ale_cya In this movie we can see a woman that has her priorities in order. A down to earth movie

cossilcossol The concept of the movie is simple and could make for a great story. The good hearted nurse with a poor background faces the selfish testament of her rich husband who bequeathes all his money to his only daughter. The movie does a good job at avoiding manicheism and portraying interesting characters, from the poor family of Elena to the spoiled but nuanced daughter of her husband.Sadly, all these good characters are wasted when the movie ends abruptly, apparently in the middle of the story, with no denouement whatsoever. Also, long and seemingly useless shots are spread throughout the film, like a long car scene where absolutely nothing happens, or a shot of kids walking through the forest before a fight that seemed just as useless. Maybe I just don't get that kind of "artistic" storytelling, but it just felt empty and pretentious to me, while the movie could have saved time to show the consequences of Elena's deeds, and extend the daughter's character arc.Wasted potential for what could have been a good tragedy.

Turin_Horse This is one of the most perfect, "round", films I have seen in many years. Nothing is out of place, every scene has a deep meaning in the plot. And the overall result is nearly perfect, with a clear-cut conclusion.Many have understood this film as a criticism/description of current Russian society. And they are not mistaken at all, it is true. But there is more to it, much more: a universal trait, one that I have never seen depicted previously on film with such precision and cleverness. The central topic of the film can be enunciated by the saying "Blood is thicker than water". Some previous reviewers have aptly pointed out this too.The plot is entirely constructed to come to this final conclusion. In the meantime we are also shown aspects of current Russian society, such as violence and lack of values in adolescents, strained family relations between the old and new Russian generations (with marked differences in life values), the lavish but often solitary life of old men who have amassed large amounts of money...But the central point is the relation of Elena with, on the one hand, her aged affluent husband, who provides her with a very comfortable life that most women her age would be delighted and satisfied with, and on the other hand with her son (and son's family) from a previous marriage, her "real" family in terms of blood ties. Her son is an absolute opposite to her husband: mediocrity vs. intelligence, weak character vs. determination and strength, idleness vs. diligence, failure vs. success, poverty vs. richness. One can easily come to the conclusion that her son fully deserves the misery he and his family live in. Elena helps her son and daughter-in-law on her husband's resources, but when he says "enough!"... conflict ensues, and here is when blood imposes its biological determining force.The final scene of the film, with the little grandson of Elena lying carelessly and comfortably on her husband's bed is at once tender and haunting! one of the best ends I've ever seen in cinema. Now join the opening scene with the final one, and you close the circle, the whole film is contained there.Don't miss it, this is a film you will not forget. It will become a classic, for me it is one of them already. The best Zvyagintsev's film so far, The Return and Leviathan being both highly recommended too.

mirjamswanson It's complicated, right? You've gotta appreciate the complexities presented here. Gotta want to cheer the psychological conundrums and emotional chaos stirred up by these quiet characters, perhaps the ultimate show-and-don't-tell ensemble.You gotta marvel at any story that produces such conflict: The actions you abhor you're certain you might at least consider, the bad guys might be right -- except, no, they're not, except that you've gotta consider...Ever-loving gray.And like Zvyagintsev's perfectly poised "The Return," you can close your fist around the plot, and then carry it around with you for eternity.But this time the utter minimalism of the film is less organic. This project and it's sparse dialogue, it's slow unraveling and deliberate, painstakingly slow stitching of scenes is tedious.A slow build could've been haunting, but here it's so purposeful and showy that it's distracting and feels pretentious, as though Zvyagintsev is saying: "I've got such a fine story and I'm such a superior director, and you cannot have anything better to do than to look at my pictures, so I'm going to force you to focus on each frame for exactly one minute before I move on and insist you spend another minute studying the next frame too."It's more a trip through a museum than a motion picture, with static scenes that take so long in spots that I wasn't sure if I'd encountered a technical problem, if the thing froze. It's a different tact, sure. And I get that it's giving viewers the opportunity to observe the characters in their habitat without a lot of interference, that I'm being afforded the opportunity sleuth around their tasteful modern lives/crowded tenement lifestyle. The problem is that it's all spoon-fed so slowly that you find yourself starving for more nutrients.And the inaction is uneven, because a burst of violence toward the end is apropos of almost nothing and is weirdly annoying. When the film finally ends, you appreciate the symmetry, but you're not moved especially, having just taken in a mighty complex "meh." And then, for the next few days, Elena will haunt you.Like "Paranormal Activity" might have. Because it'll be hard to shake the feeling, as you complete the most mundane tasks around your home, that you're being recorded, that you might be part of a slow-moving, humane thriller. So those slllow scenes you were so irritated with during the film suddenly have new resonance, and wouldn't you know it, that adds yet another layer of complexity.