If your spouse turned to you one day and asked, 'Explain to me now, how it happened that you were promising love and happiness and as a result I have only pain and disappointment?' how would you react to that?
The Russian film Nelyubov, or Loveless (the literal translation is 'Dislike', which works better IMHO), in short, is the story of a selfish married couple, Zhenya and Boris (Maryana Spivak, Aleksey Rozin), on the brink of divorce and putting their young son, Alyosha (Matvey Novikov), in the middle of it. Alyosha disappears after a rather heated argument between the couple and now they must form a team to find the missing 12-year-old.
This isn't a happy family movie so be warned. There is no love here, and that you can feel and see. Neither Boris nor Zhenya love each other, and they never did. The marriage is one of convenience. Boris needs the marriage because of his Orthodox employer: it's policy to be married and have a family, and divorcing your spouse is worthy of dismissal. Zhenya, on the other hand needed marriage at one time to get away from her uncaring mother (Natalya Potapova). Now, Zhenya is screwing a much older man, Anton (Andris Keiss), and prefers the lifestyle that only he can offer; she is clearly a lot happier with him than with Boris and Alyosha. Boris, too, has a new relationship with a younger woman, Masha (Marina Vasileva), and she's already prego with his child. Alyosha is an after-thought.
These two 'parents of the year' are mean to each other, and Alyosha. The kid is an emotional wreck. In his mother's words, Alyosha is an 'unforgivable mistake'. Neither parent has time for this poor kid. Even when Alyosha goes missing, it takes both parents nearly two days to realize he's gone and they're both devoid of emotion when they do notice (you deal with it, no you deal with it - I'm busy). Sadly, even the government authorities seem to handle the case with the same care and concern.
The only issue I have with this movie is the English subtitles. The spoken Russian dialogue is quick at times, especially when there is an argument happening, and although the English subs keep up, they don't stay on the screen long enough to catch everything said (I had to stop and back up - a luxury those seeing this at a cinema don't get). Also, there are two lengthy scenes (30 seconds to 1 minute) in the movie when we see a news report on television. The reports refer to the civil war in Ukraine (the movie takes place in 2012) but there no translation of what is being said. How important these scenes are to the plot, I'm not sure.
Otherwise, Loveless is a moving film that will have you thinking long after the final credits roll. It will haunt you. Strong acting, strong script, strong cinematography. There are several shots that are without dialogue but are very informative on their own. They are meant to be reflective and thought provoking. God are they ever. Watch this film.
If Loveless doesn't win the Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, it's political.
The Russian film Nelyubov, or Loveless (the literal translation is 'Dislike', which works better IMHO), in short, is the story of a selfish married couple, Zhenya and Boris (Maryana Spivak, Aleksey Rozin), on the brink of divorce and putting their young son, Alyosha (Matvey Novikov), in the middle of it. Alyosha disappears after a rather heated argument between the couple and now they must form a team to find the missing 12-year-old.
This isn't a happy family movie so be warned. There is no love here, and that you can feel and see. Neither Boris nor Zhenya love each other, and they never did. The marriage is one of convenience. Boris needs the marriage because of his Orthodox employer: it's policy to be married and have a family, and divorcing your spouse is worthy of dismissal. Zhenya, on the other hand needed marriage at one time to get away from her uncaring mother (Natalya Potapova). Now, Zhenya is screwing a much older man, Anton (Andris Keiss), and prefers the lifestyle that only he can offer; she is clearly a lot happier with him than with Boris and Alyosha. Boris, too, has a new relationship with a younger woman, Masha (Marina Vasileva), and she's already prego with his child. Alyosha is an after-thought.
These two 'parents of the year' are mean to each other, and Alyosha. The kid is an emotional wreck. In his mother's words, Alyosha is an 'unforgivable mistake'. Neither parent has time for this poor kid. Even when Alyosha goes missing, it takes both parents nearly two days to realize he's gone and they're both devoid of emotion when they do notice (you deal with it, no you deal with it - I'm busy). Sadly, even the government authorities seem to handle the case with the same care and concern.
The only issue I have with this movie is the English subtitles. The spoken Russian dialogue is quick at times, especially when there is an argument happening, and although the English subs keep up, they don't stay on the screen long enough to catch everything said (I had to stop and back up - a luxury those seeing this at a cinema don't get). Also, there are two lengthy scenes (30 seconds to 1 minute) in the movie when we see a news report on television. The reports refer to the civil war in Ukraine (the movie takes place in 2012) but there no translation of what is being said. How important these scenes are to the plot, I'm not sure.
Otherwise, Loveless is a moving film that will have you thinking long after the final credits roll. It will haunt you. Strong acting, strong script, strong cinematography. There are several shots that are without dialogue but are very informative on their own. They are meant to be reflective and thought provoking. God are they ever. Watch this film.
If Loveless doesn't win the Oscar® for Best Foreign Language Film of the Year, it's political.