Ambiguous "cruelty" There is nothing more terrible than a teenager from the Khrushchobka, offended by the whole and the world and believing that she can do everything, since he was offended, and in the fight all means are good.
Vika, just such a teenager, could not enter the institute, the work is stupid, the relationship with the mother does not work out, and even the guy has another... In general, life was not quite successful, but the former managed to take his modern camera and start watching the neighbors from the elite house. Here is a man kissing his mistress, while the family in the next door, a woman hanged herself. In general, the infidel wife Vic decided to blackmail, for which she received a snout and was almost raped. After that, Vika decided to take revenge, for which she used Zoe, the former mistress of her tormentor. It is clear that revenge rarely leads to anything good.
The producer of this film was Pavel Lungin, for a long time he was called the director of the film. If the rumor turned out to be true, a grandiose scandal would erupt, since Lungin after “The Island” is positioned as directors of films about “spirituality”, and in “Cruelty” there are very big problems with kindness, and with spirituality. Because this film is not meant to teach anyone anything, but to tell a very cruel story. In fact, only the last few minutes of the film are really cruel. And that is thanks to the dissonance between the serene picture, the good music from Masha and the Bears and the real content of what is happening. For me, these moments are probably the strongest shots of Russian cinema in recent years.
On the other hand, the plot withstands any criticism only at the beginning and very end of the film between them the plot sags in every conceivable way. Although, to the credit of the film crew, it is worth noting the successful choice of actresses for the main roles.
Renata Litvinova, because of her image, usually turned out only in the films of Kira Muratova, the “normal” directors Litvinova fell out of the frame because of her primacy and alienity. Lubakova unexpectedly successfully inscribed Renata in her artistic image. And when the “eternal blonde” Litvinova chops someone with a crowbar and it does not look terrible sacrilege, the viewer has an epiphany that the image corresponds to the actress, which means that the keys to Litvinova are not only Muratova.
Anna Begunova looks quite organic, both in the role of a cruel teenager Vicki, and as the host of the children’s program “Magic Closet”. Most likely, the actress should have a good acting future. Cruelty is the girl’s first big role.
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