Today I'm back with another movie review, that unfortunately may not be for everyone yet, but this movie is one of the best among the Hungarian movies and one of my favorites, so I'm leaving a digital mark on the blockchain about it. The reason I said it may not be for everyone is that it's a Hungarian movie and I don't know of any existing English dubbing, but it seems there's English subtitle available.
Miklós Fenyő's parents returned to Communist Hungary in the mid sixties - when everyone else was fleeing to the West. For young Miki, arriving from America sporting a Hawaiian shirt, a perfect quiff and a rebellious streak, life under dictatorship was going to be tough. Miki's old friends don't know what to make of his outrageous clothes, flawless American accent and collection of original Buddy Holly 45s. His childhood sweetheart is cold and distant while local tough guy Röné is unmoved by the challenger to his rock 'n' roll crown. But that's not all. When the authorities see the effect Miki's gyrating hips and lewd music have on teenage girls, they won't stand for it. His father's job is on the line, and, for the first time, Miki must play by the rules. He has no choice but to enter the local talent show - and the rest is rock 'n' roll history.
This is the storyline, but this is not all, there's more to it. The movie is following real events to some extent, but in fact, in plain English, it is a big middle finger to the old, communist regime. Obviously this movie could not be made during the communism, so it had to be made after the regime change and 10 years was needed for this amazing movie to be made.
Miklós Fenyő is not just a respected name in the Hungarian music history, he's a legend in every sense of the word and when you think of rock 'n' roll in Hungary, his name is the first to mention. Unfortunately he's not among us anymore as he passed away in January this year.
As the storyline says, the story is from the mid sixties. I was born way later, so I only know about those times from my parents. Life was not easy back then, the 1956 Revolution was crushed, many people fled to the United States, to escape the brutal persecution and life that followed.
For some reason, Miklós Fenyő's parents decided to relocate back to Hungary and for Miki, after experiencing what freedom means for a teenager, coming back to a country where freedom was just a word in the dictionary, life was really difficult. The communist regime did everything to suppress gatherings, everything that was new and may have had a revolutionary effect and tried to brainwash the youth and shove the communist ideology down their throats.
As I said, the whole movie is a big middle finger to the communist regime and the writers make sure to make it hilarious. Miklós Fenyő was one of the writers by the way.
The whole movie is a comedy and although I'm not a huge fan of comedies as you rarely find a good one, that is not low IQ movie, I must admit, I've rarely laughed this much. I've sen the movie several times and never get bored of it. Ok, so let's get on with the review.
Szabó Kimmel Tamás had the pleasure to play Miklós Fenyő's role and although I can understand the pressure such a role means, he played it very well, I can't imagine someone else in this role. It required some skills, like singing, dancing and even playing the piano. The other lead actor, Iván Fenyő, who played Miklós Fenyő's rival, Röné, was also exceptional.
The writers made sure to bringing back the 60s vibes. The costumes are entirely from those times. The music was almost entirely, or entirely of Miklós Fenyő's songs. The slang is also from that age and you have to be familiar with it in order to understand and enjoy it.
The script stays close to the real events in Miklós Fenyő's life, but it also grants you a glimpse into what life was back then and what teenagers had to do to fool the authorities and still have some fun. They say where there's will, there's a way, it's a cliche, but it is true and Miki and his friends make the most of it. You can see some funny scenes, like the May Day festival right at the beginning, then the dance at the beach, but also the practice for the talent scout competition. Absolute hilarious.
There are several dance scenes in the movie, one of which has a huge crowd dancing and the best of all in my opinion, so I have to say, they really put in all the effort needed, to get the maximum result.
Important to mention, or better give an explanation regarding the title. Made in Hungaria seems like referring to where the movie or the music was made, which is accurate as both were made in Hungary, but this is not all. In 1967, Miklós Fenyő founded his famous band, called Hungária.
Although it's not an autobiography movie, it still pays tribute to Miklós Fenyő's work and I'm glad it was made during his life and not after.
Rating: 100/100
