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7.3/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.3/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Havi 200 fix remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you are in the mood for something old that doesn't feel like a history lesson, this is actually worth your time. It is perfect for people who like those fast-talking comedies where everyone is just one lie away from a total disaster. If you hate movies where the whole plot could be solved by one honest conversation, you will probably get annoyed by this one pretty fast.
The whole thing starts with Gábor and Magda. They have been engaged for years but can't get married because they are poor. It’s that old-school struggle where love isn't enough if you don't have a fixed monthly salary. That is what the title means, by the way.
Gábor is played by Pál Jávor, who was like the biggest star in Hungary back then. He has this very intense energy, like he’s always about to burst out of his suit. He finally gets a job through one of Magda's friends, and you think, okay, the movie is over in ten minutes. Nope.
The train station scene is where it all goes sideways. Gábor gets into a fight with a guy over something stupid. He basically punches the man who is supposed to be his boss. It is a very messy, awkward brawl. You can almost feel the regret the second he realizes what he did.
Instead of just apologizing, Gábor decides to send his friend Mátyás to the job instead. Mátyás is a pharmacist, not an engineer. Antal Páger plays him, and he is honestly the best part of the whole movie. He looks so uncomfortable the entire time he is pretending to know about cars and engines.
The way Mátyás tries to blend in at the office is hilarious. He has this face that says "I have no idea what I am doing here." It’s a lot more relatable than the lead actor’s macho energy. This isn't quite as dark as something like Seed, but it has its own kind of desperation under the jokes.
I noticed that the background extras at the train station look very confused. It’s like they weren't told a movie was being filmed and they are just trying to get to their trains. One guy in the back just stares at the camera for a solid three seconds. It's funny in a way the director didn't mean.
The romance between Gábor and Magda is okay, but it's the least interesting part. You mostly just want to see if the pharmacist is going to get caught. It feels a bit like the energy in The Girl in the Taxi, where everything is just moving too fast for anyone to stop and think.
Why wouldn't the boss recognize Gábor's name? Or why wouldn't Magda just tell the truth? The movie doesn't really care about logic. It just wants to get to the next scene where someone is hiding under a desk or lying to a pretty girl. It is very high energy, which I liked.
The dialogue is very snappy. Even if you don't speak Hungarian and are reading subtitles, you can tell they are throwing insults at each other very quickly. It’s got that rhythmic quality that you don't see in modern movies much anymore. People back then just talked faster, I guess.
There is a bit near the middle where the pacing slows down way too much. They spend a lot of time talking about the "car king" and his business. I found myself checking how much time was left during those parts. But once the misunderstandings start piling up again, it picks back up.
"If you can't be the man they hired, send a man who looks like he knows what a wrench is."
That isn't a real quote from the movie, but it should be. That is basically the whole philosophy of Gábor's plan. It is a very 1930s way of solving a problem. Just throw a friend at it and hope for the best.
The ending is exactly what you think it will be. It doesn't take any big risks. But that is fine. Sometimes you just want to see the guy get the girl and the job after a lot of screaming. It’s a comfortable kind of movie. Like an old sweater that has a few holes in it but is still warm.
I think this movie works because it feels human. Even though the plot is ridiculous, the feeling of being scared to lose a job is real. Everyone has had that moment where they did something dumb and wished they could send a friend to fix it. Antal Páger is a legend for his facial expressions alone here.
It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a good time. If you see it on a list of old films, don't skip it just because it’s black and white. It has more life in it than most of the stuff on Netflix right now. Just don't expect it to change your life or anything. It's just a really solid comedy about being a bit of an idiot.
Also, the car king has a very strange mustache. I couldn't stop looking at it. It looks like it was drawn on with a piece of coal. Little details like that make these old movies feel so much more real than the polished stuff we get today.
IMDb 3.8
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