Pal Sandor Movies

Three desperate characters collide in an evening of shocking violence in this edgy drama. Anita (Helene Francois) and Dini (Fulvia Collongues) are a pair of bored and restless teenagers looking for kicks on the rough side of Budapest. Like plenty of kids looking for fun, Anita and Dini like to hang out at the mall and go dancing with their friends, but their search for excitement has also led them to petty crimes such as purse snatching and shoplifting. One night, Dini offers a cab driver sex rather than money in exchange for a ride home, and he takes her up on the offer as Anita observes the action. Anita and Dini's new game goes on until they meet Erno (Sandor Zsoter), a cabbie whose life is pushing him into an uncomfortable corner. Erno's marriage has become a sexless and combative nightmare, and an effort to make some money by defrauding insurance firms on auto repairs has hit a snag. Erno is ready to explode when one night be picks up Anita and Dini after a night of mischief. Hungarian filmmaker Anna Faur cast two French actresses as the leads in Lanyok (aka Girls), and their voices were dubbed into Hungarian for the film's initial release; Eszther Balla provided the voice of Anita and Cili Nagy dubbed the voice of Dini. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Director Janos Szasz and co-screenwriter Andras Szeker draw inspiration from the unfinished diaries of pioneering Hungarian neurologist Dr. Jozsef Brenner (better known by his pen name Geza Csath) for this grim tale of a drug-addicted doctor and a deeply disturbed mental patient. Dr. Jozsef Brenner (Ulrich Thomsen) is a morphine-addicted medico with a bad case of writer's block. Convinced that he could summon creativity if he could only acquire some morphine, Dr. Brenner travels to a remote asylum for mentally afflicted women claiming that he needs the drugs for a psychoanalytic study. Dr. Brenner's cunning plan hits an unexpected hitch, however, when clinic director Moravcsik (Zsolt Laszlo) voices noticeable disapproval of the hedonistic new arrival's decidedly non-traditional methods. When Dr. Brenner makes the acquaintance of a deeply disturbed patient (Kristi Stubo) who believes her soul has been claimed by the devil, his bizarre attempt to ease the woman's pain while selfishly advancing his own cause proves profoundly unethical yet strangely effective. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

This Hungarian anthology is comprised of three unconnected short films by different directors that are united in their grim assessment of Hungary in the 1990s. The first, "Fire! Fire! ("Egavaros, Egahazis") is by Pal Sandor and portrays Budapest as a depressing hell on earth filled with desperately hungry homeless people who would sacrifice their lives for a crust of bread. Sandor's Budapest is frequently compared to Sodom and Gomorrah and in the a huge fire destroys it all. Karoly Makk's "Hungarian Pizza" is infused with ironic humor and offers an only slightly less grim view of a pair of starved homeless people (one of whom was a college professor) who hold a family living in a Budapest apartment hostage for a freshly delivered pizza. Negotiations ensue, but the story ends with bloodshed. Miklos Jancso makes fun of his reputation for creating exceptional visuals in "The Great Brain Death." It is the most difficult vignette and while visually stunning, remains difficult to decipher. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Anthony Shaw directs his mother, Angela Lansbury of Murder She Wrote, in this lighthearted made-for-television adventure. Set in the 1950's, Lansbury stars as Mrs. Harris, a common British woman so intent on owning a Dior gown, that she slaves and scrimps for years. However, upon travelling to Paris to make the purchase, Mrs. Harris encounters a series of unexpected characters and events that stand between her and the coveted gown. Originally broadcast in 1992, the film also features supporting performances by Diana Rigg, Lothaire Bluteau, and Omar Sharif. ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

Starting with a clear objective -- Peter, the director filming "Swan Lake" (Jean-Pierre Leaud) needs to replace an actor who is not working out -- this story then progresses erratically and ends in confusion. Peter stops work on his film and leaves to take a train with his wife when he sees an attractive young woman standing on the station's platform. Inspired by some exciting image, he rushes off the train and spirits the woman off to his shooting site where they run into the actor who was fired in the first place (he missed his train), and Peter's mother. The interaction of these four people continue through to the end of the film. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

A tragicomic tale of friendship gone awry starts when the younger member of a stand-up comedy duo jettisons his older partner in favor of a mistress who will do just as well. The rejected partner is out for blood, and vows to kill the young twerp - a pursuit that introduces most of the characters, all of the chase scenes, and some very strange denizens of the theatrical world. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi

After the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, a young Hungarian, wanted by the police for political crimes, escapes to just this side of the Austrian border. When he discovers that his escape contact has been shot, he disguises himself as a woman and, posing as a maid, takes refuge at a tuberculosis sanatorium. He lives there as a woman for the entire winter before resuming his journey in the spring. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

This film is about film director Peter Bona, who makes films on a shoestring. To get his next production off the ground, he needs 10,000 Hungarian florins. He puts the touch on a number of people, with no success. However, he has an aunt, a hero of socialism, who is in town for the dedication of a street in her husband's name. He visits her apartment, and steals the money. Something about her captures his imagination, and he sneaks back and returns the money before it is missed. As he learns more about her, Peter's fascination with his aunt grows. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi