Explanation for Everything explained

Explanation for Everything
Native Name:
Director:Gábor Reisz
Producer:Júlia Berkes
Starring:
  • Gáspár Adonyi-Walsh
  • István Znamenák
  • András Rusznák
  • Rebeka Hatházi
  • Lilla Kizlinger
  • Eliza Sodró
  • Krisztina Urbanovits
  • Gergely Kocsis
Cinematography:Kristóf Becsey
Editing:
  • Vanda Gorácz[1]
  • Gábor Reisz
Music:
  • András Kálmán
  • Gábor Reisz
Studio:
  • Proton Cinema
  • MPhilms
Distributor:Cirko Film
Runtime:151 minutes[2]
127 minutes[3] [4] [5]
Country:
  • Hungary
  • Slovakia
Language:Hungarian
Gross:$500,184[6]

Explanation for Everything (Hungarian: '''Magyarázat mindenre''') is a 2023 Hungarian-Slovak drama film[7] directed by Gábor Reisz, who co-wrote the screenplay with Éva Schulze.[8]

The film premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it won the Orizzonti Award for Best Film. It was released in Hungary on 5 October 2023.

Synopsis

The film follows four primary characters. Ábel is a high school student in Buda preparing for his matura. György, his father, is an architect with nationalist views from a formerly ennobled family. Jakab, a more liberal history teacher at Ábel's school, is a workaholic. Erika is an ambitious young journalist from Transylvania who works for the conservative daily Magyar Napok (a fictionalized version of Magyar Nemzet).

Having fallen in love with his classmate Janka, Ábel is distracted from studying for his history matura. At work, György tries to convince a younger colleague not to emigrate to Denmark by recounting his family's struggles during the communist era. Janka, meanwhile, confesses her love for Jakab, who rejects her advances; she reveals this to Ábel, crushing his spirits. Janka nonetheless excels during her oral examination, while Ábel freezes up and fails. As Ábel recounts his experience to a furious György, Ábel falsely suggests that Jakab failed him for wearing a cockade. György, remembering a previous political argument with Jakab, believes his son.

György recounts the incident to his doctor, and news of Ábel's fabricated plight spreads by word-of-mouth, reaching Erika by way of a neighbor. Erika interviews Ábel at a café and exaggerates the story's political dimension for professional gain. Her article goes viral, threatening the reputation of Jakab and the school. Jakab's nonchalant attitude in face of the accusations angers both his colleagues and his wife, who suggests his focus on his work has begun to harm their family life. Janka confronts Ábel on the Tabán, berating him for lying about his maturas circumstances and swearing to never speak to him again.

The school district permits Ábel to retake his history matura. Jakab tries to speak to Ábel at his family's apartment, only to wind up in a shouting match with György over his son's academic track record and their divergent political views. Erika is hired as a speechwriter by a government ministry; at her first day at work, she is subtly mocked for her Transylvanian heritage. Ábel's second matura becomes a media sensation, but he walks out of the examination room without attempting to answer his prompt. Jakab and György, who are both present, share a shocked look.

A few months later, Ábel and his friends, Janka among them, sneak into a villa's swimming pool in the middle of the night on the shores of Lake Balaton. As the sun rises, the villa's owner discovers them, and they flee into the lake.

Cast

Production

Explanation for Everything was produced by Júlia Berkes for Proton Cinema, with the Slovak company MPhilms.[11]

Release

Explanation for Everything was selected to be screened in the Orizzonti section at the 80th Venice International Film Festival,[12] where it had its world premiere on 1 September 2023. International sales are handled by Films Boutique.[13] The film was released in Hungary on 5 October 2023 by Cirko Film.

It was also invited at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in 'World Cinema' section and was screened on 5 October 2023.[14]

Reception

Critical response

On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 5 reviews, with an average rating of 6.5/10.[15] Domestic and international critics alike viewed the film as a poignant commentary on political polarization, both within Hungarian society in particular and in Western society more broadly.[16] [17] [18]

Accolades

AwardDate of ceremonyCategoryRecipient(s)Result
Chicago International Film Festival22 October 2023Gold HugoExplanation for Everything[19]
Silver Hugo for Best ScreenplayGábor Reisz & Éva Schulze[20]
Les Arcs Film Festival23 December 2023Best ActorGáspár Adonyi-Walsh[21]
Cineuropa Andrea D'Aquino AwardExplanation for Everything[22]
Venice Film Festival9 September 2023Orizzonti Award for Best FilmGábor Reisz[23]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Magyarázat mindenre (Explanation for everything). La Biennale di Venezia. 9 September 2023.
  2. Web site: Magyarázat mindenre. Cirko Film. hu. 2 July 2024.
  3. Web site: Explanation for Everything . 2024-07-02 . Movies that Matter . en-EN.
  4. Web site: 2024-07-02 . Explanation For Everything @ September Film . 2024-07-02 . septemberfilm.nl . nl-nl.
  5. Web site: L'Affaire Abel Trem. Memento Distribution. fr. 2 July 2024.
  6. 27788968. Explanation for Everything (2023). 2 July 2024. yes.
  7. Halligan. Fionnuala. 2 September 2023. 'Explanation For Everything': Venice Review. Screen International. 11 September 2023.
  8. Web site: Review: Explanation for Everything. Lemercier. Fabien. 1 September 2023. Cineuropa. 10 September 2023.
  9. Web site: EXPLANATION FOR EVERYTHING / MAGYARÁZAT MINDENRE. European Film Awards. 12 October 2023.
  10. Felperin. Leslie. 1 September 2023. 'Explanation for Everything' Review: A Timely Look at Culture Wars in Central Europe. The Hollywood Reporter. 12 October 2023.
  11. Dams. Tim. 26 July 2023. Films Boutique takes on sales for Gábor Reisz's Venice Horizons film 'Explanation For Everything' (exclusive). Screen International. 10 September 2023.
  12. Web site: Venice Film Festival Lineup: Mann, Lanthimos, Fincher, DuVernay, Cooper, Besson, Coppola, Hamaguchi In Competition; Polanski, Allen, Anderson, Linklater Out Of Competition – Full List. Tartaglione. Nancy. 25 July 2023. Deadline. 9 August 2023.
  13. Ramachandran. Naman. Naman Ramachandran. 24 August 2023. Venice Title 'Explanation for Everything' Sells in Italy and Romania, Debuts Trailer Exploring 'Tensions of a Polarized Society' (EXCLUSIVE). Variety. 9 September 2023.
  14. Web site: The 28th Busan International Film Festival: Selection List. Busan International Film Festival. 5 September 2023. 8 September 2023. en. 15 September 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230915141852/https://www.biff.kr/eng/html/program/prog_all_list.asp?allYear=2023. dead.
  15. Explanation for Everything. m. explanation_for_everything. 10 September 2023. yes.
  16. News: Rácz . Viktória . Végre egy magyar film, ami ki meri mondani, hogy Fidesz . 31 December 2023 . Telex.hu . 15 September 2023.
  17. News: Ramachandran. Naman. Naman Ramachandran. 31 August 2023. Gabor Reisz Explores Bipolar Hungarian Politics in Venice Selection 'Explanation for Everything'. Variety. 17 January 2024.
  18. Lodge. Guy. 5 September 2023. 'Explanation for Everything' Review: A Witty, Multi-Faceted Study of a Manufactured Controversy. Variety. 17 January 2024.
  19. News: Phillips. Michael. Michael Phillips (critic). 20 October 2023. Chicago International Film Fest winners are announced, and there's an explanation for everything. Chicago Tribune. 22 October 2023.
  20. Web site: 59th Chicago International Film Festival Announces Award-Winners. 20 October 2023. RogerEbert.com. 23 October 2023.
  21. Keslassy. Elsa. 23 December 2023. Les Arcs Film Festival's 15th Edition Hands Out Awards to 'Slow,' 'The Teachers' Lounge'. Variety. 2 January 2024.
  22. Web site: Slow triumphs at Les Arcs. Lemercier. Fabien. 22 December 2023. Cineuropa. 2 January 2024.
  23. Web site: Poor Thing, Yorgos Lanthimos Wins Golden Lion at the Venice. Gularte. Alejandra. 9 September 2023. Vulture. 9 September 2023.