Sympathy for the Transit Cops

For me, it will always be Prague where the transit cops are idiots, kings of their little kingdom of trains, trams, buses, and subways, taking the "fun" out of "funicular." For you, it may be a different eastern European city, Budapest, for example. If so, check out Antal Nimród's 2003 film Kontroll for another side of the story. Filmed entirely in the Budapest Metro (the oldest subway on the European mainland (provided you don't ask the Turks)), it is the story of Bulcsú and his merry band of ragtag transit cops. There's the new kid, the wise old "Professor," the guy with narcolepsy, and the guy who's, well, just weird. They're not the most successful squad (that honor and the new leather jackets that go with it belong to Gonzó's) but it is hard not to root for Bulcsú and the guys as they try to check unruly passengers for valid tickets or passes. Plus, there's the mysterious girl in the bear and the serial killer stalking the Metro to deal with. I found Kontroll to be quite entertaining, and pats on the back must go to Csányi Sándor and the other guy (and probably the stunt coordinator) for that simple--to describe, anyway--but rather cool lengthy shot in the climax.