Translated material
And don't promise anything
Watch from October 25 on Moscow screens
“Testament” (Serbia-France, 2007, Emir Kusturica). Film of the opening of the last MIFF. A young country boy (Jurosh Milovanovic) goes to the city to fulfill promises he made to his own grandfather, not the least of which is to find himself a good wife. Everything is as usual with Kusturica, but without the former brilliance and energy: the obligatory elements of his previous films are not pleasing here, but for the most part irritate. However, the most loyal fans of the Balkan anarchist will be happy to look at this too. Also starring Miki Manojlovic, Liliana Blagojevich and Alexander Bercak.“Elka” (Russia, 2007, Vladimir Sakov). A pre-New Year cartoon about the adventures of the polar bear Elka (who, before becoming a movie character, was known as the mascot of the annual all-Russian mass race “Russian Ski Track”), who discovered the Tunnel of Friendship between the North and South Poles and therefore got involved in incredible adventures. The film features snow theft, enslaved penguins, a seal who owns the Internet, and a scary robot named Maxie Mouse.
"Shoot 'Em Up" (USA, 2007, Michael Davis). This is just some kind of holiday - an action movie without much meaning, but completely imbued with the vital juices of a real action film. A certain serious man known as Mr. Smith (Clive Owen) is forced to protect a woman who has just given birth to a child (Monica Bellucci) from an unimaginable number of hired killers. The shooting on the screen does not stop for a minute, film fans constantly recall the best moments from the most successful films of John Woo, the meaning gives way to effectiveness. And this is not just good, but good at five plus. Also starring Paul Giamatti, Greg Brick, Stephen McHattie, Ramona Pringle and Edward Rose.
“Zero Kilometer” (Russia, 2007, Pavel Sanaev). A melodramatic youth thriller from the author of the wonderful book “Bury Me Behind the Baseboard” and the director of the much less wonderful film “The Last Weekend.” The story of young provincials who come to Moscow, overwhelmed by a variety of plans and dreams, but the harsh reality of the capital constantly confronts them with the need to choose between duty, love, career and status, and in the end they cannot do without crime. Starring Alexander Lymarev, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Konstantin Kryukov, Ivan Zhidkov, Alexander Efimov, Yuri Tsurilo, Eva Polna and Fyodor Bondarchuk as himself.
"Halloween 2007" (USA, 2007, Rob Zombie). A new version of the classic, textbook, reference and whatever else - any epithets will be insufficient - John Carpenter's 1978 horror film. But director Zombie (“House of a Thousand Corpses”, “The Devil’s Rejects”), a man who today feels the genre like no one else in this crazy world, not only reanimated the old plot on the screen, but also tried to understand the peculiarities of the psychology of the main anti-hero - a maniac Michael Myers. A scary and smart movie that will bring, albeit specific, pleasure to everyone who sees in horror films not only a meaningless set of bloody scenes, but also a living stream of modern art. The cast consists of cult figures and horror stars: Malcolm McDowell, Brad Dourif, Tyler Mann, William Folrsite, Udo Kier, Danny Trejo, Richard Lynch, Ken Foree and Cybill Dunning.
“Feast of Love” (USA, 2007, Robert Benton). An adaptation of Charles Baxter's novel, which Western critics called a modern version of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. After the tragic death of his son, Oregon professor Stevenson (Morgan Freeman) tries, with the help of his many friends, to understand the essence of such a phenomenon as love, using very specific life examples. A touching (sometimes excessively) and kind (at times so much that it hurts your cheekbones) story about good (mostly) people from the director of “Kramer vs. Kramer,” “Twilight” and “Tarnished Reputation.” Also starring Greg Kinnear, Radha Mitchell, Selma Blair, Billy Burke and Fred Ward.
"Darkness Rising" (USA, 2007, David Cunningham). A dark but fascinating fantasy based on the first in the series of books by Susan Cooper. Little boy Will (Alexander Ludwig) suddenly learns that he is none other than the last of a clan of immortal warriors fighting the forces of darkness, and now he has no choice but to abandon his usual teenage life and begin a dangerous journey through time (as into the past , and into the future) in order to collect ancient artifacts that can prevent a universal catastrophe. In America, the film did not start particularly triumphantly (after all, it was not “Harry Potter”), but it is worth paying attention - it has been a long time since the child heroes found themselves in such extreme situations on screen. Also starring Ian McShane, Christopher Ecclestone, James Cosmo, Amelia Warner and Mark Donovan.