A fugitive from thieves in law. . . The film “While Still Alive”, released in 2013, is a sequel to the crime drama “Close Enemy”, which premiered three years earlier. In both cases, the main director, as well as the co-writer of the script and one of the producers was Alexander Ashotovich Atanesyan (in "While Still Alive", he also played one of the secondary roles). Atanesyan is generally quite well-known in the domestic cinematic world figure. In addition to making films, he also held several important positions in various film awards foundations and organizations. But in 2006, Alexander Atanesyan went on free bread, that is, retrained to work with independent cinema. And it happened exactly at the time when his most famous picture came out on the screens - the military drama "Bastards", which made noticeable noise not only in the domestic film market, but also abroad. However, the "Bastards" has a somewhat scandalous shade, which appeared after outright doubts about the reality of what is happening.
But back to "While Still Alive." In the center of the plot is a young girl named Polina (Evgenia Trofimova). She is a fugitive and recently arrived in Odessa and is now trying to adjust her new life, hiding from the persecution of thieves. She crossed their path in the events of the film “Close enemy” when she prepared ingenious traps for many representatives of the criminality, who in turn were responsible for the death of her beloved husband, although he had a full and serious relationship to thieves in law. Having avenged almost all the guilty, Polina flees, changing her name, but it turns out that one of her main enemies - the criminal authority Valek (Andrey Panin) - survived and now, according to their laws, he must find the fugitive and act yourself know how. Polina has almost no chance, but acquaintance with the local musician Gleb (played by Alexander Astashenok, ex-member of the famous pop group "Roots") leads to unexpected consequences. But the world of Odessa crime Polina will have to know in full. . .
I must say that other famous actors played in the film, among which you can distinguish Alexei Makarov, Igor Zhizhykin, Konstantin Kryukov, Marat Basharov and Ravshan Kurkov. And this suggests that after all, the authority of Alexander Atanesyan is quite solid, especially considering the fact that the plot of “While still alive” can hardly surprise anyone or captivate anyone. Apparently, the picture was shot in a rather short time, which makes many scenes look crumpled and somehow unsaid. It is impossible to say anything definite about the characters of the film, and in fact many of them were played by really high-status and talented actors. But even in them there is almost no expressiveness, only a lot of clichés and a completely mediocre embodiment. Unless Andrey Panin once again convinced everyone with his game that there are no passing roles for him and he is always ready to give everything one hundred percent, and also make something special, something of his own. But in any case, his hero in “While still alive” did not do without “gray”.
But with such a presence of star actors for us, how did the leading character get Evgenia Trofimova? Everything is explained absolutely easily: at that time, the actress was the wife of the main author of the film, that is, all the same Alexander Atanesyan, who is not the first time engaged in the production of the film, where one of the central characters in Evgenia Trofimova. I can’t tell you that there’s something extraordinary about her. She is not without talent, but her Pauline in “While Still Alive” is very template, and we cannot feel the peculiarities of the drama of her dangerous situation. And the heroes of Basharov and Kryukov frankly annoyed. Not convinced by the camera work from Ulugbek Khamraev, who then worked on the creation of the serial trilogy “Major” (2014-2018) and on its full-length artistic version. The film was deprived of full-scale shooting of Odessa itself, which makes it impossible to feel the atmosphere. In general, it seems that “While still alive” was filmed in “rapid” mode. Yes, and the dialogue basis of the plot makes you want better, because the constant pretentious insults are quite quickly boring.
"While still alive" is a visual example of domestic medium-sized filmmaking, which can be broadcast only by TV channels that count on the audience among housewives, when they stage a film only for the sake of filling the air, so that the background of some went. In general, the emotional state after watching “While still alive” is as follows: I looked and forgot.
4 out of 10