Hungarian-German-British-Romanian co-production movie Bibliothèque Pascal (spoken mainly in Romanian, occasionally in English, while Hungarian is used extensively only in a single theatrical monologue) deals with the heavy subject of human trafficking and sex trade, presented through an imaginative world of the main character, (in)voluntary victim of a modern day slavery, who, in her attempt to reclaim custody of her little daughter, (un)knowingly resorts to fairy-talish description of how she met and lost a man who fathered her daughter and what extraordinary powers little Viorica inherited from him, of good causes she followed to accept her foreign (sexploitive) engagement, and of the imaginative way her "services" were delivered. The only mild objection that can be given to the movie is that everything in it, revolving around Mona Paparu, quietly radiating leading character of subdued expression (brought to the screen by brilliant, classically beautiful Hungarian actress Orsolya Török-Illyés), her life, at first as a traveling artist in the puppet theatre, and later as "Jeanne D'Arc" in stylish chambers of the title "library", inhabited with prostitutes for high-end clientèle, impersonating famous characters from literature (ranging from Desdemona and Ophelia to Dorian Gray and Pinocchio) is too nice and polished for the ugly and rough reality the movie deals with--the very same sole objection that can be given to Guillermo del Toro's extraordinarily beautiful, phantasmagoric El laberinto del fauno (Pan's Labyrinth, 2006), in which a young girl escapes from brutalities of life and her ruthless stepfather, army captain in WW2 fascist-ruled Spain, into the fascinating world of her own imagination--confronting guilt and innocence, violence and kindness, coldness and compassion
10 Reviews
Imaginary Reality
Rindiana20 February 2010
If you think this is going to be one of those sprightly bright Balkan ethnic panoramas in the superficially entertaining Kusturica mold, you're in for a surprise: Beneath all the visual pizazz and eccentric characterizations lies a deeply disturbing portrait of a society marked by physical and mental exploitation as well as moments of human kindness.
Director Hajdu spins an intriguing web of shifting and merging narrative levels of reality versus imagination, both grim and light. By doing so, he gets a better grip on the imponderability of life than most "real" social dramas put together.
Some may find the way he's handling the brothel scenes way too florid, but bear in mind the narrative's fantastic underpinnings and all fits into place.
8 out of 10 literate pimps
Director Hajdu spins an intriguing web of shifting and merging narrative levels of reality versus imagination, both grim and light. By doing so, he gets a better grip on the imponderability of life than most "real" social dramas put together.
Some may find the way he's handling the brothel scenes way too florid, but bear in mind the narrative's fantastic underpinnings and all fits into place.
8 out of 10 literate pimps
A dream projected onto our world to wake us up.
hudsonwa13 March 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Single mother Mona Paparu (Orsolya Török-Illyés) must convince a bureaucrat in child protective services that she should regain custody of her young daughter, who she left in the care of an aunt while working as a prostitute in England. No, that's not right.
Through a series of unfortunate events, young Mona finds herself stripped of her passport in a modern-day slave market, bought by Pascal (Shamgar Amram), who runs bordello where the elite of the worlds of art, politics, and business purchase the services of sexual slaves representing figures of literature (Joan of Arc, Pinocchio, Desdemona, etc). No. That's not it either.
A tale of the brutal sex traffic between the former USSR and the UK stands as a metaphor for the rape of imagination that rules the global culture business. Not one of these interpretations quite works.
Once upon a time, a theatre buffet girl told her story to a filmmaker. Bibliothèque Pascal is first and foremost a fine movie – a dream projected onto our world to wake us up.
A perfect cast, led by the luminous Orsolya Török-Illyés, who once seen can never be forgotten.
Through a series of unfortunate events, young Mona finds herself stripped of her passport in a modern-day slave market, bought by Pascal (Shamgar Amram), who runs bordello where the elite of the worlds of art, politics, and business purchase the services of sexual slaves representing figures of literature (Joan of Arc, Pinocchio, Desdemona, etc). No. That's not it either.
A tale of the brutal sex traffic between the former USSR and the UK stands as a metaphor for the rape of imagination that rules the global culture business. Not one of these interpretations quite works.
Once upon a time, a theatre buffet girl told her story to a filmmaker. Bibliothèque Pascal is first and foremost a fine movie – a dream projected onto our world to wake us up.
A perfect cast, led by the luminous Orsolya Török-Illyés, who once seen can never be forgotten.
European magical realism
simonasidorin19 December 2010
I do not have a shadow of a doubt to rate this movie with a 10 out of 10 , and I know I am not the only one who like it a lot. Probably is the best movie of the year 2010. Maybe if you already read the plot you got an idea about the movie but as the expression states:SEEING IS BELIEVING you we'll realize that this is exactly the case; You have to see it ! It is so rare nowadays to see real directors with good ideas , imagination and directors who tells us stories , now when everything is cheap and kitsch most of the Hollywood movies are remakes or you got the impression they got nothing to offer .As I mentioned in the title this movie is marked by a magical realism but is not like Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Isabel Allende or another Latin American writer the magical realism is European or should I locate it to the central and eastern Europe. They are no stereotypes about eastern europeans or politics in this movie , and there is a story , you just have to be patient , actually the movie is about story telling from the moment Mona starts to tell the story of herself and her daughter and later on at the fair and at the end in the furniture store.
master piece.
writeyibo19 June 2011
I consider this a master piece! It is a rated adult fairy tale. It is a dream projected to the viewers.
It has distinctive story telling. The sound compilation and cinematography are both great. The film creates such an impact you either love it or hate it.
Sex and violence always catches viewers attention.But it has never been done this way!
The film is absurd and surreal. Director Szabolcs Hajdu is not afraid of taking the risk.And be who he really is! I haven't seen something raw powerful and original like this movie for a while.
It has distinctive story telling. The sound compilation and cinematography are both great. The film creates such an impact you either love it or hate it.
Sex and violence always catches viewers attention.But it has never been done this way!
The film is absurd and surreal. Director Szabolcs Hajdu is not afraid of taking the risk.And be who he really is! I haven't seen something raw powerful and original like this movie for a while.
a haunting insight in the human mind and a ray of hope
soapta3 April 2011
Warning: Spoilers
they say picture is worth a thousand words, but often words make the difference. i'm fortunate to speak most of the languages in this movie and it seems to make a difference. therefore i'd like to outline some details relevant only if you've seen the movie already.
*** spoiler start ***
the first one is about the bureaucrat at the child protection services: his report/evaluation is a very important/decisive factor in Mona getting back her daughter. at first he's the typical formal bureaucrat, but after hearing Mona's fantasy story he practically forces her to face reality (by telling her that her daughter would be easily adopted by Italian families) and make a clear choice. then he even makes her statement "officially better sounding" by dictating additional text to the typist. an added bonus is the approving smile of the typist when he dictates his final recommendation.
the second one is the blunt/real story of Mona: after what seems a one-night-stand she's pregnant, the father disappears, she raises her daughter alone having various low income jobs (you don't make a fortune selling sunflower in a train station) ... and gives in to the temptation of "easy" money, leaving for an "erotic job" in england. after facing reality there, she returns home. so the blunt reality is that she didn't return for her child but because she got fed up ... and is therefore clearly an unfit parent.
now to the reason i liked this movie so much: while we know for sure that her initial fantasy story is just a way to cope with her own guilt, we get to see the firemen orchestra (no police, no special forces) "escaping" from her daughters dream to save Mona ... which is probably the reason that convinced the bureaucrat to see a potential good mother in Mona. we don't get a lot of second chances in life ... but sometimes, if we're lucky enough, it happens.
*** spoiler end ***
also, for the reasons described above, i think a comparison to Lilja 4-Ever is rather forced. both movies are excellent, but they're too different.
*** spoiler start ***
the first one is about the bureaucrat at the child protection services: his report/evaluation is a very important/decisive factor in Mona getting back her daughter. at first he's the typical formal bureaucrat, but after hearing Mona's fantasy story he practically forces her to face reality (by telling her that her daughter would be easily adopted by Italian families) and make a clear choice. then he even makes her statement "officially better sounding" by dictating additional text to the typist. an added bonus is the approving smile of the typist when he dictates his final recommendation.
the second one is the blunt/real story of Mona: after what seems a one-night-stand she's pregnant, the father disappears, she raises her daughter alone having various low income jobs (you don't make a fortune selling sunflower in a train station) ... and gives in to the temptation of "easy" money, leaving for an "erotic job" in england. after facing reality there, she returns home. so the blunt reality is that she didn't return for her child but because she got fed up ... and is therefore clearly an unfit parent.
now to the reason i liked this movie so much: while we know for sure that her initial fantasy story is just a way to cope with her own guilt, we get to see the firemen orchestra (no police, no special forces) "escaping" from her daughters dream to save Mona ... which is probably the reason that convinced the bureaucrat to see a potential good mother in Mona. we don't get a lot of second chances in life ... but sometimes, if we're lucky enough, it happens.
*** spoiler end ***
also, for the reasons described above, i think a comparison to Lilja 4-Ever is rather forced. both movies are excellent, but they're too different.
Underwritten, underwhelming film that goes nowhere...
sharkies6928 July 2010
Saw this at the Melbourne International Film Festival the other night and walked out at about the 70 minute mark.
I'm not sure if Hungarians or Romanians might understand this film better, I certainly couldn't.
The lead actress is attractive and tries hard but isn't given enough to work with and the narrative keeps shifting. There was plenty of potential conflict in the opening scene but outside of that I soon lost interest in her character and the other characters she met along with way. The Director seemed to be going for stylish visuals and fantasy sequences whilst forgetting the most important things - the story and characters.
I found Lilya4Ever to be a far superior film about a similar subject. I find it difficult to believe films like this one can even get funding.
I'm not sure if Hungarians or Romanians might understand this film better, I certainly couldn't.
The lead actress is attractive and tries hard but isn't given enough to work with and the narrative keeps shifting. There was plenty of potential conflict in the opening scene but outside of that I soon lost interest in her character and the other characters she met along with way. The Director seemed to be going for stylish visuals and fantasy sequences whilst forgetting the most important things - the story and characters.
I found Lilya4Ever to be a far superior film about a similar subject. I find it difficult to believe films like this one can even get funding.
Imagine this
kosmasp18 August 2010
A very irritating title, but that shouldn't put you off the movie. There are quite a few other things that will do that job alright! It is really confusing and has a very strange story line. Something that is anything but familiar. Not to mention that it not only walks a thin (moral) line, but crosses that line quite a few times.
This is not for the squeamish or for people who are offended lightly. They will hate this. But then again, it is very unlikely they will find out about the movie ... and even if they do, they will only rant about it, without watching it. That's not to say, that everyone who's going to watch this movie will like it (look at some other comments, to see the controversy this stirs up).
But the cinematography, the really weird story and very fine acting, will hold your attention. Going into the story would spoil the fun, of you discovering it. Though I cannot, give you any final thoughts on this ... you have to come up with something yourself ...
This is not for the squeamish or for people who are offended lightly. They will hate this. But then again, it is very unlikely they will find out about the movie ... and even if they do, they will only rant about it, without watching it. That's not to say, that everyone who's going to watch this movie will like it (look at some other comments, to see the controversy this stirs up).
But the cinematography, the really weird story and very fine acting, will hold your attention. Going into the story would spoil the fun, of you discovering it. Though I cannot, give you any final thoughts on this ... you have to come up with something yourself ...
after this you might never want to visit another library
Barev20135 April 2015
Warning: Spoilers
Bibliothèque Pascal, 2010 Dir. Hajdu Szabolcs, Hungary Los Angeles Film Festival, LAFF, 2010 image1.jpeg
Another film from Berlin was the new Hungarian entry, "Bibliotheque Pascal", the fourth feature from director Szabolcs Hajdu who made a big international splash with a gymnastics film entitled "White Palms" in 2006. Where "White Palms" was basically a semi-autobiographical docudrama firmly rooted in reality, "Bibliotheque" is an hallucinogenic excursion into the kinkiest recesses of the mind, brilliantly lensed by DOP Andras Nagy, but firmly rooted in sexual surrealism, excessive sadism and masochism, and weirdness for weirdness sake. This is the kind of film that makes you wonder if the agony is ever going to end but keeps you glued to your seat just because it's impossible to take your eyes off of the main actress, Orsolya Török-Illyés, a rare beauty of a special type, who is shown constantly in lingering closeups.
Plot: In order to regain custody of her daughter, whom she left in the care of her fortune- telling aunt, Mona (Török-Illyés) has to tell a social worker her story. The tale she spins--- and the movie we watch---is a wild, surreal adventure in which people are able to project and enter each other's dreams, and our heroine is sold into slavery in a debauched literary brothel in Liverpool where the patrons act out their literary/sexual fantasies with Lolita, St. Joan, and Desdemona.
Though this is in theory a Hungarian film, the story is set largely in Romania and most of the dialog is in Romanian delivered by a mainly Romanian cast, except for the extended sequence in a British brothel where what dialog there is is in a kind of weird Englishl. The story centers on an hypnotically beautiful single mother Mona (Orsolya Török-Illyés) who is half-Hungarian, half-Romanian and speaks both languages when necessary. At the beginning and at the end of the film she is trying to convince a Romanian social worker that the young daughter she left in the custody of a flaky fortune-telling aunt when she took off for England to work as a prostitute (i,e., sex slave) should be returned to her -- and what happens in between is her incredible tale of suffering and bondage in a grotesque British brothel in Liverpool, borrowed, it would seem from Genet's Balcony with a little input from Dreyer's Passion of Joan of Arc.
In this super kinky whorehouse which gives the film its title, clients pay to live out literary sex fantasies and Mona is, in fact, assigned to a room called "Joan of Arc". What she suffers there is so unspeakable that you wish they would put her out of her misery already and just burn her at the stake. The story she tells the social worker (which forms the body of the film) is so beyond belief, starting with a handsome psychotic killer who emerges from the sand on a seaside beach and makes her pregnant in an extremely bizarre one night stand at gun-point, then segueing from there via weird train station encounters, over the White Cliffs of Dover to the Pascal Library in Liverpool where the sexual depravities visited upon the poor girl stagger the imagination --except that she seems to enjoy being tortured in a very passive way -- so that her official confessor feels compelled to make her tale sound more "normal" in his final report, because he really wants to restore the kid to her and knows damn well that the naked truth as she has described it will not cut the mustard.
And so she gets her child back and starts telling the kid a fairy tale that seems to be leading into another bizarre movie --well -- well --What can one say? "Not for every taste" to say the least. Some will think its the worst movie they've ever seen, others that they have witnessed an incredible work of art. In any case, this film is definitely over the top and out through the roof, but has some pretty hot cinematic fireworks and a heroine who really has to be seen to be believed --Orsolya Török-Illyésis unforgettable even if the film is a wall-to-wall nightmare. Director Szabolcs was there for a Q and A after the screening, which turned out to be mainly a lecture in Hungarian almost as obscure as the film itself, and evoked few questions from people who seemed to be too stunned to leave the theater just yet. Who knows what evil lurks around the next corner ....
Sent from my iPad
Another film from Berlin was the new Hungarian entry, "Bibliotheque Pascal", the fourth feature from director Szabolcs Hajdu who made a big international splash with a gymnastics film entitled "White Palms" in 2006. Where "White Palms" was basically a semi-autobiographical docudrama firmly rooted in reality, "Bibliotheque" is an hallucinogenic excursion into the kinkiest recesses of the mind, brilliantly lensed by DOP Andras Nagy, but firmly rooted in sexual surrealism, excessive sadism and masochism, and weirdness for weirdness sake. This is the kind of film that makes you wonder if the agony is ever going to end but keeps you glued to your seat just because it's impossible to take your eyes off of the main actress, Orsolya Török-Illyés, a rare beauty of a special type, who is shown constantly in lingering closeups.
Plot: In order to regain custody of her daughter, whom she left in the care of her fortune- telling aunt, Mona (Török-Illyés) has to tell a social worker her story. The tale she spins--- and the movie we watch---is a wild, surreal adventure in which people are able to project and enter each other's dreams, and our heroine is sold into slavery in a debauched literary brothel in Liverpool where the patrons act out their literary/sexual fantasies with Lolita, St. Joan, and Desdemona.
Though this is in theory a Hungarian film, the story is set largely in Romania and most of the dialog is in Romanian delivered by a mainly Romanian cast, except for the extended sequence in a British brothel where what dialog there is is in a kind of weird Englishl. The story centers on an hypnotically beautiful single mother Mona (Orsolya Török-Illyés) who is half-Hungarian, half-Romanian and speaks both languages when necessary. At the beginning and at the end of the film she is trying to convince a Romanian social worker that the young daughter she left in the custody of a flaky fortune-telling aunt when she took off for England to work as a prostitute (i,e., sex slave) should be returned to her -- and what happens in between is her incredible tale of suffering and bondage in a grotesque British brothel in Liverpool, borrowed, it would seem from Genet's Balcony with a little input from Dreyer's Passion of Joan of Arc.
In this super kinky whorehouse which gives the film its title, clients pay to live out literary sex fantasies and Mona is, in fact, assigned to a room called "Joan of Arc". What she suffers there is so unspeakable that you wish they would put her out of her misery already and just burn her at the stake. The story she tells the social worker (which forms the body of the film) is so beyond belief, starting with a handsome psychotic killer who emerges from the sand on a seaside beach and makes her pregnant in an extremely bizarre one night stand at gun-point, then segueing from there via weird train station encounters, over the White Cliffs of Dover to the Pascal Library in Liverpool where the sexual depravities visited upon the poor girl stagger the imagination --except that she seems to enjoy being tortured in a very passive way -- so that her official confessor feels compelled to make her tale sound more "normal" in his final report, because he really wants to restore the kid to her and knows damn well that the naked truth as she has described it will not cut the mustard.
And so she gets her child back and starts telling the kid a fairy tale that seems to be leading into another bizarre movie --well -- well --What can one say? "Not for every taste" to say the least. Some will think its the worst movie they've ever seen, others that they have witnessed an incredible work of art. In any case, this film is definitely over the top and out through the roof, but has some pretty hot cinematic fireworks and a heroine who really has to be seen to be believed --Orsolya Török-Illyésis unforgettable even if the film is a wall-to-wall nightmare. Director Szabolcs was there for a Q and A after the screening, which turned out to be mainly a lecture in Hungarian almost as obscure as the film itself, and evoked few questions from people who seemed to be too stunned to leave the theater just yet. Who knows what evil lurks around the next corner ....
Sent from my iPad
Magical Realism
billcr1214 July 2023
A visually stunning film in the style of Guillermo Del Toro or Wes Anderson, I was riveted by the ever evolving story of Mona, a Romanian-Hungarian woman who is at first show in the office of a social worker. She is asked why she abandoned her child and moved to England for a time, leaving the girl to be taken care of by a relative. What follows is almost beyond description.
Through a series of dream fantasy sequences, Mona's story begins with a day at the beach where a man is hiding in the sand and is being chased by the police. The couple have a quick romantic interlude and we jump ahead to Mona and her daughter living a bare bones existence.
Circumstances send Mona to Britain where she is held captive in a strange brothel where wealthy men can experience their fantasies within the context of high art. Rooms are set up with themes such as Joan of Arc, Lolita, and various other classics.
Do not expect a linear storyline but stick with this unusual drama for an overwhelming movie experience.
Through a series of dream fantasy sequences, Mona's story begins with a day at the beach where a man is hiding in the sand and is being chased by the police. The couple have a quick romantic interlude and we jump ahead to Mona and her daughter living a bare bones existence.
Circumstances send Mona to Britain where she is held captive in a strange brothel where wealthy men can experience their fantasies within the context of high art. Rooms are set up with themes such as Joan of Arc, Lolita, and various other classics.
Do not expect a linear storyline but stick with this unusual drama for an overwhelming movie experience.
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