After the fall of the Soviet Union, remnants still remain behind the Iron Curtain of yesteryear and struggle to remain in power amidst the new regime. Oleg, an aging uncle that served as a ranking officer of the former order grows suspicious of his nephew Vlad's endeavors of independent, edgy film making that involves his young, newly wed wife Tamara. Venturing to the Crimean Peninsula for a relaxing getaway turns into flirtatious espionage as the hidden romance blossoms under unsupervised interactions.
The main cast of the film, starring Vyacheslav Zholobov as the uncle Oleg, Nataliya Vdovina his wife Tamara, and George Marchenko his nephew Vlad, delivers a spectacular performance from start to finish. The opening scene shows one of Vlad's "dirty films" being made, sets the tone and the backdrop for the entire film. The chemistry amongst the two is portrayed as a dance between lovers that mirrors reality as they must carefully maneuver their relationship of infidelity so as not to arouse suspicion of their spouses.
Vladimir and Lev Prudkin delicately craft each shot strategically to give the audience alluring visuals while advancing the plot. The color tones of the film add to the storytelling as its setting is a bleak time for the country with ominous, prevailing clouds on the horizon. The conflict and tension of the approaching war between Russian and Ukraine is all too real which adds another layer to the films appeal.
Overall, the film was slow throughout its entirety, however, did a wonderful job telling its story. The cinematography excels more than others of similar caliber and genre with a great cast fulfilling the roles.
The main cast of the film, starring Vyacheslav Zholobov as the uncle Oleg, Nataliya Vdovina his wife Tamara, and George Marchenko his nephew Vlad, delivers a spectacular performance from start to finish. The opening scene shows one of Vlad's "dirty films" being made, sets the tone and the backdrop for the entire film. The chemistry amongst the two is portrayed as a dance between lovers that mirrors reality as they must carefully maneuver their relationship of infidelity so as not to arouse suspicion of their spouses.
Vladimir and Lev Prudkin delicately craft each shot strategically to give the audience alluring visuals while advancing the plot. The color tones of the film add to the storytelling as its setting is a bleak time for the country with ominous, prevailing clouds on the horizon. The conflict and tension of the approaching war between Russian and Ukraine is all too real which adds another layer to the films appeal.
Overall, the film was slow throughout its entirety, however, did a wonderful job telling its story. The cinematography excels more than others of similar caliber and genre with a great cast fulfilling the roles.