Apocrypha (2009) User Reviews

Makes sense if one is familiar with Zvyagintsev's body of work and the Nobel Prize winner Brodsky

[JuguAbraham · 7/10 · 7 October 2023]

A segment meant for the portmanteau film "New York, I Love You" was eventually never included--possibly because it was too dark compared to the other selected segments. The Russian connect with New York is established early with a lady standing outside a block of apartments in New York asking a resident if that is where the Russian Nobel Prize winner Joseph Brodsky lived and the resident doesn't seem to recognize that name. Unlike the other segments of "New York, I Love You" this proposed segment (now available separately on youtube) is about a young man with a camera stumbling on an older couple who are lovers in the city and have to break their relationship. (The other segment left out was directed by Scarlet Johannsen, "These Vagabond Shoes" also with a dark outcome.) Cinematographer Mikhail Krichman, a constant collaborator of Zvyagintsev, is very impressive here as well.

Apocrypha, I didn't love you.

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 14 October 2017]

"Apocrypha" is an American 13-minute short film from 2009, so this one will have its 10th anniversary soon. The writer and director was Russian Andrey Zvyagintsev, who is now mostly known for the film Leviathan that probably came close to an Oscar win. This one we have here was initially intended as part of the film New York I Love You, but finally did not get included. I have not seen that one, but I still don't feel this live action short here could have elevated the rest really. Don't worry about the language because dialogues are almost nonexistent in here. The film tries to make an impact in terms of depth, emotion and sincerity as we get to follow a boy and his camera to see what he sees. But to me, the film came short in all three departments sadly and it was not a satisfying watch. The best part was maybe early on still the prologue with the boy getting the camera from his dad. Everything else felt pretty forgettable to me then, which is also why I don't mind too much that this film got degraded from the project it was intended to be a part of. Another fairly bizarre fact here is that despite 13 minutes runtime, it ends way before the 10-minute mark, so approximately one third here is closing credits. Overall I give it a thumbs-down and I think it is probably one of Zyagintsev's weaker, maybe weakest works. Never succeeds with what it is trying to achieve really. Watch something else instead.