Movies
A rather peculiar Russian film. It's not an outright horror flick, for that it doesn't seem interested enough in exploiting some of its more horrific narrative details, but it's a pretty dark and harrowing watch all the same. It's also a little dire, in typical Russian fashion, which is what kept the film from a higher rating. I'm not entirely sure whether the film had the 80s look down, or Russian films generally look a bit more dated. The setting is dreary though and the characters are dull, but the events are dark and the stark, cold presentation helps to increase the impact. Not bad, but a bit too barren for my taste.Read all
A rather raw and unfiltered crime drama, but it lacks the true grit to have any kind of impact. The lead is a rather dull and unwieldy character, the rest of the criminals aren't much better. There are some blunt scenes left and right, but none of them are able to shock, nor do they linger. The romance angle isn't very interesting either, the cinematography is rather dire and the inclusion of pop music feels silly almost three decades later. Balabanov still manages to create a somewhat intriguing portrait of a young man who slowly submerges in a criminal swamp, but the delivery is rather poor.Read all