Over the past several years, I have seen a healthy amount of Russian films or films set in Russia to get by in building my culture. But I have never seen a film set in very north east of Russia towards the legendary Bering Strait that separates Russia and America.
Along with seeing a brief synopsis of the plot, I was intrigued to see how this film would go.
On paper it sounded like a road comedy. But it actually ended up being a profound drama with themes that reminded me of British drama God's Own Country. That feeling of isolation and wanting to see what's out there and almost going mad knowing that they don't have the guts to take that step into the unknown.
It was interesting seeing this way of living in that part of the world and the conflict our central character was facing as the story developed. Admittedly, it gets slow at times. But I think what was keeping me going was the metaphors it was presenting.
The final act I think is what sealed it for me. It ends in a very profound and moving way that I was not expecting.
The minimal cast across the board all do a pretty good job. Vladimir Onokhov gave us a highly interesting lead character and the constant innocence he gave off felt both sweet and sympathetic. He was a very effective lead and really made the style work.
Other aspects that I certainly appreciated was the camerawork by Mikhail Khursevich and Yakov Mironichev. Making the film feel both small and grand in its scale was impressive to see.
So even with the aforementioned slow parts of the film, I found this to be an effective and memorable watch. It's intimate in its look. But with the vast landscape, it also manages to be immersive and cinematic. I can certainly see myself liking this film the more I think about it afterwards and this will be a big favourite with fans of arthouse cinema.
Rating: 7/10
No comments:
Post a Comment