Fighting, befriending. As it turned out, this modest budget (only 200 thousand dollars) and with a stretch (below I will explain why) arthouse film seemed to have a good festival fate and, as reported on the website Moviniks.ru., in 2012, i.e. almost 3 years after the premiere, seems to have found a producer-distributor. I don't know what happened next.
Now let me explain the stretch. It's simple. The fact is that the canvas of the picture is a Hollywood (and in general American) with a long gray beard, namely, a story about how two cool guys (cowboys, cops, special agents - no matter!) first feuded, but, having measured their strength (on fists, with "guns" - no matter!) and realizing that both of them are again cool and right guys, instantly (!!!) become the most bosom friends and crush common enemies. So the filmmakers did not bother with his dramatic decision, following the outdated Hollywood patterns and adding only the place and time of action from themselves (and if their budget was a couple of zeros more, they would have soaked such a blockbuster, spitting on some festivals there, I am almost sure of this).
And so... It turned out to be a chamber and quite consistent with the concept of “film performance” that I persistently introduce into film terminology, where all the action takes place “in four walls” (on the territory of an abandoned Mexican prison), and there are only two actors (duo; the rest are just extras). Quite theatrical and suitable for production on stage. And in general, “Lonely Place to Die” looks with interest, thanks to the dynamics and shameless play of little-known artists. Of course, the story of the kagebeshnik (" werewolf in epaulettes!) is completely drawn behind elephant ears, allegedly a descendant of Dzerzhinsky himself. It is not worth it to be surprised (in general, in the West, following the requirements of the mass cult, the “necessary” Russians, without hesitation, “call” the historical and literary surnames known there (in early Bondian there are KGB generals Gogol and Pushkin, and in one criminal “black comedy” of the 90s – the mafia brothers Karamazov...).
Yes, more! In the final almost a happy ending with a claim to a significant prospect. Here is such a “arthouse”, “festival cinema”...
7 out of 10