Movie review

  • 2005-05-25
The State Advisor (Statski sovetnik)
Sin City
Samaritan Girl

The State Advisor (Statski sovetnik)

Director: Filipp Yankovsky

Russian author Boris Akunin is immensely popular for his novels about the detective character Erast Petrovich Fandorin. In February, the Fandorin-feature "Turkish Gambit" (Turetskii gambit) was released, and no more than two months later came yet another: "The State Advisor" (Statski sovetnik). The focus of "The State Advisor" is not so much on "whodunit" as on feisty dialogue and in-depth character depiction. Keeping in mind that it's only his second feature, Filipp Yankovsky shows notable confidence as a director. Possibly, Yankovsky received guidance from famous director Nikita Mikhalkov ("Burnt by the Sun"), who produces and acts in the movie. The montage to a Russian pop-rock song at the end of the film is a frightfully mood-ruining misstep, but until that moment, "The State Advisor" has been both thought provoking and enjoyable.
(Julie Vintent)

What is "The State Advisor" trying to say? This tediously long, insipid and overly pompous Russian film demonstrates what truly bad acting is all about. This reviewer never expected such maudlin drivel from the land of Konstantin Stanislavski. Working closely with Tolstoy and Chekov, Stanislavski invented "the method." This system held that an actor's main responsibility was to be believed, rather than recognized or understood. Based on Boris Akunin's novels about a fictional Russian detective, this illogical story only tends to confuse the viewer. Apparently a longer version will be broadcast as a 4-episode TV series for those suffering from insomnia. Even the stunning shots of snow-covered Moscow streets can't salvage this dud.
(Laimons Juris G)

Sin City

Directors: Robert Rodriguez, Quentin Tarantino

Put Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino in the same room and something super-fly is sure to come out of it. Adapted from Frank Miller's graphic novels, the movie is created in close collaboration between Rodriguez, Tarantino and Miller himself. Visual effects play a dominant role in "Sin City," and it's all very well made. The filmmakers have successfully created a delightfully dark, exceedingly brutal and enthralling film-noir world. The movie's force lies in its radiant characters 's Mickey Rourke is phenomenal - and the powerfully stylized, black-and-white visuals with the occasional pang of color. Yet, having said that, the movie's weakness is that it's all about style and less about narrative. "Sin City" could possibly have been an even better film had it been one story instead of three. Still, it's a very absorbing piece.
(Julie Vintent)

Have you been searching for something vile, bloody and extravagantly corrupt in your life? Well, crave no longer as "Sin City" delivers the most compelling cinematic adventure you may ever want to experience. Your initial reaction to this very unique film noir may be quite negative, as it will take awhile to warm up to the unrelenting graphic violence. In any case, it's wonderful to finally see an unadulterated comic book come magically alive on film. Diehard fans around the globe who know Frank Miller's work will be amazed how co-director Robert Rodriguez ("From Dusk Till Dawn," "Once Upon a Time in Mexico") manages to stick like glue to Miller's basics. If you don't mind your heroes being battered, bruised and flawed don't let this eye-catching masterpiece pass you by.
1/2 (Laimons Juris G)

Samaritan Girl

Director: Kim Ki-duk

"Samaritan Girl" brought Korean filmmaker Kim Ki-duk the Silver Berlin Bear for best director last year. This complex drama is heavy with Buddhist and Catholic philosophical reflections. Think spiritual elucidation, altruism, loss of innocence, retribution, guilt, sin, redemption and a dose of Madonna/whore complex, and you have "Samaritan Girl" in a nutshell. As a young girl Jae-yeong willingly prostitutes herself while her friend Yeo-Jin, reluctantly, acts as her pimp. When Jae-yeong tragically dies, Yeo-Jin, in an act of penance, decides to offer herself to Jae-yeong's former customers and repay the money her friend received from them. This feature is atmospheric, well-acted and well-told, but not entirely engrossing. The characters function solely as symbols and not as real people and, consequently, it's hard to identify with and care for them.
(Julie Vintent)

Here's an originally unique slice of life from Korean director Kim Ki-duk. It's a sweet but very, very sad tale indeed. Yeo-Jin (Ji-Min Kwak) and Jae-yeong (Min-jeong Seo) are typical teenage girls and best friends. They desperately want to get to Europe so one of the girls starts working as a prostitute to earn their airfare, while the other acts as her pimp. Everything seems to be going fine until the hooker is cornered by police and jumps out of a hotel window to escape. Unfortunately, she seriously injures herself and dies. What follows is a heart-wrenching account of the other 14-year-old and how she decides to right the wrong that's been done. This film is visually impressive, yet elegantly simple. Caution: "Samaritan Girl" is not for everybody.
(Laimons Juris G)
 

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