By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Éva Gárdos
Starring: Nastassja Kinski | Scarlett Johansson | Tony Goldwyn
Country: hungary, united_states
Year: 2001
Running time: 103
IMDB: http://us.imdb.com/Details?0221799
Hilary says: “I am continually impressed by Scarlett Johansson’s performances. GHOST WORLD is definitely on my Top Ten for the year and MANNY & LO is still a favorite, many years later.
“Here, however, I just felt sorry for her. Ultimately, AN AMERICAN RHAPSODY is two short films, rather than two parts of one film: the black and white flashback sequences and later material that takes place in Hungary, and a lesser piece set in 60’s suburban California. I found the Hungarian sequences, particularly those of the heroine (Scarlett as Suzanne) to be quite powerful. The scenes set in California were too melodramatic and felt false. Nastassja Kinski as Suzanne’s mother was entirely one-note and thusly, grating. To me, it felt like an ABC Afterschool Special about being the child of immigrant parents, trying to reconcile The Old World with The American Dream. I felt that the two parts of the movie never came together and that the ending felt rushed, a tacked-on conclusion that provided no real resolution.
“One of the few exceptions was a sequence in which the young Suzanne, just arrived from Hungary, explores her house and neighborhood as Elvis music plays in the background. This scene evidenced a much subtler hand than most of the other California scenes.
“Another autobiographical film (like THINGS BEHIND THE SUN) that stayed too personal, and thusly too narrow in scope, for me the viewer to become fully absorbed in and enjoy.
Laura says: “AN AMERICAN RHAPSODY is a personal story about the meaning of home and family. Suzanne’s resentment at being left behind and torn from the people who raised her is met with overwhelming mother love from the woman who’s dreamt of nothing but their reunion. Elder sister Maria, ironically, is the alien of the family, somewhat taken for granted and completely assimilated into the new culture. She drinks coke and slings the slang while her babushka wearing sister gets lost in a neighborhood of identical tract houses. While these early scenes are fascinating, due in large part to the sensational Banlaki, the later teenage years become wearying in their repetitiveness, with too many scenes of Margit standing in Suzanne’s bedroom doorway while her daughter sulks. Gardos doesn’t get the mother’s point of view across well and lets important characters like sister Maria and Suzanne’s boyfriend Paul all but disappear (in fact, the shooting scene begins with Paul at the window, but he’s promptly forgotten, a jarring problem in such a climatic moment).” 2 1/2 cats
“For Laura’s complete review: “http://www.reelingreviews.com/anamericanrhapsody.htm”
Michael says: “AMERICAN RHAPSODY is a coming-of-age tale based on the experiences of the writer/director, Eva Gardos. Nastassja Kinski and Tony Goldwyn play Margit and Peter, a young Hungarian family who are forced to leave their infant daughter Suzie in the care of Margit’s mother when they flee to America. Just before being imprisoned, the grandmother leaves Suzie with a peasant family who raise Suzie as warm, loving foster parents. At the age of 5, Margit and Peter finally enlist the aid of the American Red Cross to bring Suzie to America.
“At the age of 15, Suzie, played by Scarlett Johansson is a rebellious teen, unable to connect with her mother. Margit cannot communicate with her daughter, and struggles with the difficulty of knowing what she wants for her daughter yet wrapped in the helplessness of being a housewife during the 50’s and 60’s. Suzie comes to the realization that she must return to Budapest in order to come to terms with her identity.
“AMERICAN RHAPSODY is a warm film, yet filled with sadness. After a wonderful first half showing us Suzie’s early years (the young girl, Kelly Endresz-Banlaki, who plays Suzie is superb), the second half, detailing Suzie’s teen-aged struggles and coming-of-age in Hungary feel slightly rushed. It would have been nice to see a little more than the mother-daughter conflict during those years. Because of that, the resolution of the film feels slightly forced. All-in-all, largely through the terrific performances all around and the power of the story itself, AMERICAN RHAPSODY succeeds in showing us the difficult journey of this type of experience that was no doubt shared, in some way, by many immigrants.” 4 cats
Robin says: “The end of the Cold War opened up Eastern Europe to filmmakers and Gardos makes the best out of the lovely old city of Budapest. We get a travelogue presentation of the bridges and buildings that make up the city, but the nice scenery does not help the change in pace from the film’s first half or draw you close to the older Suzanne. This part keeps the viewer at arm’s length from characters and loses the involvement gained when watching the charismatic younger Suzanne.” 2 cats
“For Robin’s complete review: “http://www.reelingreviews.com/anamericanrhapsody.htm”