Survival game

On Russian screens - one of the best films of the year: “Systems Brothers” Jacques Odar, a prize in Venice for directing

Oregon, 1850. Gold rush. Brothers Charlie and Ilai Systems, on the instructions of the mysterious and powerful commander (unexpected Cabbish Rutger Hauer), should express a certain Hermann Worm (Reese Ahmed), a gold and chemist invented a solution with which you can find gold in the river. A private detective, gentleman Maurice (Jake Gillenhale) to help them help them. But the detective with literary ambitions is infected by the utopian ideas of the eccentric chemist of the Worm about a certain ideal social society, where there will be no place of profit and blood, but there will only be spiritual development. Where will dreamers from large roads build this perfect paradise, the city of the Sun? In the unattractive and dangerous Texas capital of Dallas.

Their path through the Wild West to California is a survival game, an adventure marathon.

At first, it seems to be a classic western. Well, maybe a little slower than the good old Western. And therefore, we get the opportunity to look more closely in the heroes. Charlie (Joaquin Phoenix) - brutal sociopath, when he gets drunk, smashes everything and everyone. Eli (John Si Riley), who, most likely, killing by the “family of classes”, is increasingly thinking about leaving fatal business.

The brothers are in a hurry to save horses from the fire and immediately calmly summarize the results of the bloody shootout: how many were killed? Six? No, it seems seven.

Burned lawmakers chatting sweetly about trifles: about horses, food, names of cities, red shawls, which was presented to the thoughtful ela, one cute “school teacher”. And now he with this shawl has his own touching and ridiculous connection (Tarantino will immediately remember here). Gold attracts as an unattainable dream and, finally, materializes: sparkles in the dark emerald water of the poisoned chemistry of the river. And the proverb “swim in gold” acquires an ominous meaning.

But when yesterday’s enemies, predators and victims will become allies, the film will completely change the channel, moving between the banks of violence and book ideas, between the old West and the new.

“Systems brothers” is a free variation for the plot of the bestseller Patrick de Witt, a multi-layered, slightly confused novel that fell into the short list of the Buker Prize. But the owner of the Cannes Golden Branch, director Jacques Odiar (Prophet, Dipan, “reading on the lips”) just grabs the details from the novel, “deviations from the genre”. In the American cinema, a European director will not see any sheriffs, country-sites with beauties, bags with money ... Heroes are restless wanderers. The most exciting occurs outside the screen.

The dense western fabric, quickly satisfying the audience’s request for entertainment and militancy, as if blossoms before our eyes, turning into an existential journey of a bedolag killers.

The place of shootings is occupied by the alchemy of relations of different, such as water and oil, heroes. Cool action is diluted with stupid melancholy conversations, tragedy - humor: Eli is in amazement studying the new inventions of mankind - a toothbrush and a delightful device - a watercolosis. He is ready to step into the sea of ​​new civilization. New life.

Jacques Odiar insisting that he shot not so much Western as a historical film, but in the Wild West. He breaks the genre frames, combining violence with compassion, an eccentric with sincereness. At the same time, his cinema was filled with references to the “wild gang” of Beijing, to “Buch Cassidy and Sandance Kid” George Roy Hill, to “good, bad, evil” Sergio Leon.

The power of cinema Odiara, primarily in heroes. Almost all of the central four of the characters of the Systems Brothers Systems is a difficult story of relationships with parents. A dreamy adventurer Morris did not justify the hopes of a respected family. Eli and Charlie with a shudder recall the cruelty and trouble -free drunkenness of his father (Eli griefs that he shot his dad Charlie, not him). The brothers, victims of children's traumatic experience, in fact, did not leave the overcoat of the family tragedy, remained mutilated infantiles. And with the help of the romance of large roads, they try to find their way to paradise of childhood, which they were deprived of. Therefore, they cry in each other in a vest.

The gender game is hidden in this purely male cinema. Maifield, a bearded crouper, holding a whole city in fear, plays a masculine actress. The brothers themselves with the surname “sisters”, frightening their own and other people's reckless cruelty, are actually monstrously vulnerable, and with the development of action, the vulnerability of the not so strong sex is increasingly revealed.

Four protagonists in a whirlpool chases one after another will get to the ocean expanses of California. They will see the city of the future: the giant hive of San Francisco, where no one to anyone cares about life. Especially to social equality. And ... turn back.

In cruel times, finding yourself even more difficult. The most interesting thing is to follow how “during the journey” slowly “grow up”, the heroes are growing, and the heroes are changing. And even the indefatigable, scalded Charlie suddenly seems miserable, clumsy, in need of empathy.

Odiar gathered a brilliant acting team. Joaquin Phoenix, one of the most interesting actors of our time, in the role of Charlie shows the red -hot temperament of a wild beast, which slowly and difficult to turn into homo sapiens. John Si Riley plays a man who is constantly living in the war, but dreaming of peace.

The Odiara film is a fascinating, beautiful and sad story about the discovery of not a gold mine, but himself. About pursuit, a frantic, multi -day jump - to yourself. Therefore, one of the heroes of the film can turn directly to the camera, for him not only a brother, but also a spectator - a confidant.

The Benois Debi camera contrasts the bloody habits of the restless villains rushing to gold and the death of restless beauty. And it is not clear how you can shoot at someone when around: straws, snowy tops of the mountains, a vast ocean, a rustle of a batistan curtain, enlightened by a morning beam. The music of Alexander Despla adds to this Road-Muywan excitement, anxiety and tenderness.

The anniversary Venice Film Festival, on which the world premiere of the film took place, became almost a record in the number of westerns. Shortly after the Systems brothers, the Baster Skraggs Bashens will be released on our screens.

Immediately after the New Year holidays - the "enemies" of Scott Cooper. I hope that Jennifer Kent, awarded a special jury prize in Venice, will also show us the “nightingale”.

Western becomes a trend. And even the main fashion houses offer collections in which the Fash-Fetishows are rude cowboy boots.

The Christian Dior house included not only cowboy boots, but also wide -brimmed hats in a fashionable wardrobe. It seems that nostalgia again covered the moviegoers by a single mythological hero, good, bad and evil, challenging the mercantile world. Ready to put on his life. As King Western John Wayne said:

“Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. He visits us at midnight. It is wonderful when he comes and gives himself right into our hands. He hopes that we had at least some lesson from yesterday. ”