was evident during the
first half.
Now on to the positives, which are plentiful.
The acting by the principles is excellent, with a few standouts worth
noting. One of them is Adel Kovats, who plays the wife of the
central KGB officer, Lt.-Col. Gubinyi. Kovats is reminiscent of a young
Shirley MacLaine, both in her beauty and in the depth of her acting
performance. Kovats will receive awards for this performance and is
absolutely worth the price of admission.
The writing is also excellent, subtle and charming. In fact there is
one moment of brilliance where Chocho tells a simple story, intent on
being pithy and disarming. Except as it unfolds, the story turns into a
parable for the oppression of the Hungarian people. As the story goes, a
man is at his farmhouse, where his wife is upstairs in labor. However,
out in the barn, there is a fire building. So he has to make a decision:
Does he stay with his wife, to help her give birth? Or does he save the
cows in the barn? When it is over, the baby is born, the barn has burned
down, but the cows are safe. Why did he save the cows? Because,
says Chocho, the cows wouldn't ever leave the barn, and the baby would
come, no matter what else was happening. It is simple to see the
parallel to the heartbreaking events surrounding the innocent victims of
Stalin's reign over Hungary.
Playing at your local art-house, May Day Mayhem is a strong
recommendation. Enjoy it before Communism makes a comeback.
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