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Makariy
Reviews
Hostile (2022)
Somewhat simplistic analysis of an important topic
Shows the adverse impact of the hostile environment policy as experienced by real individuals, but with no meaningful context. This documentary is purely a polemic without any depth of analysis.
The Russian Woodpecker (2015)
Visually engaging but rather empty 'truther-lite' documentary
This documentary presents numerous speculations about the Chernobyl disaster (most notably alleging that it may have been an 'inside job' done to cover up a costly failed Soviet intelligence project).
The film clearly doesn't seem to know whether to back these wild notions and thus 'expose the conspiracy', or to let them represent the troubled/visionary mind of the artist-protagonist Fedor Alexandrovich. It hedges its bets, rather like a horoscope its meaning is largely down to you.
This leaves the film with a conspicuous absence in the place where its core integrity should be. I saw this at a festival with filmmaker present and he gave open-ended answers regarding to the conspiracy angle when questioned by the audience. This leaves the film with an artificial range of interpretation, because it lacks any real conviction of its own. It should be noted that some of the footage is great, but unfortunately the whole is less than the sum of the parts.