You can't beat beautiful people. It is difficult now to remember at least one film that could cause the emotions that caused the film by Philip Jankovsky “Stone Head”. A human drama mixed with love, sport and rotten human gut. Drama in an empty apartment, in an empty stadium, in an empty head. A movie where the main character is silent. This is a movie that you may not notice, but you can not miss. For if you see this, then reconsider your attitude to Russian cinema, director F. Yankovsky and the giant man N. Valuev. You will cry and applaud. I'm sure.
Skepticism about this film is clear. Slurred video, not particularly revered by the masses director and the main character, played by a professional athlete, not a professional actor. All this can be taken as an excuse to miss this film at the box office and never remember it again. But this is the case when it is worth listening to the opinion of those who managed to see it.
Detachment, isolation of the main character is frightening, upsetting in a good way. It's from that story when it's big but kind. He is helpless and lost like a little puppy. At the same time, all these emotions of Yegor Golovin please, because Russian cinema in the person of Valuev has received a very interesting and promising actor. When Nikolai scores everyone on this and that side of the ocean with his pood fists and decides to quit boxing, his road must go down the cinematic road. His debut was more than successful. The image of a powerful hero who was broken by an accident and the death of his beloved was created by him frighteningly believable. When in the frame close-up his textured face, you believe Valuev 100%. Throughout the film, he says a hundred words. Nikolai’s ragged, incoherent, calm speech cuts to the bone. He speaks and it squeezes out a tear. He just doesn’t have to do that with that face. Nikolai, just look at the picture with your sad eyes.
A sane person who purposefully went to the “Stone Head” to see the drama, not a stupid fable, should have no questions for the hero of Valuev. Only an idiot in the deepest stage of stupidity is able to jump up and say something like, "I see why he's talking like that ... stupid boxer." No, no and no again. Without further ado, I will say that it is a must-see. When Egor eats instant noodles, when he runs through an empty stadium, when he wanders through wet streets, then you see the whole giant of this hero and applaud the directors. This, I repeat, makes sense.
The heroine of Oksana Fandera named Tanya, a prostitute who is assigned to Valuev is played interestingly and to the place. It’s predictable, but in a movie like this, I wouldn’t want to. First money is important, then conscience. Tanya has her own problems, and Egor for her, as an opportunity to solve them. According to the status of a girl of easy behavior, it is not shameful for her to cheat and live with a client, go to any business and follow all the orders of the Director. In the course of the action, Tanya causes more sympathy. It gets to the point that during the last conversation of the main characters you catch yourself thinking that if I were even a little more sentimental, I would definitely drop a tear.
"Stone Head" is a film, looking at which you can still believe that Russian cinema is alive. Thanks to the excellent camera work of Eduard Mashkovich, the magnificent music of Gleb Matveichuk and the beautiful play of Nikolai Valuev, we can see the most interesting and unusual drama shot in Russia. A drama that will shut down many Hollywood productions.