A játszma (2022) User Reviews

Really good

[karinahatem · 9/10 · 10 June 2022]

This was unexpectedly good, everything was well done, the script, acting, music. Loved all the twists and turns towards the end, though for someone to enjoy the movie, needs to know a bit of history about Hungary in the 50 and 60s. All in all, this was a great movie, all the actors did a great job, will need to get the soundtrack of this movie.

An exciting movie with interesting twists

[locskaliza · 10/10 · 5 February 2023]

The movie takes us back to the harsh reality of the cold war era, when everybody - even family members and friends - had to report on each other to the communist regime. The focus of the movie is on a former agent of the state, who is now old and ill. His former colleagues, who played a major role in his falling from power still suspect him and are afraid of his revenge, so they decide to take action and spy on him. The film has interesting characters, deep dialogues and excellent acting. János Kulka, the actor portraying the main character only has short lines but the way he acts with his gestures and facial expressions is fantastic. He is one of the best actors in Hungary. The younger female lead also did an excellent job. The film is very smart in a way that the twists are cleverly foreshadowed. They are not obvious, but after each twist you realise that there have been small hints and clues all along. It's an excellent film.

A gem

[giorgiotopa · 9/10 · 17 June 2023]

I loved this movie. The story was great, with unexpected twists and a tension that builds up until the final resolution. The acting was excellent, from the main characters to the more minor ones. And the movie recreated perfectly the atmosphere of Eastern Europe behind the iron curtain - with the omnipresent threat of the state security apparatus weighing on its citizens. The details were wonderful too - from the old cars to the old buildings (those metal banisters!) to the old furniture, pots and plates and faucets. Excellent! I hope the movie becomes available on the usual streaming platforms in the US.

traps

[Kirpianuscus · 7 January 2024]

Its essential virtue is the fair ( precise , in some measure, trip in time ). From atmosphere to the details of period, everything is clever cosen .

The second - no doubts, the acting.

Not the last, the plot , reminding good policiers , the political frame having splendid virtues.

For many reasons an old fashion political thriller, seductive for fair construction of twists , for bitter moral and for the delicate reference to a kind of The Shawshank Redemption.

But, no doubts , the key of its seduction, for me, as east European, remains the contain of the incriminant tape , admirable portrait of Comunism system long agony.

So, a beautiful chain of traps , inspired at whole.

Boring

[csanyiholding · 2/10 · 18 June 2022]

Although it has great production value, and the acting is top notch, the story awfully boring and uninteresting. Talking heads in rooms with zero tension.

Near perfect movie with one plothole

[smletony · 10/10 · 8 May 2023]

Kulcsár says towards the end (at the assessment of the test) that Abigail, the spy girl, had to play a double game to deceive not only Jung, but Markó too, into thinking that she is his relative. Though in the movie, Markó said explicitly, that he never sent out the mail to the girl, in which he wrote anyway, that he was too sick to receive her. So Markó must have recognized this ploy from the beginning (he actually asked Jung whether he sent the girl), but Kulcsár (as the supervisor of the test) must have known, that there was no mail sent out to begin with, so it's irrelevant what Markó thinks of the girl (but he can confidently assume, that she is not his niece).

Other than this, it was a very captivating and well directed movie.