FFC Reviews

No News from God (2001)

A masterpiece of irony. A pepper-upper. With peerless Victoria Abril

[9/10 · 29 January 2003]

Svelte (probably not the most apt attribute - in terms of grammar) irony - that's what is the main thing in that movie (apart from my utterly beloved m-me Abril). Be it Gallic or Iberian (both, I would guess)it's that tricky sort of humor that results in existencialism (for one thing)and paradoxal way of thinking (for the second and far from last thing). Just earthy - and so arty - view upon Hell and Heaven and afterlife: heaven angel's life is to sing in Montmartre cabaret while in Hell dead gangsters are transformed into women and sent to serve in fast-food...

I would point also on the splendid duo who are not a grain less than Gary Oldman and Tim Roth in Stoppard's famous "Rosenkranz and Guildenstern are dead" And the guy - they did excellent job to find such a face, yeah The film's effect to the great extend is made by this texture: faces, everyday details etc... Much reconciling and toning anyway - and very cinematografic to say so... Dainty.

The Perfect Storm (2000)

true tragedy - utterly non-pop-culture piece of art

[9/10 · 7 September 2000]

However politically incorrect it may sound this movie being an American by produce is very much non-American and vividly reminds of Das Boot by the same Wolfgang Petersen. First there is not a single dull and plastic face so mandatory and so prevailing in contemporary Am. bestselling films and so-called blockbusters. Then there is no happy-end as well as no concentration on agony and spectacular scenes of painful death - the author respects death and suffering enough to stop at the very moment when it's plain a man is dyeing and plain how. That's what's called humanism - nothing beyond the line - and what's called true poetry. In some sense this movie is a play to overturn all the Hollywood cliches - in all but all it's aspects and plot-lines. You'll find here all the merits of W.P. excellent cine-art: a exciting and very artistic gallery of faces (and human types farther), an overwhelming and enchanting presence of the Nature - namely sea, very moving and cutting music... And the very story - so simple and so primal (not surprisingly makes one recollect Hemingway and Steinbeck). In short: excellent piece of true art. Magic

Drug (1988)

very impressive macabre and grotesque drama - or should I say tragedy

[9/10 · 17 April 2000]

Even in Russia where alcoholism is a national scourge and - to say so - national art's topic - there are not many movies that shows with such vividness and strenghth all the hell and total chaos and insanity of the life of a alco-path. You must see this man, his flat which looks like Hell landscape and his doings that are caricature and horrible at the same time - REALLY horrible since that man ends violating moral law... And betrayal of a friend - the only being sympathized him and one sent to save him - plunged this man into "outer darkness where is weeping and gnashing of teeth". Still the man is not evil in himself - he's possessed. And in the moments of sobriety his suffering are sharp. One of the best works of splendid Sergei Shakurov. Also the film is notable as animal movie - the spectator is just completely charmed by this second figure in the story - Newfoundland dog called Drug (Friend)... The songs and poetry by Alexander Rosenbaum also worth noting

The Inner Circle (1991)

another brilliant realization of the theme of "little man"

[8 November 1999]

There is a human tragedy of global scale - and those humans who sway this tragedy and who just turned out to be grains of sand under those wheels of history. To model what those people were in their good and weak producers and authors of "The Inner Circle" made an awesome cast in this movie - don't you agree that Bob Hoskins playing marshal Berija is worth seeing anyway. Lolita Davidovich's and great Russian actor Oleg Tabakov's was magnificent performance. And at last the central character - Ivan Sanshin - is utterly shrill figure and utterly potent message. Due to genius Tom Hulce who looks and acts completely and very naturally Russian - as I see it being Russian myself. No further words on Tom Hulce - he's just a great actor (though not a "star" in the industry, as I can guess) and every one of his works worth seeing. Even in his small role in "Parenthood" he's very convincing and dramatic - and in "The Inner Circle" he has a great material to work on... An obvious merit of this film - it is historically accurate (with exception of ahead-of-time tanks and probably something else) in details. Accurate Soviet uniforms in a Western movie is really very rare thing and in this film uniform of NKVD-officers looks authentic to the Soviet people like me... And the director's job is not bad at all - Konchalovsky has his peaks and faults and The Inner Circle is one of the peaks, I guess...

Das Boot (1981)

great marine saga - very much alike North-European heroic sagas. And excellent portrait-gallery (note here a commander - Jurgen Prochnow - as a great portrait of a man on the edge...)

[20 September 1999]

A magnificent marine and gallery of portraits - if you think these two are not enough to make excellent movie - this faster you must rent "Das Boot". Great show - not only marines but all the scenes are like classic paintings. Also good drama - though, for me, not so much a thriller and not so much fear and horror in this film - i'd say the general tune is calm and saga-like. And the last - this is in itself quite a view upon the war and war-people: look on these Hitler's men - good guys and play fair play. All the soldiers on bouth sides are hostages of someone's else great turpitude. And brilliant Jurgen Prochnow as a commander of Natzi U-Boat - anyway he's worth seeing