24 Jun 2008

Children of Glory

Original Title: Szabadság, szerelem

Director: Krisztina Goda

Language: Hungarian, Russian and English with English subtitles

Starring: Kata Dobo, Ivan Fenyo

Release: 2008-06-24

Ivan Fenyo is prime-A beefcake. Playing a member of the Hungarian national water polo team, you get to see much of his masculine glory covered only by his skimpy swimming trunks. As he tosses the ball around the pool, you wish it was you he was toying with.

The story, however, is an extremely serious one. Set in the 1950s when Hungary was under Communist rule, Ivan is in love with a girl (the beautiful Kata Dobo) who is a student revolutionary hoping to overthrow the Russians. Should Ivan choose to help her, he risks forgoing his chance of Olympic success.

Directed by Krisztina Goda and written by Hungarian-born Hollywood writer Joe Eszterhas (Basic Instinct, Showgirls), Children of Glory is a very well-directed and well-acted political drama. The scenes of political turmoil, for instance, and fierce water polo matches between the Russians and the Hungarians, are beautifully staged.

You'll probably get to watch it on TV someday. But if you're a political/historical junkie, it's far more satisfying to watch it on the big screen without the ad interruptions.