Habfürdö

Very few auteurs have gifted us with artistic joys with just one full length feature as György Kovásznai who has left a mark on the history of European animation. I was happy to be part of the few who were lucky to catch the restored 4K print on the NFI - Film Archive's YouTube channel which was released on the occasion of Kovásznai's birthday. Leaving the secret vault, after spending eons there, the film has returned to the joy of all in the best quality available.

An absolutely phenomenal animation, there is a psycheldic feel not bound by the usual genre template and it stays with you and the images will be recorded in our minds. Beyond being a masterpiece of animated cinema, this film is one of the most original and powerful films, a work that unifies the best of surrealist aesthetics with a very intelligent analysis and dark humor. Bubble Bath is not only an experiment for the filmmaker, but also for the viewer, and remains one of my favourite animated feature. Do not expect a classic disney or studio ghibli like feeding tale, it is surely an absorbing experience that mixes various feelings. I strongly recommend this to fans of Brothers Quay, Jan Svankmajer, Yoji Kuri, Kihachiro Kawamoto. Also, do check out the titles below if you wish to consider.

Paul Grimault The King and the Mockingbird (1980) Marcell Jankovics Son of the White Mare (1981) Pramod Pati Abid (1972) Theodore Ushev Blind Vaysha (2016) Raoul Servais Taxandria (1994) Jean-Loup Felicioli A Cat in Paris (2010) Ideya Garanina The Cat Who Walked by Herself (1988) Hiroyuki Kitakubo Roujin Z (1991) Bruno Bozzetto Allegro non troppo (1976) The Hubleys, Ayar Blasco Lava (2019) Katariina Lillqvist The Butterfly from Ural (2008) Joanna Quinn Girls' Night Out (1988) Michael Dudok de Wit The Monk and the Fish (1994) Marjane Satrapi Persepolis (2008) Satoshi Kon Millennium Actress (2001) Jack Kinney Johnnie Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet (1946) Bill Plympton Idiots and Angels (2008) Ralph Bakshi Coonskin (1974) Sylvain Chomet The Triplets of Belleville (2003) Yuri Norstein Tale of Tales (1979) Masaaki Yuasa's Mind Game (2004) Tatsuo Sato Cat Soup (2001) Juan Padrón Vampires in Havana (1985) Clive Smith's Rock & Rule (1983) Keita Kurosaka Midori-ko (2010) Jean-François Laguionie Gwen, the Book of Sand (1985) Ujicha The Burning Buddha Man (2013)

I would have never thought a 1970's Hungarian animated adult-oriented dramedy musical about a man with cold feet on his wedding day could actually be this good but it is! Habfurdo (the original name of the film) is unique and creative with enough colors to make every single little detail in the frames pop! The way every character's movements are animated is oddly different that it works to the films advantage in a multitude of ways. A superb story to tell as well makes the film a must see for fans of animated films and obscure surreal films alike. I can strongly recommend this film to everyone I know!