I loved 'The Trotsky' it is the kind of teen comedy we seldom get, one that acknowledges the hardships of being a teenager but that is also very funny and intelligent. Teens aren't stupid and it seems that many screenwriters think they are. 'The Trotsky' is as much a story about adolescences as it is about teenage brand Bolshevism.
Leon Bronstein believes he is the reincarnation of the great hero of the October Revolution Leon Trotsky. I'm sold. It's a brilliant premise and it's execution is seamless. Director Jacob Tierney asks the audience to take a leap of faith. Leon is so convinced of his lineage that he pursues a woman named Alexandra who is ten years older than him because Trotsky did so. This relationship is tricky but I think what makes it work is Jay Baruchel's utmost commitment to the role. He does appear very childlike and this is essential to the brilliance of the story. The teen years are hard and in his uncertainty he turns to Trotsky, the brilliant hero of Bolshevism who was bold and conquered history. Bronstein is questioned about the unsavory details of Trotsky's life such as his infamous murder with the 'ice pick'. The way Baruchel responds is so brilliant, he thinks of Trotsky's life as an adventure which he gets to live through. The way Baruchel delivers this line is funny, uplifting, and even a little sweet. Bronstein wants the whole package; even to the point where he asks a classmate if he is "my Stalin". By all means Leon Bronstein is the kind of character we would expect to be beaten up by cliché jocks but the approach by both Tierney and Baruchel is to create a character driven by passion. Bronstein believes he is Trotsky to the point where others are dragged into his fantasy and I think this satisfies some of the more questionable elements of the script.
Not knowing about the Russian Revolution will not hurt your appreciation of the film but it is much funnier if you have some idea about what went down. Tierney has done his homework and the film can become a great inside joke for anyone the least bit familiar with Soviet history.
Leon Bronstein believes he is the reincarnation of the great hero of the October Revolution Leon Trotsky. I'm sold. It's a brilliant premise and it's execution is seamless. Director Jacob Tierney asks the audience to take a leap of faith. Leon is so convinced of his lineage that he pursues a woman named Alexandra who is ten years older than him because Trotsky did so. This relationship is tricky but I think what makes it work is Jay Baruchel's utmost commitment to the role. He does appear very childlike and this is essential to the brilliance of the story. The teen years are hard and in his uncertainty he turns to Trotsky, the brilliant hero of Bolshevism who was bold and conquered history. Bronstein is questioned about the unsavory details of Trotsky's life such as his infamous murder with the 'ice pick'. The way Baruchel responds is so brilliant, he thinks of Trotsky's life as an adventure which he gets to live through. The way Baruchel delivers this line is funny, uplifting, and even a little sweet. Bronstein wants the whole package; even to the point where he asks a classmate if he is "my Stalin". By all means Leon Bronstein is the kind of character we would expect to be beaten up by cliché jocks but the approach by both Tierney and Baruchel is to create a character driven by passion. Bronstein believes he is Trotsky to the point where others are dragged into his fantasy and I think this satisfies some of the more questionable elements of the script.
Not knowing about the Russian Revolution will not hurt your appreciation of the film but it is much funnier if you have some idea about what went down. Tierney has done his homework and the film can become a great inside joke for anyone the least bit familiar with Soviet history.