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The Italian Directed by Andrei Kravchuk. Written by Andrei Romanov. Cinematography, Alexander Burov. Music, Alexander Kneiffel. Starring Kolya Spiridonov, Maria Kuznetsova, Darya Lesnikova, Yuri Itskov and Nikolai Reutov. Sony Pictures Classics, 2007. PG-13. 99 minutes. In Russian with English subtitles.
Read Martin Amis’s recent masterpiece House of Meetings and you get the sense of Russia in turmoil at mid-century. Watch The Italian — Russia’s entry for Best Foreign Language Film at last year’s Oscars — and you get the sense that not much has changed. Economically broken, socially chaotic and politically corrupt, Russia has endured democracy rather than thrived under its influence. What emerges from these stories is that today’s Russia needs a hero, some man or woman who can’t easily be bought. Fortunately, a hero is what The Italian ably provides, albeit in an unexpected package. Read more…
Hot Fuzz Directed by Edgar Wright. Written by Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg. Music, David Arnold. Cinematography, Jess Hall. Starring Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton, Martin Freeman, Steve Coogan, Bill Nighy and Paddy Considine. Rogue Pictures, 2007. 121 minutes. R.
A short list of the people, things and notions sent up by Hot Fuzz: authority, lazy gits, workaholics, big-city arrogance, small-town self-righteousness, stupidity, cleverness, church fairs, bad taste, teetotaling, bad acting, Point Break. Read more…