Seen: June 26th, 2007
Format: DVD
Rating: 8
It's not about an Italian and doesn't take place in Italy. It's about a Russian orphan and his quest to avoid being adopted. It's not complex. It's not overly dramatic. It's a great film.
It's that simple.
There's an honesty to this film that is simply stunning. It may be my ignorance of contemporary Russia that makes me think that it's real, but I sincerely hope not. I was completely taken in by the characters, their situations and their surroundings. I never felt like this was a film, but more like some very personal documentary that was unfolding before me.
The story isn't a new one. There's got to be multiple parallels to Oliver Twist, though it's been too long for me to draw them off the cuff. But it's very compelling.
Vanya is a sympathetic character, but not a pitiful one. He's strong, smart and resourceful. Despite these things, he's still only six years old and at the mercy of the world. We may sympathize with him, but we don't want him to be given what he wants. We want him to strive, struggle and succeed. We want him to fight, because triumph after a struggle is much more rewarding than simply getting what you want.
It all boils down to that. What Vanya wants is something that makes no sense to anyone else in the film. He's gotten rewarded for nothing. It's what he really wants, the thing that almost no one else thinks is possible, much less accomplishable, that he sets his sights on.
The locations are amazing. The acting workmanlike, simple, direct and very effective. The characters and their dynamics are subtle at times, but solidly drawn. The camera work is direct and serves the story. There is nothing here to take our attention away from the story on the screen, and here, at least, that's all that matters.
See this film. It's not revolutionary, it's not the best I've seen, but it's one of the most honest that I've seen in quite some time. And in my opinion, a classic in the making.
The Good: Simple story solidly told
The Bad: Orphanages
The Ugly: Peddling Flesh
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