Very interesting. I enjoyed watching. The ending came out strange, but in the end it turned out that the series is not finished. If it comes out, I will change the rating to 4. If it's not, it's not up to film. Under no circumstances do not look!
Cruel! It's more of a horror and very high-quality, and maybe they'll shoot a sequel. Characters of bright and unusual fate, unexpected turns of events, an interesting plot, excellent directorial and camera work. But the ending disappointed fabulous, did not think, removed as if in a hurry.
According to the recognition of Merkulova and Chupova, creating the Call Center, they were inspired by the ideas of “Black Mirror” and “Lost”. I remember an episode from Armageddon, where the hero of Steve Buscemi shows Rorschach spots, and he sees boobs, boobs, big boobs in all the pictures... I mean that no matter what films were inspired by the Merchupovs, the result will be the same – the puberty fantasies of an outsider teenager accompanied by fluctuations about unlimited power over people and sado-maso-perversions in the name of great and pure love. . .
In their fifth ten, the Merchupovs found a way to sublimate their unrealized adolescence dreams with the help of cinema, without harming real people (well, not causing, not counting moral damage when watching their offspring), without doubt serving as prototypes of Mom and Dad. However, there is nothing reprehensible in getting stuck at one of the Freudian stages, the grief, as always, is not in the topic itself, but in its implementation, because if the script was written and directed by really 12-year-olds it would be a masterpiece in the fantasy genre, provided that all the action would take place in the head of the main antagonist. In reality, such an antagonist, because of his mental faculties (or lack thereof), as well as his complete incompetence in technical fields, as well as in psychological and behavioral ones, would not be able to realize even a small fraction of his fantasies. Unless you catch flies in a matchbox, and then amputate them limbs, imagining in their place people.
However, the Merchupovs seriously offer the viewer to take all this nonsense at face value, for which you feel constant Spanish shame, but not for the characters (be it such an idea), but for the actors who do not know how to play anyway, and then the directors who are still forced to indulge the violent infantile imagination. Well, after all, yes, not only the audience of shame, but also the actors Merchupov still gave karma, because cunning, under the guise of innovative cinema lured hungry lyceums in fact in pseudo-snuff porn, perverts ... but how can this harm our wooden actors?
In fairness, it is worth noting that flashbacks telling about the “life of my” characters, strangely contrast strongly with the main content of the plot in the presence of at least some plausibility and drama, as if they were filmed by other people. If we were to even unite all the characters under some other harmless pretext, and it would turn out quite a drama, not without flaws, but tolerable, for high school crafts would go down. But such a thing for the Merchupovs would lose all meaning for which all this fetish was started.
The feeling is that the whole series was shot exclusively for shocking, to shock the audience with scenes of violence, nudity and specifically a naked dancer. But that’s not even the point, the horror is that the script, and I’m not just about the Call Center, but about our “filmmakers” as a trend, is written clearly only from the head. Not, of course, the main plot can be fiction, but the situations, behavioral and emotional reactions of the characters - this must be taken and written by an observant author from life. The devil is in the details, in the little things, the only way to believe in him. On the contrary, the situations and reactions of the heroes taken from the vacuum look at least ridiculous, especially for some reason the FSBashnik is enchantingly creatively stupid. You can show boobs, you can show a lot of boobs, and big ones, undress a fat-bearer - yes, for God's sake, drive the viewer into the paint - yes, please, but our directors all this looks deliberately, not to the place, not to the time, neither in the warehouse, nor in harmony and out of place ... well, that before the dialogues is a separate horror ...
Over the past decade, or even two, the Russian cinema has not given anything worthwhile attention, and therefore spit righteous bile on another non-kino is simply meaningless. To evaluate the modern domestic film product can only be between bad and disgusting, to dig into the blunders, which sit on each other and chase, to point to incompetence, lack of professionalism simply no longer have either strength or desire. Just like watching it.
The business center mined the office of the call center, closed the way out and threatened employees with an explosion. The only way to survive is to obey orders.
The short series, season 1, 8 episodes of 50 minutes, is built on the principle of the series Lost. In the present time, there is a plot with a bomb and hostages, partially reminiscent of Saw. Flashbacks tell more about the characters. Each episode, except the first, is one character. Character stories are a masterpiece. Each story is as tragic, cruel and depressing as possible. The genre of the series is a thriller, a crime. And for the most part, it's pretty tough. Impressive is better not to look. Version 18+ features violent scenes. And nudity.
The first and last series are quite different from the rest. The second episode, the story of Lisa, is a must-see to understand the concept of the series. It is very different from the first. This is my favorite series. 10 out of 10. Gemma's story was also very touching. In most of the series ran #goosebumps. Here all the stories catch every character. That's why I'm putting nines all season. I have never seen such a work from Russian cinema.
The main story with the bomb in the office is weak. The behavior of the characters does not correspond to their character revealed in flashbacks. The first series should catch on, but, in fact, it is the weakest all season. Because of this, probably a low rating. The middle end is, by and large, closed. Knowing ours could have been worse. But, IMHO, the last minute was extra.
Obvious hints of a sequel to the second season. But for three years, there was no information about it.
I would like to start with the fact that we have a family product from screenwriters, directors Natasha Merkulova and Alexei Chupov. And in the credits, by the way, they called themselves the authors of the idea. On the one hand, one could be happy: what creative people turned out to be, created the author’s series, which turned out to be quite reitinovym.
But with a more detailed analysis, doubts begin to creep in: do Natasha and Alyosha really belong to this idea?
Not only I noticed that in the plot there are direct borrowings from the famous American horror “Saw” and less well-known – “Experiment “Office”.
Yes, we can assume that to come up with something new today that no one has ever shot anywhere is unlikely to work. But on the other hand, is it possible to talk about your own idea when references to American film products are very obvious? But let's leave it to Natasha and Alyosha. Who knows how not to know thoroughly where and what they borrowed for their "author's idea".
Now I would like to touch directly on the plot and its heroes. And before us on the screen appears not even one, but a whole bunch of stories. One of them is the main, and a whole bunch of so-called kickbacks to the past (flashbacks), each of which occupies a good half of the series.
In fact, each of the series is dedicated to the story of an individual hero who, in an unknown way, found himself in the ill-fated call center. Heroes are very different fates and social statuses, and the more important question becomes: what exactly brought these people together in one place and at the same time? How did they get into this strange and unprestigious job? What do you want to get out of it?
But the show doesn't talk about it! No explanation of the matter could be found in it. And because the stories of the characters for the most part look like stuck hastily and in some ways even foreign to the main storyline.
Moreover, there are actually more characters locked up in the call center than the stories have shown. And if the story of some heroes chew in front of the viewer for a long time and boring, then others remained dark horses. And left of their participation in the plot some strange feeling, such characters "for the background" taken purely to fill the intraframe space.
Although the stories shown also did not bring much clarity, and in some places even raised even more questions. For example, according to the story, the hero of Pavel Tabakov turned out to be a very brave guy who passed through a hot spot and made a small, but feat for the sake of his beloved person. Such people a priori choose a different way of life. They certainly will not tell the headset about what vaginal balls are better to buy. But before us is a very strange character who regularly turns into spineless mum.
I would like to recall an interview with one of the famous science fiction writers, who called Character Character one of the fundamental moments when creating a literary work. “Prescribe the characters of the characters,” he said, emphasizing that the character traits of each character should be clearly established throughout the story. The reader should be clear: who in history is strong, leader, and who is soft. This rule is certainly applicable in cinema. But Natasha and Alyosha did not know about this rule, or they did not want to know. Therefore, their heroes were, to put it mildly, vague and impermanent. So to understand the motivation of their actions to the viewer, alas, is not given. They are simply acting on a whim.
It may seem uncritical to some, but to me this is a very serious omission in the plot.
Fascinated by the creation of flashbacks, Natasha and Alyosha periodically forgot about the main plot. And it started sagging. Literally from the second series, in the call center really no development of events and does not happen. The mysterious invader simply gives another stupid task, and the prisoners meekly perform them. Such tasks could turn out to be ten times more, or less, it would not add anything to the plot.
The call center engine comes to life only in the fifth series, when perhaps the strangest of the characters, a snail aunt (Zoya Kaidanovsky) grabs a gun.
It would seem that the plot should go to a new turn, but ... it was not here. The number of characters eventually decreased, and the feeling of their spinelessness remained.
By the way, the villain himself is an invading personality. He then sees and hears everything, not allowing even the slightest deviation in the behavior of his victims, then begins to comment on the actions of each hero so obsessively that he becomes sick of his digital voice, or else disappears altogether, letting the situation in the call center take its course. The screen goes out, and the prisoners left to themselves plunge into solving their personal problems, without even making an attempt to find a way of salvation.
Of course, it was not without, so fashionable in modern TV series, characters - rudiments, which are not at all clear for what purpose they were introduced into the plot, and what load they carried. Among them with complete confidence can be attributed a certain Batya (Alesander Robak) and FSB-shnik (Anatoly Bely). Around them, of course, twisted by the ears of melodramatic events from the cycle: “Luke!” I'm your father! But they looked ridiculous and foreign, which would have been better not at all.
Of course, there are other vestiges in history, but these two are remembered especially vividly.
I can’t help but note some unhealthy mania of Natasha and Alyosha to demonstrate sadism. Recalling the story of Gemma (Sabin Akhmedov), I want to ask the creators of the series a question: why did this abomination have to be shown at all? Do you seriously believe that the modern viewer is dull and hardened so much that you need to break the heroine’s hands with a crunch and cut her skin with cloths to achieve some emotions? These scenes are no longer just too much. It's a real pathology. Deviation in the psyche of authors. It was Natasha and Alyosha who first described this pathological crap in their script, and then filmed these scenes, savoring the details and obviously revelling in their own genius. And it would be better to pay more attention to the motivation of the actions of the heroes and their characters!
In summary, I would like to say: the story turned out to be very long and implausible.
Still, the genre of criminal drama obliges to keep the story within the framework of the possible reality of what is happening. This has an impact on the viewer. But in this case came out stupid, vulgar and sometimes disgusting fairy tale. And the whole story, stretched into eight episodes, could easily fit into a good full meter. And the plot would only become brighter and more spectacular.
But Natasha and Alyosha have a different opinion. They decided not to stop there, sculpting the continuation of their “author’s” pearl. I wish it was a completely different story.
Hello everyone!
Today we will talk about the Russian series “Call Center”. The case when the writers and directors are the same people – Natasha Merkulova and Alexei Chupov. Why did I start watching the series? Here the guys are good, the script really hooked, or at least attracted to viewing. But the production of the series is terrible. This is the first series I'm willing to give the least appreciation to, consciously rather than emotionally. So what are we gonna do? Yes, there are unrealistically few scenes with some “games”, and those that are either copied from other films or TV series, well, or they are simply not noticeable, most of the series generally passes about the story of the participants in their lives and it is so long that it is boring, if the first 4 series I watched the other 4 I was given very difficult.
The idea is to plunge the audience into the lives of the participants, but not so much that these stories are more than those that occur in the office. Remember the death of heroes. What was the point of doing this in this way? An interesting thought, a serious story turned into a joke. We are mom and dad and you are our kids.
And the cast? I did not see a single participant of the series with any charisma, which would be interesting to watch, everything is very boring and monotonous, everything that we have already seen many times before in other films and TV series, but here they also managed to maximally empty the storyline in the office itself, everything new that was here in the series perhaps looked very stupid and childish.
And even a lot of people who liked the series talk about a failed final series, which I personally don’t agree with. The ending itself gave at least some intrigue and interest further, given that the series will continue, but for me this is all, fire, the worst thing I have seen so far.
1 out of 10
Like my review, it's very positive. I am a man-film lover who prudently bypasses the domestic works, certainly touching and about the difficult life in our country, but invariably poor quality, wooden, lagging behind about 500 years from the world of modern cinema. The case when the word ' cinema' comes to mind only one rhyme.
But 'Call center', I will not be afraid of this word, a kind of fresh wind, a gust, and in many respects, seemingly hopelessly stagnant in the performance of domestic screenwriters, directors and actors.
First, acting. After self-abuse in the form of watching the famous and beloved 'Method', the acting of Yesenia Steklova I sometimes dream in nightmares. The guys at Call Center are pretty convincing and natural, especially in their personal stories. Separately, I would like to mention the character of Nikita Kukushkin, an episodic, but very subtle role of the top. And also the character of Dmitry Kulichkov, whom we had the good fortune to see in all its glory in the finale of the story of Gemma.
Second, the picture on the screen. I finally saw a bird's-eye shot of a bus riding on a lonely highway in the middle of the steppe. Also in the picture there are many delights, filigree-chosen colors and mounted frames, which are like bright glasses in a kaleidoscope beautifully, fascinatingly and frighteningly folded into patterns filled with beauty and secret meaning. Red, shiny green, cellophane, a lone maniac in an empty room with monograms. It was made by people who watched a good movie.
Third, the script. We finally decided to make a film about something other than dirt, poverty and acute social problems on a national scale. The film is not about Russia, but about individuals. Without the daughters of colonels, drunkards, entourage and mentality of the deep village as the heart of our long-suffering homeland.
Fourth, which, of course, is among the third, but deserves special praise - the personal stories of the heroes. In at least a couple of cases, it's definitely just a bomb, worse than the one put up in the office closet by Dad and Mom. I experienced the simultaneous tension of worrying about the characters and a complete relaxation of the quality of the idea and the picture, and several times these feelings were interspersed with a certain cultural shock from the plot twist. Call Center writers, if you're reading this, I'm dead. I mean, I liked it.
It's a good movie. Something from ' Black Mirror' and the triptych of the Garden of Earthly Delights of Bosch (with snails), but at the same time a completely independent work.
10 out of 10
“Call center” from the first series makes it clear to the viewer that before him a rare Russian film product – stylish, frank, frightening, addictive psychological thriller. There are no taboo topics: religion, sex, violence, pathologies – they will tell about everything. Boudreau, bright, fresh, evil. And scary!
Natasha Merkulova and Alexei Chupov created a series that combines both elements of author’s cinema with strong drama and paintings for the mass audience. The initial chamberiness - the action takes place in one separate office - was skillfully diluted with extensive flashbacks telling about the lives of the heroes: it seems that formally they did not come out of the walls of the building, but at the same time they told such lashy stories.
What's the show about? Call Center, an online store for adults, suddenly finds itself locked in a skyscraper - all employees, as well as several random non-random characters who joined them, are taken hostage by cold-blooded psychopaths who call themselves Mom and Dad, and their captives - Children. And as in any family, there are rewards and punishments, strict discipline and time for games, clarification of relationships and a rush of feelings. Only all this is distorted, changing the polarity from minus to plus and from plus to minus. And in addition to the intrigue, who and for what tortures these people, there is another, perhaps more important - to whom of the hostages in this atmosphere of fear and psychosis, when your life is threatened almost every half an hour, you will be able to preserve the remnants of humanity, overcome resentment and pain, endure suffering and not give up moral guidelines.
If the events inside the mined office go in the mode of endless checks of people for what they are ready in extreme conditions for the sake of salvation, then in flashbacks we show characters in ordinary life. However, the usual there and does not smell - too creepy, cruel, psychological trauma, religious fanaticism, sadism, treason. And all this is carried by the heroes with amazing persistence. And each new story makes you shudder, although literally before that you said to yourself inside: ' Well, the horror, the toughest story, well, it can't be worse, poor girl' Maybe. It gets worse and worse. And inside the office everything goes in an upward spiral to the final.
Another distinguishing feature of the Call Center is strong acting work, both the main characters and secondary ones, up to episodic roles. Polina Pushkaruk, Sabina Akhmedov and Zoya Kaidanovskaya were most surprised, but if the stories of the first two heroines caused horror in half with the strongest empathy, then the story of the third is disgust, but the actor is brilliantly played. Pavel Tabakov clearly has the charm of his father and disposes to himself, seemingly doing nothing special in the frame. Yulia Khlynina is almost Paulina Andreeva, only maybe a little more sensual and open.
Alexei Balabanov had a film “About freaks and people”. This name could easily be taken as a slogan for “Call Center”. And the quantity and quality (their sophistication and strength) of freaks amaze, discourage, make you tremble and have nightmares at night. But there are people here, too. And it is good that without them it would be very scary.
8 out of 10
Our attention is presented to the 8-episode series, in the center of which are the events of the 8th hour as it turned out not to be a working day of the employees of the call center of an online boutique for adults (that is, sex reasons and such a crook). 1 a poor boy who accidentally fell under the distribution, and 11 poor workers: on his birthday, 1 decided to resign, learning that the boss is spitting his lover, 1 an intern who decided to conquer the sex industry Olympus for the first day, a couple of lovers (she with a sad past, he is the father of 4 children), copulating on the table of another subordinate, who in turn steals things and organizes her underground online store, 1 a lesbian and a fat man who secretly love a thief, a former madman, taking anti-burning for the sake of her daughter. Here is such a motley group gathered on the 12th floor of the BC "Gloria" - the epicenter and reference point of tragic events that changed the lives of not only those present there, but also others.
The geography of production is modest - pavilion shootings in Moscow, visiting Moscow and Turkey. But here you and chases, and explosions, and fires, and helicopters, and boats, and tastelessly furnished mansions, and special effects, and the cool work of fakers / make-up artists, and sex, and debauchery, and betrayal, and love, and same-sex obsession, and sick children, and fears, and prejudices, and racism, and homophobia, and the disabled, and mental hospital, and immigrants, and suicide, and faith in the Supreme with different names and reasonable doubts - here the authors were able to put all their unpredictable heads. They labeled the genre as a psychological thriller, I would add a dramatic epithet, because the degree of heat is present in each episode, and it does make your heart croak louder than usual. The hyperemotional anxiety mode was turned on at its maximum, and this refers to both the viewer’s perception and the state in which the actors who mentioned it in interviews were immersed – some of them were out of this condition for about a month, which is not surprising.
A married couple in the face of former journalists, and now quite successful screenwriters Merkulova and Chupov amazes with the scope of their wild imagination - to remove this, and most importantly to invent - it must be tried, I will tell you so. Tough, thrash, wild and mother, do not grieve in 1 bottle. No wonder they have scenarios for major projects in recent years. I don’t know whether to applaud or be vaguely surprised until I decided exactly, but I rather didn’t like it than yes, and here’s why:
Carving on the living, sadistic deviations, boundless revenge, anger, violence against the will of a person - all this is enough in our world, and once again broadcast volumes of all this through cinematic language - not the best way to show that the authors are aware - a fat minus;
• Sacrifice that crosses all the permissible boundaries of the reasonable – unequivocally no;
I am not against spectacular erotic scenes, shot beautifully and stylishly, but too much falls on the head of actress Khlynina, who exchanged actor Yegor Koreshkov for a millionaire in real life. She also managed to appear naked and loose here – it seems that she has a MUST HAVE prescribed in her rider – fuck if not in every series, then at least dosed – necessarily according to the script – this is her 5th work, where I see this, and I am sure she will continue to do it. The authors themselves consider her “beautiful, talented, energetic and wild”, apparently, in our current realities this is a very weighty argument to shoot a lot of nude and trach-tibidochs with her.
• Not a edifying drop of philosophy in the face of “know how to forgive, love your neighbor, you will not run away from yourself” and everything in a similar way – here I put a confident like, but it would be better to have more of them (not obsessiveness and pluses).
• If the mention of serial addiction would not be necessary here for scripting procrastination, I would seriously and deeply think about watching so many series, because here the authors clearly defined this in the color of an unpleasant color. We did not remove a full meter about the deplorable consequences of watching TV shows - what self-irony, what a passage, just like almost any now American snot about racism, filmed by the Americans themselves about themselves bad - in this case, the assessment is a nervous neutral.
• At least for the minimum discharge I did not have enough humor, apparently, the authors were so eager to bring to the 1st place something deep-psychological, human fracture, the ability to quickly, and most importantly, correctly navigate the proposed circumstances and act accordingly, that they decided to insert humor where it was really justified by the plot necessity - minus, but small.
• Casting is contrasting here - handsome and beautiful people mixed with nerds and freaks - this is the choice of authors in the search for new faces and not very, and also as if talking - look, I see fire, and inside shit, I see not an ice, but in the soul good and humility - as old as the world, but for a reminder - respect.
Another couple of remarks about the actors: Tabakov Junior was not impressed, forgive me, Oleg Pavlovich, but before the obvious lack of creative charisma there is a steady desire not to shame the famous surname. Potential is, I do not argue, but he will, unfortunately. Khlynina - look above, Yaglych it is clear: muzzle brick, all attention to the cubes, Akhmedova - opened for me surprisingly, Kaydanovskaya - why such a role in the piggy bank? 2nd Kuku in the face of Kulichkov and Kukushkin - with such appearance, men, you are doomed to play pathological bastards. Tolstoganova is incredibly annoying, a little bit more and Robak will join her, Volkova / White - the old guard. Praise the eggs, which did without the trinity of Petrov-Bortic-Burunov, instead exiled only the favorite of the first – Miloslavskaya.
• The flashbacks of not all characters are shown – it’s extremely strange – 12 locked, and the backstory only 7 – it remained a mystery, either the authors left it for Season 2 or not without explanation.
• And the important question that tormented me all viewing - for whom, and most importantly, why is it filmed? In order not to give a lengthy answer to it, it is necessary to plunge into the origins – “art should rise above everyday life, should “cure” society, prompting people to the perfection and harmony of relationships, and not be a “mirror” of human vices” – cinema is a fine art form, and therefore this expression applies to it to a large extent. “Art exists only because the world is badly arranged” – A. Tarkovsky Here.
In any case, I want to summarize, to write that “Call Center” is not for faint-hearted and hypersensitive people, so be vigilant when choosing a genre of the series to pass the time of day, and maybe pass away, but not so.
An idea.
From the beginning of the film, the intrigue quickly captured my attention. Every minute it became more interesting and interesting. But somewhere around Episode 5, the series began to slow down. I thought there was some kind of mess going on. It got a little stretchy. In general, according to my calculations, the film boldly pulls 8 points out of 12! Why 12? There are 12 jury members in the courtroom.
Snail.
I don't really like members of the gastropod-eyed mollusc class. They are very unpleasant, slow and always leave a snotty trace. After the series dedicated to these animals, disgust moved to a new higher level. Although, when they come out on sidewalks or paths after the rain, I always save them from the boots of human inattention. Here, in my opinion, this topic is very long and essentially unnecessary and not interesting.
Actors play.
I’m not going to name the entire cast – most played flawlessly. They played as they were expected in character and role. But. I can't help but focus on two young actors who just pissed off. Appearance is not an unimportant attribute and presentation of the actor. I'm talking about a trainee boy (ASKAR NIGAMEDZYANOV). But the pronunciation of words, the speech itself, is unbearable to hear/earn. The girl Lisa, played by Polina Pushkaruk, is absolutely disgusted. How can you say and pronounce words in general, especially hissing sounds, and in particular the letter “C”. Because you have a great bright future for acting, and with that pronunciation, it's unacceptable. Unless you're doing it on purpose. What if the movie/series you’re going to be in is super and bombshell, and you’re here with your twist. Everyone needs to know the measure. I don’t write to smear or fuck an actor, but I write on behalf of the Spectator, which I am.
I wish everyone a good viewing. I look forward to seeing the creators continue.
Tired of repeating TNTshniki bravo! "0 year you have exactly the glory!") What is not a series is more interesting than the previous one! Very useful product, looked with great interest... I advise everyone!
Since the days of the Russian TV series Yuri Bykov & #39;Method & #39; I stopped treating our TV series as something second-rate. Perhaps that’s why I was able to survive the first episode of Call Center & #39 and, with the hope of developing the plot, embarked on the second. And you didn't.
The plot is not limited to the relationships of the characters in a confined space, but carefully reveals each character to the viewer. Stories are different, stories are colorful. The main problem is that they are too predictable: there is almost no plot twist in the series that I did not predict, but despite this, I want to know the story of everyone.
As a result: a good series in which the main interest is stories, not puzzles. The only question that stretches until the end: ' And are the heroes connected and deserve to be in this place?'.
7 out of 10 for interesting but predictable stories.
P.S.
The series ' Method' I pointed out at the beginning not only because it inspired hope for the future, but also because of similar inner experiences when watching.
In the spring, TNT released a series in the genre of psychological thriller Call Center. To view it motivated by three reasons: well, firstly, a rare for our serial film industry genre, secondly, in the “Call Center” starred Ufa, actor of the school-studio Moscow Art Theatre Askar Nigamedzyanov, thirdly, the directors and screenwriters of the “Call center” – Natasha Merkulova and Alexei Chupov, the creators of the wonderful film “The man who surprised everyone”.
In the “Call Center”, they went according to the standard heteronormative pattern: in the center of the plot is the story of the unhappy love of Kirill (Pavel Tabakov), who was abandoned by a girl Katya (Yulia Khlynina), preferring her boss Denis (Vladimir Yaglych). All the participants of this love triangle work in a call center selling sex toys, and with them 9 people. At one point, all these people become hostages in the hands of unknown people who isolate them in a call center and launch a time bomb. They are forced to perform various tasks of the villains in order to survive, and they watch them through numerous cameras, call them their children, and themselves – mom and dad. What “terrorists” do with hostages is not of much interest, because sometimes it is all devoid of logic and looks like entertainment for a psychopath with a meager imagination. But apart from the main storyline, flashbacks show the stories of characters locked in a call center – one in each series, and this part is much more interesting.
The screenwriters tried to come up with different images and archetypes for their heroines and heroes: there is a girl with a religious and extremist past, there is a woman with a mental disorder, there is a guy with a large weight, there is a non-heterosexual heroine, there is an illegal migrant, etc.
As in the drop of water reflected what is called: at the head of the hierarchy, a white hetero alpha male, with him for the sake of a girl of conventional appearance, a rejected white beta male competes, and the rest are representatives of different discriminated groups. Guess which of them will be killed by writers in the best tradition of second-rate series, because the authors do not know what to do with them next? Shtosh, thank you for the diversity.
One big problem of the “Call Center” is its oversaturation of events and emotional twisting of scenes, and in this excessive whistling the artistic component of the film, its aesthetic potential, if, of course, such sides were generally assumed, but the atmosphere characteristic of the thriller does not arise at all – it simply has nowhere to come from.
The spectacle sits at the spectacle and chases the spectacle. In one of the scenes of physical violence, the creators so frankly dumped and savored this moment that I felt sick from such a trigger insensitivity of the creators. I almost decided not to watch the series further, as in the middle there was a sharp plot twist, and my curiosity held me back – I wanted to wait for the exposure of the terrorists and learn their history. Good ending of the episode with a migrant - hello, the movies "Cube" / "Hypercube". And the story of the FSB-shnik, designed to save the hostages, looks like a flap on the canvas of the series, because it rests on the plot deadlock. Why did you need this line? However, closer to the final there is a frank “drunk” from the writers, and the plot moves become more strange and ridiculous, and the actions of the characters are sculpted on each other, as if the creators wanted one thing – somehow more or less adequately complete the series. The finale is drawn in a hint that there will be a second season. Probably, Chupov and Merkulov wanted to make “our answer to Saw”, but it turned out to be a crooked imitation with a greasy touch of Russian clumsiness. In general, I was saddened that the Russian filmmakers who gave me hope so well spoiled their reputation.
I think many will agree that the national cinema is in a bad state. Point cases of the appearance of worthy paintings are so rare that it is too early to talk about the rapid dynamics of the revival of domestic cinema. However, at this very time, the rapid growth of quality and performance show series and not the least role in this is played by Premier Studios, which continues to gain a reputation for interesting and high-quality products. Giving the audience such worthy works as 'Call DiCaprio' and 'BIHEPPI' and at least interesting 'Epidemic' and much more. Another creative victory of the studio-service can be considered this series created and written by a married couple Natalia Mulkumova and Alexei Chupov.
Events of this series develop in the office of the call center ' Internet store for adults' which is located on the 12th floor of a fashionable high-rise in the heart of Moscow. One morning, as usual, twelve people in the office suddenly find out that there is a bomb in the room. The voices of the unknown, posing as Pope and Mom, threaten to blow her up at any moment if the hostages do not follow their orders.
The married couple of the authors of this series Natalia Mulkumova and Alexei Chupov unambiguously created one of the best domestic series over the past ten years at least and largely due to a very strong and high-quality script. At first glance, the idea of this tape with people trapped and playing various games/riddles for the sake of survival is removed a lot. Starting with the cult 'Saws' and ending with the less successful 'Claustraphobes', 'Experiment Office' and many others. However, albeit following the basic rules of the genre, the authors of this series managed to tell an extremely exciting and interesting story, the culmination of which turned out to be really unexpected, and a transparent hint of a possible continuation only increases interest in what can happen next.
However, it is not the central storyline that makes the story really strong, but flashbacks from the past of one hero per series that begin with the second series, which not only reveal their past and characters, but also tell whole stories. Huntingly pretending to individual films, touching the living and telling whole stories of life. Starting with a girl from a devout family who unwittingly falls into the hands of people who want to make her a suicide bomber and ending with a mother who is ready to do anything for her daughter. The last two episodes with the fate of two heroes turned out to be the most boring. However, all previous series of the series manages to really hook and break away from watching the series is simply impossible.
The authors of the series Natalia Mulkumova and Alexei Chupov promised that in these very flashbacks they will transform the series into various genres. From adventure to comedy. They failed to keep their promise. There are certain attempts, but the authors of the series failed to strongly abstract from the mood of the gloomy and tense thriller inherent in the pilot. But it's not even a bad thing. The series turned out to be very atmospheric and extremely dynamic, and the demonstrative dramatic inserts of the authors of the series really work and leave a certain mark in the depths of the soul during viewing.
The entire cast showed itself on all praise. Each of the actors perfectly got into his image and masterfully performed it on the screen. Separately, I want to highlight only Pavla Tabakov, Yulia Khlynin and Sabina Akhmedov, who played their roles best of all. Especially Tabakov and Akhmedov. The first managed to competently submit a nicely correct character and make it far from boring. The second gave the strongest performance, which easily causes the necessary emotional response when watching.
9 out of 10
Call center is definitely one of the best domestic TV series in the last ten years. The authors of this series managed to create a very intense, dynamic and truly exciting series, which manages to keep the viewer in a state of continuous tension and interest throughout screen time. Along the way, playing on the strings of the soul with personal flashbacks of each of the heroes, who not only reveal the characters of the characters and their past, but also tell whole life stories. Perhaps even much more interesting, instructive and thought-provoking than the central storyline.
There are some good ideas and somewhere even ideas, but the quality of execution leaves much to be desired.
The viewer experiences emotions not from sudden plot twists or sympathy for the characters, but from an abundance of violence, 'blood' and the revealed topic of boobs.
There are almost no good jokes, in general, everything is very serious and gloomy.
The creators clearly tried to get into the fashionable trend of cyberpunk and combine it with reality, in the best traditions of modern Russian cinema. As a result, there is no cyberpunk, and reality does not inspire.
And, of course, borrowing, where without them: here and ' Black Mirror', and '24', a little 'Hostage' (except that the deeply devout Mother, rushing to rescue her daughter from the clutches'), a little ' Experiment' Well, etc. Naturally, the power structures did not bypass.
Summary: 0.5 points on the scale 'Dead Lake'. Who the second season recommend to approach only under intense pressure of your better half. And even better, at the time of viewing, say sick and ask for a day off to Mom, for a walk with the children, to the gym, to the kitchen, to public works (Monday, Tuesday, Srednyk, Subbotnik...).
Do you agree that every time we launch a domestic series, we mentally prepare for failure? This is the first time I’ve been excited about the series.
The service TNT-Premier originally came with a package of series that will allow themselves a little more - this is political satire, conversation on frank topics and here is a psychological thriller.
The genre for the Russian series is new, as a result of which each novelty receives its attention and often inflated ratings (for example, it is worth recalling ' Method', with places of failure scenes, a frankly weak plot, well, the main villain is guessed in the first series).
'Call center ' no such problems. The style and high level of tension of the picture are elegantly maintained, scenes are finely staged - when there are no dynames on the screen, but there is a sticky feeling of discomfort, tension.
A group of call center employees remains locked in the office, someone watching a group of young people began to play a similar game with them in a reality show, but instead of a prize, a timer with explosives and the voices of puppeteers from the speaker.
Each series will tell about the fate of one of the employees of the office, and here it is worth noting the writers and actors - each story has its own taste, its drive and its fear.
Special thanks for the fact that most of the actors are not familiar to a wide audience - Sabina Akhmedova, Polina Pushkaruk, Zoya Kaidanovskaya, Levan Khurtia, Alisa Selnikova, Egor Sheremetev, Pavel Tabakov - very convincing. Very much.
The story of the characters is really written excellent, they believe, they empathize and this is definitely the success of the creators, who still managed to arouse keen interest and sympathy. And this is difficult, especially with me, because my attitude to Russian filmmaking remains condescendingly sarcastic.
Music: It was embarrassing to hear variations on the theme '28 days later' which were also in 'Epidemics'. That was unnecessary. It’s a good topic, it’s mentioned, but alas, it’s boring. The rest is not bad, on a strong 'Good'.
The series is a must-watch, because today it is the best product in the genre of detective thriller with a limit of 18+.
Thanks to the whole team, you did it.
A couple of years ago, I could hardly imagine that I would follow Russian TV series with undisguised interest. Especially for the production of the TNT channel and the online cinema PREMIER (anticipating the effect of rolled eyes and skeptical linguist: the number of subscribers and the degree of influence on the minds of readers at an extremely minuscule level clearly do not contribute to attracting my modest figure to Ambassador services). About 5 years ago, excellent "Betrayal" surprised and instilled timid hope in the hopelessness of our creations. And so, the seemingly unshakable dam of snobbery to Russian serial forms began to be gradually undermined by an ever-increasing low-screen current: “Home Arrest”, “Year of Culture”, “Ordinary Woman”, “Behappy”, “Dead Lake”, “Teachers”, “Epidemic”. “Call DiCaprio!” I generally consider one of the best TV series on post-Soviet TV, which made me look at Petrov’s acting and directorial talents of Zhora Kryzhovnikov (well, I don’t like his “Bitter!”). With the brilliant sequel to Ice, this creative tandem only strengthened my belief in their potential.
The new Call Center project aroused interest, albeit with an old formula for the world industry, but fresh for the Russian one. Moreover, the author of the series was the script-director duo Natasha Merkulova and Alexei Chupov, who created quite unusual and daring full-lengths, “Intimate Places” and “The Man Who Surprised Everyone”. The output was a genre fabulous mix from “Saw”, “Examination” and “Experiment “Office” (heroes are locked in the claustrophobic space of a small office and are sometimes forced to perform sadistic tasks of an anonymous antagonist), and the narrative structure refers to the cult series “Lost” (the main story is interspersed with flashbacks from the past of the heroes).
With all its borrowings and mandatory genre conventions, with the inherent cliche of the narrative and its logical fragility, the Call Center copes with its main task - quite entertaining, surprising, in some moments catching up even creepy and making you feel ambiguous characters - you really look forward to the outcome of the crazy event. The idea and implementation are so exciting that the binge season for the evening. Young actors cope with their task perfectly - this is another plus of the premiere projects.
In the series enough social and other barbs in the direction of Russian reality, but their adequate dosage and organic integration into the narrative do not irritate and do not overlap the genre component. Humor history is also not deprived - jokes are absolutely unstressed and cause a sincere smile. The finale turned out, albeit slightly strange (the motivation is rather controversial and unconvincing), but his playful metairony was pretty amusing. A kind of postmodern equivocation to all serial addicts.
I watched the new domestic mini-series “Call Center” (2020).
Eight episodes about how employees of the call center of an adult store are locked in a mined office and forced to do all sorts of obscenities by terrorists who introduced themselves as Dad and Mom. There are only eight hours to save.
The series consists of two parts. In each series, in addition to the main plot, there is a parallel narrative about the fate of one of the heroes. And there is a complete thrash that an untrained person can bear the brain. While each story is really cool and looks like a separate movie, it’s infinitely tragic, partly nasty and very, very cruel.
That is, if anyone suddenly remembers the franchise “Saws”, I will explain the difference. Saw is about body abuse, and Call Center is more about soul torture. “Saw” is about how Kramer punishes a person for his suicidal tendencies, and “Call Center” is about how people with an already terrifying fate ended up in the clutches of maniacs. And we are forced to taste even more of this suffering. Throughout the series, I asked myself, “What are they doing?” but the writers and directors (Natasha Merkulova and Alexei Chupov) replied, “No way!” So coincidentally, shield happen, don't you know?
So, I sympathized with every hero whose story I was shown. Some were more horrific, some less, but everyone deserves a separate movie. They are so amazing that every time I was ecstatic from the clever play of the writers. But!
After all, these stories did not affect the development of the main plot, except for the psychosis of Galina, which gave impetus to the fact that Kirill began to heal again. The characters did not change from word to word.
Why did we need the Turkey story when Lisa didn't show up in the office, except for questionable sex with a married man? Why did Gemma's janitor's suffering come to light when her skills and determination were never useful? A fat man and a beautiful, but stupid girl were shown solely for the sake of defusing the situation, because they joked quite tolerably.
By the end, the characters somehow rallied, but sympathy still did not cause. I tried my best. There was only a feeling that cruelty was needed for the sake of cruelty. Some parasitism on shock content, like Game of Thrones (which I love dearly anyway). But if there was a powerful social and human idea in Thrones, then here it seems just an attraction.
I can assume that the idea of the series hides the eternal conflict between fathers and children, because the names of maniacs are Dad and Mom, and each of the side stories is somehow connected with the relationship with parents. But I did not understand what this tin can teach me personally, a person who has already lived a little and wants to hear a clear statement of the author after strong pictures.
What's the moral?
Even Kramer in Saw says to me, “Value your life!” “Call Center” offers a game vinaigrette, and I remain after it in a state far from “Call your parents!”, but close to “The world is terrible, and the people in it are bastards.” Do we need that thought now?
I am very emotional when I write about our modern cinema. Because I'm worried about him and I want him to beat the key, live, tremble! “Call Center” is a huge work and, without a doubt, a spectacular and powerful show. But incredibly traumatic with its pressure and emotional torture of the viewer.
I’m glad the movie bombed me in part and made me write this review. So the letter has been delivered to the addressee. I sincerely hope that the series will teach someone a bright and good, at least, attention to other people and care for their relatives. But somehow I'm not sure. . .
Take seats on the 12th floor of the business center in the office of the online store for adults. Here, without anesthesia, we will uncover the heroes’ past and extract their most vile secrets. Time for the session will be on the time bomb. Believe me, it will be very interesting for those who will survive.
This entertainment was prepared by Natalia Merkulova and Alexei Chupov – “dad” and “mother” of the series “Call Center”. They were inspired by Tom Clancy’s book All the Fears of the World. Then mixed genres from erotic novel to science fiction and added the main ingredient of the creepy cocktail - fear. Drink it will have to people who are locked up. They come from different social groups, with polar views, and most importantly, with different human qualities that will certainly manifest themselves in a critical situation.
Although the plot revolves around a love triangle: boss Denis, undecided Katya, the right Kirill, the script is woven from scraps of stories of all subjects. Experimenting with genres, the authors sew a shocking episode from the past lives of the heroes and associate with events in the present. Not all stories are clear of clichés, so the outcome of a number of dramas can be predicted.
The idiomatic leitmotif is well maintained. It sounds notes of family values and hears the percussion of the internal struggle with insurmountable circumstances. Heroes burned lives in pursuit, either for prosperity or pleasure, or embarked on all hardships for the sake of noble and not very goals. This same psychological limbo emphasizes the trance music of the series. Now the heroes have only 8 hours to change under the influence of fear of death. Some will be better and some will be dead.
Despite the rigidity - mats and nudity - the authors fixate on realistic disclosure of characters. The soulful confessions are full of juicy details, and the main plot is full of incomprehensible games in the spirit of “Saws” and the search for an answer who loves whom more. By the end, the heat of passion turns into a farce, and some heroes forget their motives.
As a result, the series perfectly pumps up suspense, indulges in genre approaches and delights with the acting of Pavel Tabakov among the main characters and Sabina Akhmedova - secondary. Great work and good results
Call center: brazenness on horseback is a killer combination
Cinema is a unique creation of mankind, as is the constantly fluctuating state of man. Why do people love to watch movies without looking at any other problems and everything that happens in their lives? For one simple reason, cinema is the perfect way to drown out the emotions within. Dreary and morose mood - please, you can always see what will suit this state. Fun and playful state of health is not a problem: a couple of clicks on the keys and a movie here like this. No wonder they say that cinema is the poetry of the human soul. He watches what he wants and always finds that movie. However, there are those who prefer exclusively domestic cinema and here the viewer has a dilemma.
Russian cinema is an amazing thing. It can go consistently well, and then lower the bar and show just a terrible picture, both literally and figuratively. Therefore, each announced project is expected to be exciting, especially if it is pushed as something extraordinary, something that has never been seen in Russia before. This is a vivid example of Fyodor Bondarchuk’s film “Attraction”, where expectations exceeded the reality of the audience, and we saw a very weak picture in all aspects.
What's the point? Painting by Natasha Merkulova and Alexei Chupov – “Call Center” is the first and second paragraph together. The overall style of the work, of course, is in dark colors, but for eight series, the duo of directors manages to present several genres of storytelling. Not every one of them sees a vivid and convincing story and narrative, but here it is more about the inexperience of the directors than the stability described above. For the married duo, this is not the first work together, but the first in the genre of thriller-horror. The call center is good on the outside, but rotten on the inside. And this, unfortunately, also due to the lack of proper experience of writers-directors.
However, it is not necessary to say that due to lack of experience, there are any audience problems. "Call center" takes its ambiguity - eroticism, vulgarity and extraordinary solutions. Under the conditions of strict censorship, when abusive words are permissible in a movie with a rating of “16+”, television will prefer it to “knock”, and therefore it was quite bold to make two versions – a minor and for those who have already reached the age of eighteen. The difference in the two versions is not particularly significant, but it simplifies the preservation of nerve cells for those who are not particularly happy to see such a movie their children.
In Russia, they are very sensitive to the pilot releases of potential series in view of their non-payback on television. Therefore, the victory of the series at the second festival of television series presented high hopes for its future. Is it possible to say that expectations exceeded reality? No more than yes. And there are several reasons for this: the audience in Russia is not as extensive as it may seem; the genre and caste of actors provided will clearly encroach on the audience in bewilderment; and finally, the advertising campaign was very weak – few people in Russia knew that on March 23, 2020, the series “Call Center” was released. But read this Alexei Chupov and Natasha Merkulova, the couple would say: we are not offended. And hardly anyone would argue, because thanks to these factors, the series was such a success.
But do not forget that there is the same internal rot mentioned above. The series sins with the weak play of actors who cause the laugh of the viewer, his bewilderment and disgust at certain intervals of time. Twelve young people are locked in a small space, and this is the perfect way to uncover the chemistry between the characters. This is also the idea of the antagonist of the series. However, it turns out that the heroes are weak. You can see that the guys had a desire to show exhausted characters who are in fear for their lives, but it did not go beyond the effort. There is no hero who wants to say, “But this series I will review solely because of him!” Vladimir Yaglych plays a simple boss, which he played ten years ago; Yulia Khlynin simply cannot be taken seriously because of cheap facial expressions, amateur acting, when you absolutely do not believe a single word. Apparently, the actress remembered that she was playing in a movie owned by TNT Holding. In the recent Ice 2, Yulia had a stronger game in every aspect of it, which is not clear. Nikita Tarasov, Pavel Tabakov and Askar Nigamedzyanov are the only ones to mention. The first because he could experience something worthwhile, the second because of his father, and the third because they relied on him as a secret person of the third plan, smoothly flowing into the first. But what the project leaders thought is unclear. At least the guy has no experience. At most, you can’t even call him an artist.
And this despite the fact that the story at the Call Center is exciting and interesting. At first, there are doubts about what a movie we have seen, but over time the story unfolds a little differently. And closer to the second block, the viewer understands that such a story is a new and paraphrased film in Russia. Of course, the story was already going through flashbacks and the narrator through the screen, but the main feature of the story is understood at the end when the antagonist tells the reason why a group of young people were locked indoors. And even the flashbacks of the characters have an interesting message, and most of them do not disappoint, the only one - again ruins the entire acting.
The verdict. The married duo managed to really surprise the viewer with their creation, to which they went for so long. In consultation with more experienced directors and screenwriters of Russia, the production of people who are more immersed in films of this format, the second season has every chance to become a great, strong series that can be reviewed from time to time.
I thought everything was going according to plan... Just as it was designed by them...!
- When I cut off my finger, did you think it was all going according to plan? /i>
Most want to see in this series the similarity with Saw, this is mistakenly considered the Call Center its Russian adaptation, from this and inflated expectations that are directed absolutely in the wrong direction. This series has a different idea, and therefore other methods of implementing the idea.
Each character, oddly enough, has a different fate, radically different problems and an equally heavy burden. We reveal the characters not casually, but with separate backstory that makes us worry about the characters, well, or just feel interested in them. With the help of these backstory, the series touches on topics that you can not predict that make the series more special.
The musical accompaniment is gorgeous, as is the cast, but there is one BUT! Some moments in the dialogue look ridiculous, because the authors wanted to cram into them like jokes, and the atmosphere of the series because of this spoils. Let’s turn on realism and understand that at some points, the same pranks colleagues will be inappropriate.
I would recommend a review.
One of the most famous serial projects in our country recently. I haven’t seen such a hype about a TV show in a long time. Of course, my expectations were a priori high. There were several reasons for that. At first, the reviews were mostly positive from everywhere. In the second, the cast picked up? quite good. In the third genre I am very impressed. This is not another comedy with a cluttered mat, but a full-fledged thriller.
In fact, it was a little different. As you know, you should not build rave reviews about the film or series without watching them. Otherwise, we become hostages of our own anticipatory imagination. This is fraught with the fact that even if the expectations were almost justified, we still feel some dissatisfaction with the lack of something.
First of all, the creators should be praised for their courage. There has never been anything like this on television. We know how to lick Western primary sources, but sometimes our showrunners lack courage. Each character presented to the viewer has its own story, with a pronounced life drama. All of them somehow touch or cover all kinds of human tragedies, sometimes very acute social.
With the intricacies of the plot, our heroes are locked in a confined space, and united by one goal - #survive. All 8 episodes gradually introduce us to most of the participants of what is happening on the screen.
Perhaps the only flaw in this whole folding story can be called a script. This is how you describe your main problem. Closer to the middle it becomes boring, clearly lacking some intrigue. The finale completely disappointed me. The famously wrapped story became a stumbling block of the whole project and ended extremely poorly. It turns out that from series to series, the plot weakens, like a fading flame in the fireplace.
Bottom line: definitely a strong and interesting representative of the domestic production series with gaps in the script. It's nice that we still have those. If you were not indifferent to the games of Jigsaw, then this will definitely come to you.
7 out of 10
I am 27 years old and I am sure of three things that will never happen in Russia: a good car, a stable course and a good movie/series in the genre of thriller. Oh, I was wrong.
My girlfriend offered to watch this series and, despite a puncture with the Bykov Method, from which it sucks to puke, I agreed to this Russian thriller-drama.
Guys, for the first time in a long time I started talking to TV in moments of heat, like: ' Fool, jump faster!', ' well, what are you doing, run!', ' come on, come on, come on ' and so on. Sometimes it even gets to goosebumps.
How deftly everything is played out: there are LGBT people, and there is a conflict in the East of Ukraine, and ISIS, and money, and lust, and bandits, and ' the Russian soul' in the form of crazy Fsbashniks, bandits and icons... yes, the script is simply divine.
It's a great picture. And what plans, angles, as if Fincher himself had a hand. Appropriate CGI, nothing ablally Bondarchuk-style. Installation is generally fire.
Play actors on top, the motivation of the characters is clear, the lyrics are excellent. A couple of moments were over with inappropriate reactions and the situation itself (the scene with a bottle & #39 and kisses, for example) but this is nothing compared to the overall effect.
All the characters are different, all have their own background, and cramming all this into an eight-hour timekeeping (8 episodes per hour), to be interesting, is expensive.
I recommend this series to all those who think that Russia does not know how to shoot such series, well, just fans of thrillers. The series at the level of Hollywood, for Russia is a breakthrough!
A huge thank you to everyone who had a hand in this wonderful series. You're good!
Overall impression: The new series from PREMIER Studios was released on March 23 and ended its season just recently. Only 8 episodes, but what! Let's take a look at the pros.
Dynamic. The film is replete with a variety of storylines from flashbacks and reminded me of my favorite Lost, and for good reason, as it turned out, the reference for the Call Center was the series Lost, in which the story of the central characters of the series is shown in the form of flashbacks. Not everyone is given time, but not all are so interesting, but by the way, I understand that there will be a continuation, because without it there is no way, so it is likely, in addition to the weaving of new heroes, they will talk about the lost. Nevertheless, the development of the picture is fascinating to watch. You worry about each character, showing the whole range of emotions, which is undoubtedly pleasing!
Original. Every hero with his own story may seem to some that too exaggerated, but nevertheless, who said that in life this does not happen? A lot of intrigues, secrets and intricacies of the plot to the end of the story puts everything in place. Everything looks decent and convincing, because the stories of the characters are supported by motives, not what. That's why Lost comes to mind. But if you take our series, like on the screen I have not seen, and this is already a success.
Visual. The picture changes in locations, there is a basis - it is the call center itself and time travel, where each hero has his own mysterious story. Therefore, combining excerpts from the chamber and variety of places, the series was able to embody a motley mix. This is convenient, because playing such an unusual role from drama to thriller, the film focuses on the important – interest for the viewer, you will not be bored.
Genre. Multi-genre is one of the advantages of the series. There is room for drama and thriller. A good help is not tugging the blanket, all evenly and with the condition of a good plot structure. From problems of love and political, to relevance in and plot twists, and some can be predicted, but still the plus is that not everything.
Acting. There are familiar faces on the screen: Vladimir Yaglych (Denis), Nikita Tarasov (Zhenya), Pavel Tabakov (Kirill), and there are those I do not know: Julia Khlynina (Katya), Polina Pushkaruk (Liza), Egor Sheremetev (Vitalik), but nevertheless, everyone looks harmoniously, caste is selected well, no one knocks out.
18+. Restrictions in the show is not in vain supported by age qualification, everything is logical, there are scenes of a sexual nature, abuse and quite unpleasant moments. Therefore, it is logical to remove children from the screen.
In summary, “Call Center” is a great series to watch, it has a number of advantages that can lure the viewer. Convincing acting, an outstanding plot with a good idea and its implementation. I highly recommend it.
' Call center' the plot does not justify its name, because the call center is only a location in which 35% of the time of episodes occurs.
In the plot 12 & #39; lucky & #39; get into a situation when terrorists threaten to blow up the entire floor with their office. The heroes have 8 hours to figure out what to do about it, and all the while they have to carry out the delicate orders of the terrorists. Heroes lead dances naked, twist novels on two sides, play in ' bottle' with exploding collars, cut off their fingers and sacrifice themselves to save others. That's what I loved about the series - you never know what Mom and Dad will do next, they play on the feelings and hidden desires of the characters, this is the main highlight of creation. Speaking of heroes. One word: cliché. No matter how you try to praise the series, all the characters will remain cliché, their behavior, actions, thoughts, characters. We have a real woman Katya, rushing between two fires, Cyril is a good boy, practically a doctor (in fact, was and remains the most adequate and pleasant hero of all), Denis, bringing a share of humor with his remarks, a typical alpha male who, according to another cliché at the end of the series, remains in the flyby, Vitalik is just fat, why he is here a mystery, Yana is the same, Lisa is a very religious girl, Zhenya is an extremely tired family man who all season refuses to Lisa, and in the end, Vitalik is in love with her.
In addition to the actions in the call center, we are shown the backstory of one of the characters throughout the series. Thus, each series is like a short film, existing in its own genre. Not to say that all stories are interesting, but watching them for the first time is always shocking, intriguing.
A separate plus is the setting of the frame, the shooting is very high-quality, the colors are juicy, pleasant, which is why I want to continue watching, very unusual for our cinema, especially TV series.
In general, this series can and should be advised, from each episode you can take a certain morality, your meaning - this is suggested by the background of the characters.
In a Moscow business center called 'Gloria Plaza' on a seemingly routine day, 12 employees of the call center "Boutique for Adults" are locked on their floor with a bomb that should come into action 8 hours after its activation. And at this time, through the means of communication with the heroes, the organizers of this whole bacchanalia, presented as 'Mama' and 'Dad' and in order to survive, the employees must unconditionally fulfill their requirements.
I’ll start with the positives, and the best, I think, is an interesting idea of the series itself. It is like a collection of such thrillers as: 'Saw', 'Experiment', etc. But in the end, the author's work is obtained, which is very pleasing. I’ll also add characters who looked like great shorts. Thanks to them, the images of the characters are revealed. As for the actors, I was satisfied with their work, especially Pavla Tabakova (in the role of Kirill), and from this note you can go to the minuses.
And this minus is represented as cliché, and in large volume. These are situations, dialogues, behaviors, decisions, characters from which you want to catch facepalm (like: ' I did not have a daughter. and here. bang, I learned that there is' or give a chance to get out and so ' fail', literally and figuratively). Also, the finale left a note of bitterness and indignation after watching the last series: the main villain and his motivation confused me. It was too much and rolling, again in the same unfortunate clichés.
In terms of operator work, there are also no complaints, interesting angles were selected, work with plans, in which symbolism was also present.
And Summing up, I still want to thank the writers-directors Natalia Merkulov and Alexei Chupov, for bringing diversity to the domestic film industry. I have not been so interested in the domestic series since the days of 'My eyes'. And from me.
7 out of 10
To begin with, this is outright plagiarism from a second-rate American-Colombian film ' The Office Experiment' 2016, less bloody but more muddled, inconsistent, illogical, with more plot holes, if there is any coherent plot. ' Experiment Office' also a very mediocre film, but there was at least an idiotic, but the purpose of the experiment, and here is complete nonsense. No one who has such money will spend it so mediocrely, even the future as much as he likes on the head, if there is no tangible and seemingly logical goal.
1. The acting game leaves much to be desired, there is no trace of the character of the characters, for example, Gemma, who passed for the sake of the daughter of 7 circles of hell, in relatively simple situations behaves like a hysteria, and Kirill, who for the sake of his beloved, under the fire of bandits, with the risk of life stole a medical UAZ, behaves like a complete nothingness.
2. Whether the scriptwriters used cannabinoids and vomited this nonsense, holding each other's heads above the toilet circle, and then the smoke ended and the muse flew away, or they were lazy to connect certain normal ideas with semantic lines, and they still exist, these normal ideas, though all bring up thoughts about ' Saw' but who in Russia when worried about plagiarism? At first, a good idea of the script, trying to reveal the character of the characters of the film through a story about their past, bypasses half of these characters, and what was shown does not coincide with their behavior in the present.
3. The director, according to sensations, shot the film that is called ' with bodun', immediately recalls the old cartoon ' Vovka in the thirtieth kingdom' with his ' And so it will go!' Comrade Director, I have to guess for myself who thought what and why did what? Do your work for you and the actors? Although maybe there was a director's version, which ruthless producers cut in order to meet the screen time? Well, of course not, because it's a series, and if you could stretch it a couple more episodes, they would.
4. Decorations for three. If you put a mannequin at the entrance, in order to later blow his head, you could put a stand with samples ... although why are they in the online store? What's 18+?
5. Separately worthy of attention is the character of the colonel (!) of the FSB (!) and no normal high-ranking employee of this organization will not take up objects that do not know how appeared at his car on the closed territory of the house with a fence of such height! He'll call the bomb squad and evacuate the family to the basement! And that makes sense! And pick out a pin from the exhaust pipe will be except that the owner of gigulas standing in the parking lot near the house.
6. The general impression of watching the film is a film for once, but the second part, if the producers risk investing in it, I may not ignore it if they take into account all the comments and disadvantages of the film and try to fix it. Although not all that bad, for Russian films of this kind, of course, I would call a breakthrough even this attempt to shoot a normal thriller like ' Saws'.
Bottom line: The main drawback I see is that the film does not even try to keep the viewer in suspense. The script is inconsistent and illogical, the actors play mediocre, but this is possible due to the fact that the script does not spell out their characters. Well, or the director really was ' with boduna'.
After watching the series, there was a small hope in a good Russian movie in the genre of thrillers.
Pros:
From the very beginning, the series keeps in suspense, you expect new stage twists and wait, how will this creation end?
The special effects were also on top. Explosions, traps all at a new level, for Russian cinema.
The acting of unfamiliar and infrequent (to date) personalities in the series turned out to be very high-quality and balanced. All the heroes are fully revealed to us.
Special attention deserves the main villain of the series - Gloria (Victoria Tolstoganova). She simply conveyed all the tragedy of her fate and her short appearance finally put all the dots on ' and'. But so spectacular and bright few could.
The series pleased with the competent setting of the picture and by the end of the 8th series, all the puzzles add up to one simple clear picture. The viewer, if you discard the fantastic plot, will not be left with questions about why these people are here.
All the traps, tips, communication of call center employees is thought out almost unmistakably, it is desirable and pleasant to look at.
The spectator observes how the tangle of human destinies unwinds, what consequences are on the principle 'domino' you can expect from your rash actions. The series openly ridicules the vices of society, betrayal in relationships that is a certain ' novelty' in modern cinema.
Defects:
Some characters are simply superfluous in this series.
Proprietary blood, which changes color and shades depending on the frames.
Why is it 'sex shop'? Not any other call center (for example, psychological assistance, or IT support service).
A lot of untapped and real chances of escape.
Quite a lot of frank scenes and a lot of twisted maniacs during the series, due to which the connection flies away from the reality of what is happening.
In general, the series can be recommended for viewing to your friends and acquaintances who are bored in anticipation of series of this genre. There's no shame in this series.
The Russian series, which, discarding the claims, in principle, can be advised with the remark ' for the Russian series it is really something new' And that’s true, but the closer the viewer was brought to the finale, the more hyperbolic situations and other bad decisions appeared, technically unfounded.
Natasha Merkulova and Alexei Chupov, who are both writers and directors of the series, decided to play in 'Saw' and created a situation where a group of people are locked in the office, and they are given assignments by mysterious voices calling themselves ' Parents'. Intriguing? Absolutely. For the idea and courage to implement it on Russian television, clearly not ready for such a product, you can safely praise the series. After all, it is thanks to a bold idea that he creates a furor.
But one idea is also impossible to leave, it should be supported by a strong script, written characters with reasoned motivation and a villain whose villainy should have been justified. What do we have after 8 episodes and the final seen?
Yes, the guys overcame the suspense, forcing the viewer to continue watching, as the situation is not clear until the very end, who planned all this and why. Plus, the events in the office supported the flashbacks of each character, revealing to us their difficult fate, because gathered here all the unhappy and maimed. Heroes are interesting, but their actions are clichéd, and fates are exalted in absolute absurdity and grotesque. The same situation with the villain, the same situation with the finale, to which I have a lot of questions on the technical implementation of all the villainous plans, which, of course, the creators of the series decided not to answer. The events took place for the sake of events, trials for the sake of trials, hardness for the sake of cruelty, and not for the greater disclosure of the character and fate of the heroes and their further transformation.
As a result, the series is from the category that you watch to watch, but the finale disappoints with its denouement and promises of a second season. Although the fact that we've been watching him adds to the basket. There were a couple of series that pleased with their decisions, but the minuses outweighed them.
If you’re a fan of Russian TV, you’ll certainly enjoy the show and it’ll make a splash on you. If you are a savvy viewer in various giants of the global serial industry, then justifying bad dialogue, clichés and excessive overplay with the phrase: ' Well, this is our domestic product' - you will quickly get bored.
"Love thy neighbor as thyself."
The Bible. The Gospel of Matthew
Noise, the office is busy. Phone trills, calls, short presentations of goods by employees. Phrases, lines repeated hundreds or thousands of times. To automatism in schematism brought. Negotiations are a routine of eight hours. Is it Monday? Wednesday? Thursday? For ten employees, this is one of those “Day Groundhog” & #39; in the stability of the established routine. Today is the same as yesterday. Not a single emotion on the faces, glazed looks in the screens of monitors. Belief system with chewing nuances to the client and selling-selling. It's just in this little society. It's obvious. In the country of such cell cells, separated by partitions, lots, mass, a great many. There's no difference. Except in small nuances.
However, here the director already initially provides the viewer with a certain thread of intrigue. The product itself is quite specific. Adult accessories, intimate sphere, strawberry bait. And although there is no deepening into such a piquant topic, and although 'pribambasy' are only superficial in nature, the author's thought is the anchor of the upcoming spectacle. Well, in fact, why, say not some planning department of the plant or design bureau with ' draft drawings '? Why not the caramel sales office of the factory or milling industry? And the marketing department with 'guru visionaries'? The team, where both male and female in the monotony of functions. Wouldn't you have? No, you wouldn't. Neither of them. The subtext is there. And it unfolds as the plot evolves. The first mystery.
The bomb is in the office. It is impossible to get out of a closed space. Twelfth floor, twelve goremyks doomed to the unknown. Again, some symbolism is outlined by the creator. Why twelve? And twice about it. An intentional accent? How many apostles did Christ have? Nearby. What? Some kind of analogy? Or just a coincidence? Or maybe we have a skillful prank with puzzles of paintings in some rehearsal? N. Mikhalkov had a drama in 2007 '12' with a heated jury dispute - guilty-not guilty. Another little mystery for eight series in puzzles.
Here comes the puppeteers. From the TV screen with a message. Their names are simple: Mom and Dad. The hostages are now simply called children. “You have behaved badly,” they say, “and now you will all be punished.” That's right. Well, it's quite a hypertrophied fantasy. When children grow up, the punishment for their actions (bad ones) becomes insignificant. They do not clap on the ass, do not put in a corner, do not deprive a sweet or a computer ... And meanwhile, something bad 'children' as they did and continue to do in life. Only the scale becomes different, but the form changes. Here you and all of us are the third mystery of directorial thought. And that's not bad at all.
What's next? What's next? What, interesting? What, fascinating? Or... I was really enjoying myself, too. Because concepts like 'sex' and 'love' distance themselves from each other, though they should complement each other. 'Sex' and 'love' here and intertwined, becoming passion with the loss of shores. Some have ' individuals ' the first prevails, the second is not preferred by all. And patience? Isn't hate intolerance attractive? And so ' circles of hell' in a confined space, we are brought back to these aspects over and over again. Whether it is sketches of a story from the life of each hostage or a circle of the general ' dance floor' in mockery of orders ' parents' - do, do, do! Fourth puzzle drawing for the entire timekeeping.
How many are there? These mysteries. Massa! Total mass.
And yet, the picture is beyond any doubt filled with similarities of plots, scenes from ' yesterday, the day before yesterday, long ago' both domestic and world cinema. Here are just a few analogies. Here and 'About freaks and people'(1998) A. Balabanov, where S. Akhmedov in the role of tortured by sexual perverts and 'Transformation'(2002) V. Fokin with parallels between E. Mironov and Z. Kaidanovskaya. Here 'The English patient' (1996) in a hurry to help his beloved, where the characters of R. Fiennes-P. Tabakov are in pain. And even 'Dear man'(1958) in the operational echo of surgical care.
A psychological thriller capable of pleasantly tickling nerves. A picture of events, fascinating, not letting go. And the questions-questioning. So who's going to do that? What is it? A prank? Someone's mean joke? Terrorism at work? Retribution in life for immorality? A parable? Seven episodes out of eight, you will not be able to clarify anything for yourself.
Thriller he is and thriller to shake the imagination. And think. At least 'a bit'. What is the meaning, the subtext of the visible 'bultyhanii' these unfortunates
It's a movie worthy of the time. It’s also good to think about it.
Twelve people. Twelve stories. Twelve Destinies.
"Love thy neighbor as thyself, but the beastly in thyself, get rid of."
7 out of 10