yanmazor Reviews

Beaufort (2007)

A genuine drama of a society living in the small country

[8/10 · 18 November 2009]

A genuine drama of a society living in the small but gallant and beautiful state of Israel - a drama set in Beaufort fortress in Southern Lebanon. As far back as in 1982 did brave IDF soldiers take control of the fortress in a bloody battle during the first Lebanon campaign. That war was started to stave off bloodthirsty terrorists (this time - members of Hezbollah). Much blood was spilled during that battle, but the movie is focusing on the year 2000, shortly before the Israeli troops withdrawal from Lebanon. The fortress somehow reminds of the state of Israel itself: also isolated, among the trigger-happy enemies only seeking to grab every chance to shoot to kill. The defendants of the fortress, despite their being soldiers, have their own, sometimes very different opinions concerning defense strategies in particular and politics in general, and that is how Israel is divided, too. Ruefully, the final course of action decided upon both by the commanders of the fortress and commanders of the country is almost always that of defense and withdrawal, as the little state of Israel lacks international understanding and support necessary to treat the trouble-makers as they deserved to be treated and are treated in other places. The good thing about the film is that it doesn't seem to take a clear-cut stand concerning what should be done and thus embraces both camps comprising the society - leftist and rightist. United shall we stand, but shall we win? Hopefully so.

End of Days (1999)

King Saul

[9/10 · 9 November 2009]

Has it ever occurred to anyone that in the final dramatic scene Arnold resembles none other but King Saul from the Old Testament? In order not to be captivated by the Philistines, the wounded King throws himself upon his own sword. Arnold didn't have a sword, but this scene still imparts a deeper meaning to the film: the war the Evil wages against the humankind is still impossible to win, but it exacts a great toll... Needless to say, the resemblance between Jericho and Christ is also striking: both offered themselves up to save the humankind. Jericho reminds of the biblical story of one of the most glorious victories of the Hebrew over the Canaanites.

Brother (1997)

A memorial to Russia's anarchy

[7/10 · 15 September 2007]

A memorial to Russia's anarchy during the late president Yeltsin times, shot in sepia colors, just like some other Balabanov movies. The film is focusing on the simple Russian lad (played by late Bodrov-Jr.) who's just got demobilized from the army. Everything's new to him in the big city of St. Petersburg where he comes to see his hit-man brother: Russian cult band Nautilus, mores of the new Russia, hectic imitation of the Western lifestyle, foreigners, drugs, and even the new Russian slang. He cannot tell the difference between English and French, doesn't like Jews and filmmakers. He tells everybody he was just a scribe at the headquarters, but definitely lies, demonstrating brilliant skills of a hit-man, quite surpassing those of his older ne'er-do-well cowardly brother (and doing jobs for him). A spectator of this movie from outside Russia, especially the one who doesn't hail from the Soviet Union, may think of Medieval Dark Ages into which Russia of the 90's was immersed. The "mysterious Russian soul" interlaced with interesting contemporary Russian rock legends soundtrack goes on to be depicted in "Brat 2", focusing on the same character Danila's adventures in the US, further emphasizing the difference of Russia's and America's mindsets. In 2005, Same filmmaker Aleksei Balabanov shot "Zhmurki" ("Blind Man's Bluff") further mocking Russia's 90's period and further emphasizing the difference between that interim period Russia and and cold-blooded modern Russian Federation where same crimes are done in much slicker way.

Night Watch (2004)

Probably, the worst Russian-language movie ever shot

[1/10 · 3 September 2005]

This truly is awful, and now, before the movie is about to be shown around the world, I'd like to warn the potential viewers: this is the worst piece of sci-fi I have ever seen. During the intermissions between poor, cheap special effects, trying to imitate those of The Matrix, a viewer is forced (if determined to find out what this all is coming to) to listen to pathetic musings on the equilibrium between the Good and the Evil. I simply fail to recognize why it became such a hit; perhaps, the movie's success has something in common with the worst filmmaker Ed Wood's pictures: it is so bad that it is good, or, at least, worth viewing? Well, it isn't.

Gospodin oformitel (1987)

Challenging God may be dangerous

[9/10 · 9 June 2002]

Famous decorator, maker of mannequins Platon Andreevich (beautiful play of Victor Avilov) has been long trying to compete with God wishing to create a chef-d'oeuvre, over which time would have no power. To decorate a show window of a jewelry shop, he picks a model - young girl in her final stage of tuberculosis. It is clear that the girl will soon die, therefore great is the decorator's amazement, when, after 6 years, he encounters that very young lady who is presented to him as a wife of a rich merchant whose house he is supposed to decorate. The rich merchant (M.Kozakov) is dead set to learn more about his wife's past, to which, he suspects, Platon Andreevich holds a key. This search after truth, however, turns out to be a deadly quest for the merchant: he dies a mysterious death, after having lost all his fortune to the decorator over a card table. Well, as you might have understood, this lady is not the former model, whose neglected grave Platon Andreevich finally locates at one of the Saint-Petersburg cemeteries. It is the waxen mannequin who got the life of its own, having turned into the antipode of its meek original. It is now clear that the decorator is doomed to fall victim to his Frankensteinian monster - the feeling of the inevitable death is enhanced by the beautiful, somewhat muffled recitation of the poem "Don Juan".

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Hound of the Baskervilles (1981)

A brilliant movie that has faultlessly reflected the atmosphere of Sherlock Holmes stories.

[8 November 2001]

The movie, as well as others of this series, proves that if you got a talent, you can shoot even if you are somewhat short on means. To shoot this movie, the crew, of course, could not go to some British location, and its London portion was shot in the ancient quarter of Riga. But more than anything, marvelous play of V. Livanov and Co. made it possible to express the spirit of this novel by Arthur Conan Doyle as well as the atmosphere of the 19th century England (which, on the whole, was not the case when the Soviet movie-makers had to deal with American settings.) Unforgettable irony of almost omniscient Sherlock Holmes, Watson's ignorance, bordering on stupidity, charming sagacity of Mrs. Hudson, thick-witted inspector Lestrade - that's how the movie about Sherlock Holmes should look like.