Judit Halasz Movies
The fortunes of a family of Hungarian Jews are followed over the course of nearly 150 years in this epic historical drama, with leading man Ralph Fiennes playing three different roles. The story begins in the late 18th century, as Aaron and Josefa Sonnenschein (the name means "Sunshine" in German) die in an explosion while making an herb tonic for sale in their village. Their son Emmanuel (David de Keyser), the only survivor of the tragedy, travels to Budapest, carrying the recipe for the medicine with him. He's able to parlay the formula into a successful business, and Emmanuel and his wife Rose (Miriam Margolyes) raise two sons, Ignatz (Ralph Fiennes), who becomes a successful lawyer, and hot-tempered Gustave (James Frain). The Sonnenscheins also make room in their home for Valerie (Jennifer Ehle), but Emmanuel and Rose become furious when Valerie becomes romantically involved with Ignatz. Eventually, Valerie and Ignatz raise two children, Istvan (Mark Strong) and Adam (Ralph Fiennes), and the family changes its name to Sors in hopes of avoiding the anti-Semitism sweeping Europe. In time, Adam goes so far as to convert to Catholicism, and he marries another Catholic, Hannah (Molly Parker). He soon begins an affair with his brother's wife, Greta (Rachel Weisz), who is unable to persuade Adam to leave as the Nazis rise to power. Adam and Hannah have only one son, Ivan, who is fated to watch his father die in a concentration camp; as Ivan grows to adulthood (now played by Ralph Fiennes), he swears revenge on the forces of fascism and embraces Communism. Ivan throws in his lot with Communist leader Andor Knorr (William Hurt), but a liaison with the wife of a party official (Deborah Kara Unger) leads Ivan to tragic consequences and a jail term. In time, Valarie and Gustave are reunited at the family's estate as the only two members of the Sonnenschein clan who survive to witness the Hungarian Revolution in 1956. Hungarian director Istvan Szabo co-wrote Sunshine's original screenplay in collaboration with American playwright Israel Horovitz. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Starring:
- Ralph Fiennes, Rosemary Harris, (more)
- 1992
In the 1960s, Imre, along with a huge number of his friends, was what was then called a "radical," which is to say, he was either ardently pro-Western or talked about ending the communist regime in Hungary. It is impossible to say whether or not any of them did anything about it. Now they are all middle-class people with mid-life issues. Imre is hosting a party of his old friends at his luxurious home in the resort of Lake Balaton, and he is quite clearly depressed. It would seem that his marriage breaking up would be enough to provoke that mood, but evidently something else is the matter. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- György Cserhalmi, Eva Igo, (more)
- 1989
In this children's musical, a lad just like any other lad (except that he is an alien) lands on Earth in a space ship that's actually an old suitcase with a helicopter blade. He's placed in an orphanage, from which an actress (Judit Halasz) adopts him. There are some sight gags, but the story is chiefly a vehicle for songs and music composed by Janus Brody and sung by Halasz. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Judit Halasz, Dani Szabo, (more)
- 1977
An incompetent school administrator bamboozles a crew of inspectors into thinking that his students are doing okay in this Hungarian comedy. Among his pedagogical inventions is a game called "spider football," in which students, moving along on their backsides, hands and feet, play a highly modified game of soccer. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
- Starring:
- Jozsef Madaras, Judit Halasz, (more)
- 1974
The sad, romantic flavor of pre-World War I Hungary is highlighted in this drama which tells the story of a brief amorous encounter. Poli (Andras Balint) is a young poet working in a bank to make ends meet. He has made it his practice to romance frustrated housewives. However, while waiting for a couple of these mature women, he spies a delightful younger woman and roguishly gives her a kiss. Later, dejected by his seedy lifestyle, he runs into the girl he kissed, a nightclub dancer, and they share a tender evening. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi
Childhood sweethearts are reunited in France after they are separated during the 1956 Russian invasion of Hungary. Jansci (Andras Balint) boards a train bound for Paris to see Kata (Judit Halasz), who fled during the conflict. He recalls his past during the trip as he remembers the dead and the people like Kata who were forced to leave. The two engage in a passionate love affair that joins them after many years and allows them to reckon with their past. They attend a party where more Hungarian expatriates discuss their recollections of the invasion. The two lovers are content to be reunited and heal the wounds of the past. They both end up married to other people but often visit each other in the years to follow in this triumphant story of survival and emotional healing. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andras Balint, Judit Halasz, (more)
- 1968
Esther (Judit Halasz) is a teacher who learns her husband wants out of their marriage. His girlfriend has moved in with the couple in their apartment. Word spreads quickly about the demise of the marriage, and the beautiful Esther is suddenly besieged with potential suitors. She leaves the apartment to be picked up by a man who believes she is a hooker. Once her situation is clarified to the man, the two hit it off and Esther decides to move in with him. Upon her arrival, she discovers the man is already married, and she rejects him. The film deals with the overcrowded living conditions and easy access to divorce that became prevalent in post-World War II Hungary. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Judit Halasz
In The Father (Apa), Hungarian filmmaker Istvan Szabo invests a great deal of poetry and warmth in a story that, in lesser hands, might have become a wallow in bathos. After his father is killed in World War II, a young Hungarian boy named Tako concocts a fantasy image of the parent he never really knew. Convincing himself of his father's unstinting bravery, the boy grows into a man (Andras Balint) who hopes to emulate his dad's heroism. During the 1956 uprising, our hero falls in love with Jewish refugee Anni (Kati Solyom). Apprised of the horrors experienced by Anni's people during the Holocaust, Tako decides to find out whether or not his father was truly the noble warrior he's imagined him to be. It turns out that the father was neither wholly good nor wholly evil, just an average Hungarian hoping to make the best of a difficult world. At long last, Tako is able to divest himself of his father's shadow and become a man on his own terms. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andras Balint, Miklos Gabor, (more)
- 1966
The pettiness of communist bureaucrats are satirically skewered in this Hungarian comedy. A journalist gets in trouble when he is overheard complaining about bureaucrats who refuse to unlock the door to a public restroom. He writes an editorial defending an artist who sculpted a nude statue that was criticized by a Party official. The journalist catches the eye of his editor's sweetheart, but she later dumps him when she can't abide with his duplicity. In spite of his trouble, he manages to get appointed to a key position in the city hierarchy. ~ Dan Pavlides, Rovi
- Starring:
- Laszlo Sinko, Ferenc Bessenyei, (more)
- 1964
The Hungarian Age of Illusions was the first feature-film effort by writer/director Istvan Szabo. Andras Balint plays an electrical engineer who hops from bed to bed, never making any lasting commitment with any one woman. All this changes when he falls in love with a local celebrity whom he sees on television (Ilona Beres). Trouble is, he's never met her; like her other fans, he can assess her only by what he witnesses on the small screen. When he finally does touch base with the girl, he's in for a few surprises-some pleasant, many others not so. Completed in 1965, Age of Illusions was not given widespread distribution until 1967. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Andras Balint, Ilona Beres, (more)
