A movie I've been postponing for years. I immediately knew that I would not like it, despite all this cult status, since this is a typical Russian crime of the 90s - zero, shot completely within the framework of the then fashion for gangster romance. One of the main features of such films is a lack of expression, absolutely inappropriate for such disturbing events. Everything is very fluent, superficial, the whole film leaves a feeling of easy acquaintance with the space where there could be a cool story.
In addition,
The acting game is almost completely absent. During the entire film you will see 2-3 emotions. No one laughs, cries, is not afraid, does not suffocate with anger, etc. They all sit there and just talk.
- There are many people in the frame, and few characters. Of the crowd, only the sisters themselves have more or less real roles. Everyone else is extras, including parents, villains, temporary patrons. There are no arches of characters: we didn’t know what happened next with the gypsies, with the cowardly relatives, with the boyfriend. None of the characters have changed or been revealed.
- Akinshina does not look like the stated 12 at all.
- The music of the band Kino is constantly playing. Which I hate with all my heart. Schizoid nonsense in a good half of the texts, barking Choi's voice into a zinc bucket. At the same time, the music is pushed into the film not harmoniously, flies into it and flies out.
- Bodrov’s cameo has absolutely no effect on the film, it’s just there. Fan service. Why didn’t she take advantage of the help she offered? She needed it.
- We never knew what happened to the money.
An absolutely wild, wretched ending to an Indian dance that has nothing to do with the film’s content or even its style. Just as ridiculously played music from Sherlock Holmes in the Goblin voiceover “Terminator 2”.
But the film’s biggest problem is something else. I do not believe in this criminal story. Pahan, for just two million, begins to pinch one of his loyal people. What's his reason not to believe him? Warns in advance that his daughter will be kidnapped. They are hiding in an apartment whose owner has recently died. Does it work? Villains do not stop even when they see that their idiotic plan is too expensive for them. It's all against them, they're losing people, but they really need this girl to sell her. Yeah, for that matter, they could have caught anyone else. That's bad. It’s a very bad script, it’s a very inconclusive plot and it’s all with the most obscure characters and zero acting against the background of bad directorial decisions.