The Dostoevsky story on which this is based is one of my favorites, and the filmmakers here do a pretty good job of bringing it to a contemporary context. Alex is visited by his old friend Peter after Peter's wife has died and slowly do we realize that Alex once had an affair with Peter's wife, but also that Peter may indeed know (and also Peter's daughter is really Alex's child).
What's really cool here is the balancing act -- Alex just wants Peter to go away, but, hell, his wife just died and he feels for him -- you get the sense they were once friends. But what is with this guy? He's just so damn creepy and it's never clear if he's motivated by remorse or revenge. The actor who plays Peter is good at this -- maybe a little wooden with the low-key scenes, but really kind of harrowing with the out-there stuff (there's a scene with a prostitute that just stays on his face as this gorgeous song plays and I was torn between utter revulsion and intense sympathy -- lovely).
It doesn't have Hollywood production values to be sure, but it's all about the characters, dude, and that it has.
What's really cool here is the balancing act -- Alex just wants Peter to go away, but, hell, his wife just died and he feels for him -- you get the sense they were once friends. But what is with this guy? He's just so damn creepy and it's never clear if he's motivated by remorse or revenge. The actor who plays Peter is good at this -- maybe a little wooden with the low-key scenes, but really kind of harrowing with the out-there stuff (there's a scene with a prostitute that just stays on his face as this gorgeous song plays and I was torn between utter revulsion and intense sympathy -- lovely).
It doesn't have Hollywood production values to be sure, but it's all about the characters, dude, and that it has.