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Reviewer123
Reviews
Kosmos kak predchuvstvie (2005)
Whatchable, but nothing special
What is this movie really about? How bad it was to live in USSR? Or how American music was supposedly better than Russian? And what does all of that have to do with space travel? My take on this: even though made in Russia, this movie was made for the West. Why? Well, first, the story line is primitive and characters are not developed (anticipating viewers ADD and taste). A Western viewer, if he ever goes to see a foreign, or, even worse, Russian movie, expects simple things: grotesque scenes from Russian life, plump Russian girls, drunk Russian guys, "superior" American music and lifestyle, and, of course, something peculiar to Russia - in this case, Yuri Gagarin. It's too bad Mironov has degraded to movies such as this one or "Pobeg". Evgenii Tsyganov's role is too simple: there's almost no acting and he is far from his best (as in "Deti Arbata"). It would be really nice if Russian DVDs had labels such as: "this movie was made for Westerners" or "for Moscovites only" :), so I would know what to avoid...
Deti Arbata (2004)
A must see!
This movies is based on Anatolii Rybakov's Trilogy "Deti Arbata". The script-writer has done an excellent job selecting the right scenes from the book. However, I would suggest reading the book first, as it might be hard to follow some story lines otherwise. The movie should probably be treated more like an illustration to the book, even though it is a bit different (and better in some respects). The actors, the director, and the cameramen are excellent. The roles of Sasha, Varya, Soph'ya Alexandrovna, Yura Sharok, Lena Budyagina, - were played exactly the way I imagined from reading the book. Maksim Kostin seems a bit 2-dimensional, but his role is a very secondary one. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by seeing a new Russian movie of such a high quality and lots of new actors who can play so well. Especially after seeing crap such as "Nochnoi Dozor" (Night Watch) and "Pobeg" (Escape (?)) or relatively good (but nothing special) movies like "Shtrafbat" (Penal Battalion). Very highly recommended. 10/10
Dancer in the Dark (2000)
Good acting, bad movie
Sorry, fans, but this movie is boring... I grew up watching Russian and European movies: they are beautiful and deep. I also like Hollywood classics: those movies are very well filmed and are very enjoyable. But this one... Too long, too boring, too dismal...
The movie starts from nowhere, so for the first twenty minutes you have to guess what's going on and why it is worth filming. The woman is going blind from some mysterious disease which can be treated only by a surgery and only when you turn 13. And all your children will have the same disease. Is that for real? I guess most people have not heard about such illnesses, so why not give us some background?
In fact, the movie does not explain anything. How does Selma know the exact number of steps from her cell to the gallows (obviously, impossible)? Why did her "friends" give the lawyer the exact amount she had for the doctor up to a cent (couldn't they add anything?) and why did he tell her how much he got?
I guess it was supposed to be a fairy tale, but why did the director savor all the bad things? Because it's not Hollywood? But Hollywood is not the only place that makes movies after all.
On the positive side, the acting was pretty good, though, on the negative side, the characters are quite flat (we do not learn anything at all about them by the end of the movie!).
Don't waste your time or money. 3/10
Vozvrashchenie (2003)
Quality movie about father and sons
The movie is high quality and I highly recommend it. It was shot somewhere in northern Russia. Very typical scenery. Nothing brutal or unusual about it.
Two sons were brought up by their mother and grandmother; hence, they lack manly qualities. The younger brother has many fears and seems to hate everybody. The older brother is stronger, but soft and supportive. He always yields to his younger brother.
Their father left the family when they were small. It is unclear from the movie where he has been. Most likely, parents just divorced.
The mother asks the father to spend some time with the sons because she thinks they need male influence. The father is not very familiar with boys and feels uncomfortable with them. At some point he decides he is not up to the task and tells them to go home. But later he changes his mind and thinks that if he has more time he can get closer with them.
He wants to get closer with the kids, but he does not rush. His behavior is not cruel by any means. Obviously, their unmanliness annoys him, but he patiently teaches them lesson after lesson. It is much more difficult for him than it is for them.
Unfortunately, only with father's death, do the sons realize his sacrifice. The older brother becomes more decisive, and the younger one overcomes his fears and understands the power of love.