One of your own. The plot of the series “Alien” is not original. There is a protagonist who, due to life circumstances, is forced to hide under the name of another person. However, the innovation lies in the comic of the situation: a thieving banker pretends to be a policeman, simultaneously trying to escape to Finland, for which he is looking for a smuggler who can arrange a “transition” for him, but eventually investigates a series of crimes committed by this smuggler, whose capture can reduce to “no” all the efforts of the main character to escape beyond the cordon.
The obvious advantage of the series is the invitation to the main role of Kirill Pletnev. I know him from Saboteur, then both the film and the actor impressed me. Pletnev is an excellent actor in principle, and in Alien he embodied a person whose life position changes by 180 degrees, from a cold and selfish character to a simple (in the best sense of the word) and cozy, one might even say decent hero. Although the existence of his character in comfortable conditions exists on the screen less than half of the first series, this time is enough to introduce the viewer to a person who lives for pleasure, but does not really know what is real in his life. And only once in the city of Ozersk from despair, the hero of Pletnev – Vladimir Orlov, finally understands what ordinary human warmth, understanding, mutual assistance, friendship, love, family is.
In the modern Russian serial business in the last decade, or even longer, the cult of chic life and the simultaneous unsettlement of the characters prevails, they kind of have everything, but something is missing all the same. Sometimes it is difficult to empathize with such characters precisely because of the refinement of their life, the far-fetchedness of suffering. “Alien”, on the contrary, shows the life of the most ordinary inhabitants of Russia, who work in unassuming conditions, live in the present day, love and dislike, laugh and cry when they are really bad (and you understand them, because it was bad for you, they also betrayed you), while being capable of pure and selfless love, self-sacrifice. Getting into such conditions, the main character - Vladimir Orlov, as if deprived of some false shell. In addition to obvious external factors, the director Orlova turns into Vorobyov, as if lowering him from heaven to sinful land.
Not only the obvious simple living conditions contribute to the transformation of Vladimir Orlov, but also the people who surround him. The creators of the series flooded the microcosm with such honest servants of the law that I, as a lawyer by profession, experienced real pleasure from the mere fact that they were shown just like that. I know people like that in real life.
Extremely stands out the hero of Alexander Bukharov – the head of the police department of Ozersk, Lieutenant Colonel Egor Nikolaevich Frolov. On the one hand, a hard and principled servant of the law, on the other - soft and attentive when it comes to a beloved woman and mother, as well as a person capable of a desperate act that is decisive for the fate of the protagonist. And if at the beginning of the series Frolov appears as an ambiguous figure, and it seems that corruption was not bypassed by his side, closer to the middle it becomes clear that he wants to catch a corrupt official no less than his subordinates and even Orlov, who joined the police to recant, and himself grew into the work of the investigator. It turned out that it was in Ozersk that the main character found the most beautiful, warmest place. Here he appeared: real love, strong male friendship, devoted comrades, interesting work.
Curiously, Egor Frolov seems to knock the dope out of Orlov's head. And not just figuratively. Despite the numerous skirmishes of Orlov and Frolov, the latter’s endless claims to the methods of “service” Orlova in the internal affairs bodies, it is this relationship between a fugitive banker and the head of the police department that saves the life of the first and helps to win the favor of the heroine Lyubov Konstantinova to the second.
It is also impossible to ignore the hero Alexei Mantsygin. Getting into submission to the “head of the department” Orlov-Vorobyov, he becomes his real partner, rescues him, and even learning the truth about the main character, does not “give” him. Naturally, his knowledge of the binding that Orlov got into gives rise to many sarcastic remarks, especially when in his presence Orlov plays a policeman.
Humor in the series is present and leaves a bright aftertaste, without vulgarity, humor as in life. And what else bribes – the love of the neighbor’s girl to the main character, and this girl is so bright and selfless creature that one should not be surprised by the hesitation of Orlov, who seems to want to escape, but so he wants to stay in Russia, in the city of Ozersk, with this girl and her mother. The love shown in Alien is not sold for money. No childish love, no woman’s love for man, no man’s love for woman. Frolov patiently awaits his Svetlana, Lyuba performed by Maryana Spivak wins his happiness, literally snatching his beloved from the fire. True, the Russian woman and the horse will stop at a gallop, and will enter the burning hut.
It remains to say only about the music, which in the “Alien” mood reminded me of the composition to the series “The Far Side of the Moon”. And although the composers are different, I cannot but note the commonality of the music - in its light and slightly ironic tone. Not all melodies differ in this series, there are both disturbing and sad, but the general tone is rather life-affirming.
Overall, the series is enjoyable to watch and listen to. Even Frolov’s commanding tone, which at times pierces the narrative, is perfectly appropriate here. I can very much understand it, given what a rare copy in the person of the main character he got subordinate (does not know how to conduct interrogation, search, that you can not touch anything with your bare hands at the crime scene, that you need to report to the authorities, etc., etc., in short, Frolov infuriates all this not without reason).
Camera work is simple, but the camera periodically snatches beautiful shots - this is facilitated by nature and actors who are beautiful, each in its own way. Do you need to say that you can just relax on this series? After all, his characters are ordinary people, yes, tall like Alexander Bukharaov, yes, artistic like Kirill Pletnev, yes, airy and gentle like Lyubov Konstantinov, and resolute and caring like Maryana Spivak. I want more movies like that. I want to continue the series “Alien”.