Pu-239 (2006) The Half Life of Timofey Berezin (original title)

Director:

Scott Z. Burns

Writers (WGA):

Scott Z. Burns (screenplay)
Ken Kalfus (short story "PU-239")

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

His family's future depends on one unstable element.

Plot:

A worker at a Russian nuclear facility gets exposed to a lethal dose of radiation. In order to provide for his family, he steals some plutonium and sets out to sell it on Moscow's black market with the help of an incompetent criminal.

Plot Keywords:

Plutonium | Black Market | Russia | Post Soviet Russia | Dog Hit By A Car

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Paddy Considine	...	Timofey
Oscar Isaac	...	Shiv
Valeriu Pavel Dan	...	Red Army Hero
Kenneth Bryans	...	Prusokov
Radha Mitchell	...	Marina
Danya Baryshnikov	...	Tolya
Connor McIntyre	...	Facility Director
Derek Hutchinson	...	Facility Deputy
Jason Flemyng	...	Vlad
Jordan Long	...	Yegor
Xenia Alina Grigore	...	Lap Girl
Mélanie Thierry	...	Oxsana
Constantin Barbulescu	...	Dmitri
Oana Cojocaru	...	Svetlana
Stefan Iancu	...	Andrei
Florina Cercel	...	Valentina
Lucia Maier	...	Olga
Ioana Abur	...	Injured Dog Owner
Denisa Rosca	...	Crying Kid
Nikolaj Lie Kaas	...	Tusk
Rudy Rosenfeld	...	Butterfly Man
Irene Bagach	...	Victorya Secretsky
Dan Chiriac	...	CD Seller
Steven Berkoff	...	Starkov
Bogdan Farkas	...	Starkov's Bouncer
Georgiana Andronic	...	Way Too Young
Anatoli Ciumac	...	Flathead
Florin Roata	...	Flathead
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Mihai Bendeac	...	Random Worker (uncredited)
Ioan Brancu	...	TV Vendor (uncredited)
Matyelok Gibbs	...	Ana (uncredited)
Sophia Lansky	...	Additional Voices (uncredited) (voice)
Derren Nesbitt	...	Pepsi (uncredited)
Bogdan Uritescu	...	Foreman (uncredited)
Yoshinori Yamamoto	...	Japanese Business Man (uncredited)

Directed by
Scott Z. Burns

Writing credits (WGA)
Scott Z. Burns		(screenplay)
Ken Kalfus		(short story "PU-239")

Produced by
Peter Berg	....	executive producer
Armyan Bernstein	....	executive producer
George Clooney	....	executive producer
Ben Cosgrove	....	executive producer
Elena de Leonardis	....	associate producer (as Elena Jacobson)
Miranda de Pencier	....	producer
Zanne Devine	....	executive producer
Rachel Eggebeen	....	associate producer
Jennifer Fox	....	executive producer
Guy J. Louthan	....	producer
Charlie Lyons	....	producer
Vlad Paunescu	....	producer
Dmitry Shutko	....	line producer: Moscow
Steven Soderbergh	....	executive producer

Original Music by
Abel Korzeniowski

Cinematography by
Eigil Bryld

Film Editing by
Tatiana S. Riegel
Leo Trombetta

Casting by
Nancy Bishop
Susan Bluestein
Kate Dowd
Camille St. Cyr

Production Design by
Tom Meyer

Art Direction by
Adrian Curelea
Sorin Popescu

Set Decoration by
Oana Marinescu
Alexandra Botoi Tudorache

Costume Design by
Oana Paunescu

Makeup Department
Daniela Busoiu	....	makeup artist
Catalin Ciutu	....	key hair stylist
Letitia Ghenea	....	assistant makeup artist
Marese Langan	....	hair designer
Marese Langan	....	makeup designer
Cristina Temelie	....	assistant hair stylist
Andreea Tudose	....	assistant makeup artist

Production Management
Eugen Dinca	....	unit production manager: Romania
Jasmine Kosovic	....	post-production supervisor
Mark L. Mitchell	....	post production executive
Bogdan Moncea	....	executive in charge of production
Nancy Rae Stone	....	executive in charge of production
Jennifer Wynne	....	unit production manager: UK

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ovidiu Paunescu	....	third assistant director
Kieron Phipps	....	first assistant director
Alexandra Puia	....	second assistant director
Ksenia Shchedrina	....	second assistant director: Moscow

Art Department
Alexandru Dinca	....	props
Viorel Ghenea	....	property master
Andreea Gherghel	....	on-set dresser
Adi Handac	....	props
Christian Niculescu	....	production designer: Romania
Ionel Popa	....	propmaker
Grigore Purcariu	....	assistant art director
Andi Rosu	....	props buyer
Rosca Stefan	....	painter
Monica Timofte	....	assistant art director
Adrian Ungureanu	....	lead painter

Sound Department
Rick Ash	....	sound
Keith Bilderbeck	....	sound effects editor
Kelly Cabral	....	supervising sound editor
Melissa A. Corns	....	sound effects editor
Robert Edwards	....	adr recordist
Peter Gleaves	....	adr mixer
Jon Johnson	....	sound
Val Kuklowsky	....	adr editor
Michael Miller	....	adr mixer
Chris Navarro	....	adr recordist
Simon Price	....	adr supervisor
Miguel Rivera	....	dialogue & adr editor
Gabriel J. Serrano	....	sound recordist
Edward M. Steidele	....	foley artist
Lauren Stephens	....	sound effects editor
Andy Thompson	....	adr mixer
Eric Thompson	....	adr mixer
Chris Trent	....	foley mixer
Jerry Trent	....	foley artist

Special Effects by
Laurence Harvey	....	senior special effects technician
Lucian Iordache	....	special effects supervisor
Jason Troughton	....	special effects supervisor
Ovidiu Veliscu	....	special effects technician

Visual Effects by
Brian Shows	....	digital intermediate supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department
Toni Cartu	....	director of photography: second unit
Calin Catalin	....	gaffer
Sean Connor	....	first assistant camera
Gabriel Kosuth	....	additional photographer
Peter Robertson	....	Steadicam operator
Oliver Upton	....	still photographer

Casting Department
Nancy Bishop	....	casting
Susan Bluestein	....	casting: USA
Floriela Grapini	....	casting: Romania
Justin Haulbrook	....	casting intern: USA
Jason Kennedy	....	casting associate: USA
Kirsty Kinnear	....	casting associate
Camille St. Cyr	....	casting: USA
Noelle Trkulja	....	casting assistant: Prague

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Laurentiu Alexe	....	costume assistant
Ana Maria Cucu	....	assistant costume designer
Carmen Ilie	....	set costumer
Oana Paunescu	....	costumes
Doina Raducut	....	set costumer

Editorial Department
Natasha Blasick	....	post-production
Jason Bretz	....	assistant editor
George Chavez	....	color timer
Matthew W. Johnson	....	iq artist
Ella Leya	....	assistant editor
Peter McEvoy	....	digital intermediate executive producer
Marilyn McMahon Adams	....	assistant editor
Joey Mendez	....	post-production assistant
Roberta Raduca	....	telecine colorist
Kasia Skorynkiewicz	....	post-production coordinator

Music Department
Daniel Birczynski	....	music designer
Tom Calderaro	....	orchestrator
Julie Eidsvoog	....	music preparation
Rick Giovinazzo	....	orchestrator
Greg Hayes	....	score recordist
Joel Iwataki	....	music score mixer
Steve Kempster	....	score mixer
Bryan Lawson	....	music editor
Sam Zeines	....	assistant music editor
Gina Zimmitti	....	music contractor

Transportation Department
Sorin Dinu	....	transport coordinator
Octav Tudor	....	transportation coordinator

Other crew
Alina Apostu	....	script supervisor
Razvan Badea	....	production assistant
Larisa Busuioc	....	assistant to director
Jennifer M. Byrne	....	post-production accountant
Liviu Gherghe	....	production assistant
Florin Gon	....	key location manager
Hieu Ho	....	assistant: Zanne Devine
Christina Hwang	....	title producer
Cristian Ivan	....	office secretary
Cristina Ivan	....	office secretary
Cristina Jaleru	....	assistant production coordinator
Svetlana Migounova	....	production coordinator: Moscow
Andreea Mititiuc	....	office secretary
Adrian Moroca	....	production assistant
Ruxandra Popescu	....	production accountant
Emily Rice	....	post-production accountant
Katerina Shashorina	....	chief location manager & production coordinator: Moscow
Claudia Stanciu	....	production assistant
Luminita Costinela Stanciu	....	production secretary
Bogdan Stefanescu	....	location manager
Ovidiu Stoia	....	location unit manager
Rebecca Thornell	....	clearance
Oana Topliceanu	....	production coordinator
Roy Vongtama	....	medical technical advisor
Dale Wyatt	....	dialogue coach

Production Companies

• Beacon Pictures
• HBO Films
• Plutonium Production Limited
• Section Eight

Distributors

• Picturehouse Entertainment (2006) (USA) (theatrical)
• Argentina Video Home (2009) (Argentina) (DVD)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2006) (United Arab Emirates) (all media) (Middle East)
• Odeon (2009) (Greece) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Castel Film Romania  production facilities
• Sound Satisfaction  foley recording facilities
• Wilshire Stages, The  ADR recording facility

Also Known As:

"The Half Life of Timofey Berezin" - USA (original title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violence, sexual content and brief drug use

Runtime:

97 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

USA:R | Australia:MA | Argentina:18 | Singapore:NC-16

Filming Locations:

Bucharest, Romania

Company:

Beacon Pictures

Quotes:

Timofey:You read too much.
Marina:I thought that's why you liked me.
Timofey:I never said I liked you. I said I loved you.
Marina:When did you say that?
Timofey:Before I ever knew your name. First day I saw you at the institute. I tried to say it with my eyes. On the day I married you in Tuvula and every day since. Just sometimes I said it to myself.

Soundtrack:

Myachik

Great Film

Based on a short story by Ken Kalfus, PU-239 is about a man who worked all of his adult life in a nuclear processing facility, only to find himself contaminated beyond hope of survival because the plant is literally falling apart. Faced with precious little time to look out for his family's future, a good man does a bad thing, by stealing a small quantity of weapons grade plutonium to sell on the black market. His journey takes him to Moscow,where he must deal with Russian mobsters and street thugs while trying to survive long enough to make a transaction.

The film is filled with little facts about the power and dangers of radiation, and examples of the affect that perestroika has had on Russian society. The plot takes many turns as the main characters find themselves in one ironic situation after another. While the details may be contrived (hey - it's a movie), the basic plot is very plausible and the scary thing is how much enriched plutonium is actually unaccounted for in the former USSR.

I feel sure this film will be made available on DVD someday. But if you have access to HBO, watch it now. If you like dark satire and science, this films for you.