David O'Connell
Russian Resurrection Film Festival 09: NOBODY BUT US
August 17th 2009 10:12
Nobody But Us
Director: Sergei Govorukhin
Cast: Sergei Shnyryov, Mariya Mironova
I was pleased when the folks at the Russian Resurrection Film Fest included Nobody But Us in the selection of DVD preview screeners they sent me for review as it was one I was immediately drawn to from the synopsis. Evgeny Levaschov (Sergei Shnyryov) is a Russian soldier seriously wounded whilst on duty in the forgotten Tajikistan war of the 1990s. Sent home briefly to recuperate he meets Natasha by chance on a train and promptly falls in love. He decides not to tell her of his imminent departure to the front so as not to spoil her enjoyment of the relationship. Just as it blossoms, he has to cut it short and return to duty after two fleeting weeks. His doomed relationship with Natasha provides Evgeny with the impetus to take his video camera with him back to the front in order to document the ugly futility of war.
On this premise I admire the intentions of the director greatly. Even more so when I read that this is his debut film and that he himself was a military journalist who lost his leg filming in Chechnya. So I really, really wanted to like this film.
But I didn’t.
I don’t know whether it was a lack of chemistry between the leads or the fact that the war scenes came off as cramped and amateurish on the small screen or whether I just wasn’t taken with the script but try as I might I just couldn’t get into this film. I found the relationship between Evgeny and Natasha uninspiring, especially the first meeting on the train. Maybe it’s just the cynic in me but I’ve never being one for love at first sight type relationship triggers. If a strange man suddenly struck up a conversation with me on the peak hour express to Parramatta I wouldn’t encourage him. Unless he looked like Johnny Depp, or preferably was Johnny Depp. And even then I would be extremely suspicious. And I seriously doubt I would fall for him on the spot. I just don’t buy it. Likewise the battle scenes didn’t really ring true for me. I could almost see the crew members hiding behind the sandbags with their sound recorders and microphones. though I imagine that this is a problem caused by budget restraints more than anything else.
It’s hard to give a tough review on a film that you admire for the simple fact that it exists. It’s a story that deserves to be told, I only wish it had been told better. But as I said, I admire the intentions of the director. And I have no doubt that he has much more to offer.
Nobody But Us screens at the Russian Film Festival in Sydney on Tuesday August 25 at 6.30 pm at the Chauvel Cinema in Paddington. For sessions in other cities please go the festival website :
www.russianresurrection.com
-Ruby
Director: Sergei Govorukhin
Cast: Sergei Shnyryov, Mariya Mironova
I was pleased when the folks at the Russian Resurrection Film Fest included Nobody But Us in the selection of DVD preview screeners they sent me for review as it was one I was immediately drawn to from the synopsis. Evgeny Levaschov (Sergei Shnyryov) is a Russian soldier seriously wounded whilst on duty in the forgotten Tajikistan war of the 1990s. Sent home briefly to recuperate he meets Natasha by chance on a train and promptly falls in love. He decides not to tell her of his imminent departure to the front so as not to spoil her enjoyment of the relationship. Just as it blossoms, he has to cut it short and return to duty after two fleeting weeks. His doomed relationship with Natasha provides Evgeny with the impetus to take his video camera with him back to the front in order to document the ugly futility of war.
On this premise I admire the intentions of the director greatly. Even more so when I read that this is his debut film and that he himself was a military journalist who lost his leg filming in Chechnya. So I really, really wanted to like this film.
But I didn’t.
I don’t know whether it was a lack of chemistry between the leads or the fact that the war scenes came off as cramped and amateurish on the small screen or whether I just wasn’t taken with the script but try as I might I just couldn’t get into this film. I found the relationship between Evgeny and Natasha uninspiring, especially the first meeting on the train. Maybe it’s just the cynic in me but I’ve never being one for love at first sight type relationship triggers. If a strange man suddenly struck up a conversation with me on the peak hour express to Parramatta I wouldn’t encourage him. Unless he looked like Johnny Depp, or preferably was Johnny Depp. And even then I would be extremely suspicious. And I seriously doubt I would fall for him on the spot. I just don’t buy it. Likewise the battle scenes didn’t really ring true for me. I could almost see the crew members hiding behind the sandbags with their sound recorders and microphones. though I imagine that this is a problem caused by budget restraints more than anything else.
It’s hard to give a tough review on a film that you admire for the simple fact that it exists. It’s a story that deserves to be told, I only wish it had been told better. But as I said, I admire the intentions of the director. And I have no doubt that he has much more to offer.
Nobody But Us screens at the Russian Film Festival in Sydney on Tuesday August 25 at 6.30 pm at the Chauvel Cinema in Paddington. For sessions in other cities please go the festival website :
www.russianresurrection.com
-Ruby
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Comment by Morgan Bell
Deep Pencil
Business News
Movie Train
oh I KNOW!
why do they always try to put the unrealistic strangers on a train thing into films?
trains are not places you strike up conversations with strangers, even if they were Johnny Depps twin, you know they are just angling a way to score drugs or your handbag or touch you in some way . . . anyone normal on a train keeps to themselves
Comment by Matt Shea
Seriously though, nice write-up and I know what you mean. When somebody presents me with that scenario in a film it's usually a case of, 'Get f**ked!'
I do remember a former girlfriend of mine witnessing somebody successfully chat up a girl on a Melbourne tram, so apparently it does happen every now and then.
Comment by RubySoho
Music Zone
Thought Zone
But I'll talk about that more in my next review.
p.s Iron heart? I'll have you know I'm a sensitive lass deep down!
Comment by Matt Shea
Comment by Jeff Musall