Curtiz is an American-Hungarian movie from 2018 that showcases the life of Michael Curtiz, a Hungarian film director who is best known for directing the classic movie Casablanca. Directed by Tamas Yvan Topolanszky, the film stars Ferenc Lengyel as Michael Curtiz, Evelin Dobos as Kitty Bell and Declan Hannigan as Jack Warner. The movie is set in the year 1942 when America is at war with Germany. Michael Curtiz, a prominent director who is often criticized for his complex and frank personality, is assigned by the studio Warner Bros to direct a movie named Casablanca. However, there is a catch. He has been given only 26 days to complete the film, which is a fraction of the time normally required to complete a typical movie.
The movie starts with Curtiz working on a movie set, where he is trying to shoot a scene with two actors who do not seem to agree on how the scene should be delivered. Curtiz then receives a call from the studio, asking him to forget the current project and start working on Casablanca. Although initially skeptical, Curtiz agrees to take on this project as he sees it as a way to prove his worth.
As he embarks on the journey of completing the movie, Curtiz must navigate through multiple challenges, including dealing with the government's interference due to the ongoing war, managing the changing relationship dynamics between the cast and crew, and exploring his own troubled past. The film portrays his insecurities, doubts, and fears, as well as his passionate commitment to filmmaking and his craft.
Moreover, Curtiz is also forced to grapple with his personal life, including the fading health of his daughter and a complicated relationship with actress Kitty Bell. The movie portrays the sensitive interrogations of Curtiz's personal life and how his emotions ultimately play an important role in his perspective towards the film.
The movie showcases how Curtiz interacts with the studio executives, his colleagues, and his actors during the production of Casablanca, and how the challenging shoot ends up uniting everyone toward a common goal. It also dives into the relationships between Curtiz and his colleagues, including his longtime assistants and the legendary movie producer Jack Warner.
Throughout the movie, the audience is shown snippets from the actual making of Casablanca, which provide a glimpse into the struggles and challenges that the real-life cast and crew members faced while filming the movie. The use of real events mixed with a fictional story portrayed an authentic picture of Michael Curtiz and his career.
In conclusion, Curtiz is an engaging and thoroughly entertaining film that provides a deep insight into the making of the classic film Casablanca and the remarkable director behind it. The movie's visuals and cinematography add to the film's suspenseful and dramatic scenes, making it a pleasure to watch. Ferenc Lengyel gave a standout performance as Michael Curtiz, capturing the real-life personality of the director with ease. Those who love films that delve deep into the relationships between filmmakers and the complexities of the production process will savor this movie.
Curtiz is a 2018 drama with a runtime of 1 hour and 38 minutes.
It has received moderate reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.0.
