It's Not the Time of My Life

Hungarian director Szabolcs Hajdu reveals what can be hidden under the label of family happiness in his film. With the contribution of his own family, and consequently quite convincingly, he points out that redemption often comes through sacrifice, injustices, and intentional or unintentional compromises. It's not a very engaging conversational drama, but the final song accompanying the preparation of a family dinner is so captivating that it greatly improves the impression of the whole film. (70%) (25/04/2021)

A totally mundane subject in a totally mundane setting, and yet I didn't bite my nails off with boredom. What I found engaging was the realistic dialogue combined with the overall bleak atmosphere. Definitely not recommended for action movie buffs!! (18/07/2021)

A modest conversational drama with a negligible budget became the Hungarian film sensation of 2016. In the space of a single flat and with only six actors they put together a lightly comedic drama with an ironic title, where the basic issues of marital cohabitation, childcare and mid-life crisis are dealt with quite naturally. The film is already interesting with its intelligently written dialogues and the solid performances, including the director himself with his wife and two children, but it’s also greatly aided by the constantly developing camera work throughout, alternating large units and tracking manoeuvres of moving characters with expressive close-ups in tense moments, as well as the musical score, thanks to which the final quiet and melancholic part emotionally unifies the entire preceding action. (06/01/2017)

Even a mundane mask can shine. After ten years, this is a great return to form of one of the greatest talents of European cinema. I recognized myself in it relentlessly. A ballet between relationship shrapnels in a large but actually too small apartment. #kviff2016 (08/07/2016)

This is what happens when you have high expectations of a Hungarian movie and then you’re struck down by how mediocre it is. I get that it was the entire premise, but it didn’t leave a good enough impression for me to be able to tell if it was a high-quality movie. It was an incredible insight into the lives of two families, but I can also chat up some neighbors in the apartment building and get the same result. (11/08/2017)