Viktor

Some people shouldn't direct. Gerard Depardieu stars in this claptrap revenge drama set in his new home nation of Russia, a hamfisted dreck movie in which English is spoken badly (as in bad acting) by all except for Elizabeth Hurley, who is lovely and ostensibly the only cast member with a pulse here. It's poorly shot, poorly lit, with some scenes made patently awful by the fact that Depardieu is sightreading lines inanely from cuecards. His English is famously poor and that is on frank display here. People may be drawn to this film because Russia is on our minds now, and may even think it will have some of the intrigue of "Eastern Promises." Be warned and stay away. Scene continuity is lousy and the storyline too generic to trifle with. How about some real editing? How about some DIRECTING to make this seem like something other than an appalling readthrough? Two stars instead of one merely because of Hurley. Serious moviegoers will be deeply offended by "Viktor," the only film I've even seen that seems to have been all shot in a single awful take.