In what can only described as a proactive attempt to avoid being pigeonholed, the Hungarian film fest fave Kontroll doesn't really know what genre it wants to be categorized under. Chalk it up to a case of filmic schizophrenia or possibly even just a result of today's much shorter attention spans. It's a comedy, it's a horror/thriller, and it's a love story. It's all these things and more. I'm sure that I've already turned off about half of the films' intended audience. Sorry. I didn't mean it that way, honest. Anyhow, I refuse to sit here and gush, telling you how wonderfully fabulous the film is, and exclaim at the top of my lungs about all of it's virtues with hyperbole and superlative terms that will surely send you to a dictionary or perhaps into a quick coma. At it's worst; Kontroll is brain numbing entertainment fodder that stimulates the senses for just under 2 hours. At its best, Kontroll is brain numbing entertainment fodder that stimulates the senses for just under 2 hours. You can draw your own conclusion here.

An eclectic group of subway workers inhabit Budapest's underground system. Disparate teams of ticket takers are constantly at war with one another. When they aren't hassling each other, they're trying to collect from the many passengers riding the rails. In addition (as if all of this weren't enough), there's a hooded killer on the loose and he's pushing patrons in front of speeding trains. Did I even mention the girl in the bear suit or the underground subway costumed rave? Yeah, there's one of them too.

Ticket Please!

It's been a rough day, but there's still a lot of work to be done! (Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Film Society)

While Kontroll may be shallow and excessive, and quite pointless (to say the least), it's never boring. Characters are well-developed and always fun to watch. Dialogue is quick and snappy (perhaps a bit too quick and snappy?) and the action moves along at a really brisk pace. There's always something new and interesting happening...even if it doesn't make a whole lot of sense in the grand scheme of things. If nothing else, Kontroll is sensory overload and a fascinating film in a purely aesthetic sense. Sometimes we need this, just don't let anyone convince you that Kontroll is anything more, cause it isn't.

I can see both sides of the fence here. Clearly, Kontroll is not a great film, not by any stretch of the imagination. It's certainly not for everyone (although it would really like to be). While it tries to convey a deeper meaning (boy does it try) for me, it never came across as such. It's meaningless, but still very entertaining. And I have to tell you that I'm a bit annoyed by the Run, Lola Run comparisons I've been hearing. The two films are nothing alike, and in my opinion the latter is a much better film. A film that is much more clever and does contain some actual subtext. Whether is has you bouncing off the wall with glee or transports you to a magical place that is anything but your everyday mundane existence, Kontroll is a top of the line, cinematic time waster. As long as the ideas here don't aggravate or piss you off, Kontroll is definitely worth seeking out.

Thumbs Up It's not high art, but it's still a heck of a lot of fun