Eva Igo 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

Though Hungarian politics play a key role in providing the backdrop for this account of a young woman's life, the real focus is on the long-term romance between the woman and her married lover. The tale begins just before the outbreak of WW II. Franciska is a country girl working in a mansion. One day she is hiding out in a bomb shelter when she meets Lajos, her married neighbor. Something clicks between them and soon they spend every Sunday tooling about on his Harley Davidson. It doesn't take many such Sundays for the two to fall in love. But then the war erupts and Lajos, who is Jewish, suddenly disappears. Franciska doesn't see him again until she establishes herself in Budapest and gets a job as a servant in an apartment block. She is happy when Lajos suddenly shows up at her door and they are able to resume their weekly trysts. The relationship deepens, but she refrains from accepting his proposal because Lajos' wife is terribly ill. Later Franciska joins the newly established social police force and eventually rises through the ranks. She proves to be an excellent cop, and is adept at blithely ignoring the injustice she inadvertently supports until a sudden mysterious event changes everything. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

In this thriller a man attempts to honor his dying mother's mysterious final wish. Upon her deathbed, Felician's mother asks him to deliver a Bible to an old friend. Unfortunately, the friend is missing. Felician continues his quest and winds up in a village headed by Geza, a mobster. The village also contains a strange hospital managed by a frightening religious cult. Felician battles with Geza's henchmen and is captured by a pseudo priest. He then mysteriously disappears. Now it is up to his 13-year old daughter to solve the mystery and honor her grandmother's request. En route she encounters some hair raising obstacles. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

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

The Hungarian Maria's Day is set in that most fateful of years, 1848. The incredible changes and reverses in European politics and culture exert a potent influence on one aristocratic Hungarian family. Losing virtually everything in the way of creature comforts, the family tries to keep up appearances. Eventually every member of the clan falls victim to illness, syphilis and their own headstrong foolishness. The parallels drawn by director Judith Elek between the dissipation of 19th century Hungarian aristocracy and the corruption of Communist ideology in modern times are inescapable. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi