There is one sign. If the writer and the director are the same person. There's a good chance the movie will. And that's the case. Russian cinema is getting better and better every year. And such pictures delight with the atmosphere. Life and drama. No synthetics. And mischievous Victoria Isakovskaya, who played the role of the prisoner Star, the decoration of the film. An example of will, but not will, with the longing and grimace of melancholy. And if not joy, then tender sadness. With the determination to play and flirt with life, danger and even death.
Should we go? YES
There is not one boring or unnecessary moment. You could probably have done it longer and not cut the scenes. Super casting. Both the first plan and the second and I will note the extras - impressive. Colorful, exaggerated and I want to look at it, I did not take a straight look away. The film is dotted with details and trifles in the scenery and moments, you smile and understand how you filmed, edited and collected with love. And how thoughtfully the script was calculated. There may have been a lack of budget for micro moments, but this is easily offset by the passion of the crew. And enjoyable musical moments.
There is no hint of shame in the frame for dilapidated walls or buildings. Deliberately inscribed everyday and not prestigious landscapes of the hinterland, but consecrated and voiced with such skill that you cease to see not perfection. And you assume that it is bold and clever and verified set. What is the magic of modern art:
8 out of 10
'Burn ' is a rather controversial movie. On the one hand, it is about dreams in the conditions of gray Russia, on the other, about promises and attempts to fight the above conditions. Only here, the unison that create these two arches do not fit together in what is presented to us at the end.
The main character dreams of a life in music, but among mere mortals she is held by the prison where she works, and a family that is almost the same prison. One of the prisoners turns out to be a singer and free, subsequently instilling in our heroine that everyone has a chance to light up again, even if the fire has long gone out. And yes, about half of the film is devoted to this problem - the problem of becoming recognized in Russia. But otherwise, especially in the finale, the film turns into a complete contradiction. The fact is that the prisoner, who breathed a second life into the main character, herself was in her former place. And then he went as far as to defend himself. What did Kirill Pletnev want to tell us? It seems that no matter how hard you try, in the end everything will still be as it was, if not worse.
Intertwined, God knows why, the problem of professionalism and corruption in Russia, fear of superiors, etc. Apparently, the director wanted to catch two birds at once, and maybe more. But in the end, everything turned into not the best vinaigrette.
The movie won’t do you any good either. But to intimidate Russian realities and lay in your soul a lump of dirt, which is smeared throughout the film, and is an artistic component, the picture can.
My husband and I often leave the house for a walk, find ourselves in the cinema for some strange film, which is little advertised. So this time, purely by chance, we watched the drama of Kirill Pletnev 'Burn!'.
In general, Kirill Pletnev is an actor, and as a director before that he shot only short films, so to speak, stuffed his hand. At the same time, the film Burn!' was presented at 'Kinotavr', and Inga Oboldin won the main prize of the festival for Best Actress.
In general, Kirill Pletnev did everything to ensure that no one went to the film: a stupid title, an even more stupid trailer and Olga Buzova in the role completely pushed the viewer away from viewing. At the Sunday evening screening, besides us, there were three other people in the hall.
It's not a bad movie. It’s even compared to 'Arrhythmia' and 'Leviathan' although for me these pictures have little in common. Perhaps the only thing that unites us is that they all remind us: ' Life is pain, everything is corrupt'.
The script is based on the story of the British singer Sam Bailey, transferred to Russian soil and greatly embellished. The problem of the film is very good! The action takes place in a women's colony, and it turns out that the prisoners are more free than the employees here. Kirill Pletnev talks a lot about inner freedom, and while some of his heroes are shaking for their positions and reputation, holding on to the dull life and rot of their everyday life, fearing change, others prefer death to unfreedom. And this struggle for the right to be free to music from the opera 'Tosca'.
'I'll go out and sing, and you'll stay in the zone' - this quote is the whole idea of the film. In short, there is something to think about, and therefore the mass audience will not go to the film.
Another strength of the film is the actors. We are used to seeing Inga Oboldin and Victoria Isakov in TV series and TV films, which are shown for housewives on the channel ' Russia' although both actresses are very talented. And I honestly was waiting for Inge Oboldina to be offered a strong role. In this film, finally, all her dramatic talent is revealed in full. With Victoria Isakova, they had a wonderful tearful duet. Two women, each with its own truth and its own trouble, and while one patiently endured, the other killed the one who interfered with her inner freedom.
Now on to the downsides.
The main and the fattest: the film is boring. Or rather, in form it just looks like all these TV movies for housewives with the only difference that housewives love a movie about love, not about the zone. There are a couple of camera finds and nothing more.
Another downside is the twisted ending. The film begins as a real story, lively, uncooked, and ends as a movie. Too many emotions, too many events, too many monologues. It’s pretty unpredictable, but... But completely out of touch with reality. Kirill Pletnev should have decided that he still shoots - ' chernukha' about life or still film-prekino.
The film also lacks music... There should be more music in this story, music should be one of the heroes. But, alas, she's not.
Well, the last portion of tar was the abundance of media faces in the final. Why? Why is Buzova here in the form of a savior and arbiter of fate? Why is Bilan in the episode? Why is Eva Polna in a three-second frame? If you make a movie where the idea is paramount, then you need to spend all resources on the disclosure of this idea, and not on the stars that do not carry any semantic and plot load. Remove them and the movie becomes more alive and alive. Like, for example, 'Arrhythmia'...
Conclusion: the movie is not bad, there is something in it. It will be necessary to follow Kirill Pletnev as a director, but if you do not watch this film, you will not lose anything in your life.
6 out of 10
At least to make up your own mind about this controversial film. This is short and now in detail.
We live in the twenty-first century, a time when Russian cinema is in decline. At such a time, any good Russian film seems against the background of others just a breath of fresh air and you want to praise and praise it. Film Kirill Pletnev ' Burn ' not without flaws. If you look with a magnifying glass to each detail, of course, you can find a lot of roughness. But overall, the film is good. What is it?
1. The play of actors involved in leading roles does not lend itself to any criticism. Inga Oboldina and Victoria Isakova not only perfectly play their heroes - when looking at them, it is difficult to remember that in fact Inga Oboldina did not work for decades in the penal system. Victoria Isakova was given much less time - and this is in vain, because the actress clearly had something to say about her heroine, but in such conditions she presented the image brightly and impressively.
2. The plot, although quite simple in its structure, is skillfully presented. Heroes now and then speak in images, address each other without words - only emotions, from the screen they talk to us with quotes of poets or other means of artistic expression. The main plot branch of the heroine's participation in the TV show is only the background for a more realistic and life story - the loss of oneself, the story of the search for freedom and the tragedy of people-' Cogs'.
3. What this movie makes you think after watching it.
The main character, being a senior inspector of the penitentiary system, is actually much less free than her antipode, Lame. She is imprisoned only in the literal sense, while the main character is constantly limited - her working conditions, her duty, her husband, her boss, and, most importantly, her own fears and stiffness.
However, it is impossible not to list the controversial points. These are not negatives, but perception clings to them.
1. The film is tossed from one genre to another, not becoming a full representative of any of them, except drama. The film has a claim to comedy, a crime thriller, a musical (as it seems the first twenty minutes), but the film does not live up to these expectations. There are few jokes here, and in some places they are not at all appropriate.
2. Inserted into place and out of place ' stars ' which contrast strongly with the rest of the film. It is evident that this is a device designed to show the difference between the brilliance of Moscow and the grayness of the province, but their fake play and the cheapness of the seeming performance negatively affect the perception of the whole history.
3. The film can be divided into two parts. The first half turned out much better than the second - torn, with illogical actions of the characters, with frankly screen (unrealistic) template scenes and a strange ending that turns the film in a completely different direction.
4. The most controversial episode of the film is the end. Final credits. It contrasts significantly with the rest of the film, performing in Indian lighthearted, cheerful and joyful. Where, among other things, both prisoners and prison guards dance to the handle. A very ambiguous sight - and given the ending, it is unclear the presence of some characters in this scene. What does this scene mean? Happy ending? The irony of happy endings? I don’t understand, and I don’t think anyone can easily understand it. But I liked the scene itself.
Despite all this, the film leaves a positive impression. But I advise you to go to the cinema and make your own opinion about this complex, ambiguous and controversial film.
Feelings are the brightest part of our lives. – Honore de Balzac
It happens that some people have everything for complete happiness: a family, a loving person, a profitable job. But despite this, a person still does not feel happy, because when, disappointed in his talents, he thoughtlessly buried them deep in the ground and does not even try again in his favorite business, because he believes that it is too late. However, true talent is not abandoned, and it is never too late to show it to the world. In my opinion, such a simple but wise idea is at the heart of the tragicomedic drama “Burn!”
Synopsis During the celebration of the anniversary, the warden of the women's correctional colony Alevtina Romanova receives a gift of karaoke, which she decides to use only alone. However, someone filmed her solo performance on video and posted on the Internet. Soon the video is gaining popularity, and Alevtina, to her surprise, receives an offer to take part in a musical reality show. However, will an ordinary jailer from the province find the strength to overcome fear and uncertainty and show the whole country her true self?
Honestly, the actors' performances split my impression in half. On the one hand, the film definitely pleases the real cream of the cast of domestic cinema: Inga Boldin, Victoria Isakova, Anna Ukolova, Vladimir Ilyin, Tatiana Dogileva, Alexey Shevchenkov - actors who do not play, but literally live on the screen, and from whom you get real pleasure. On the other hand, Olga Buzova, Dima Bilan, Larisa Dolina and our other “celebritis”, of course, brighten up the movie, but you do not feel the talent, the energy that comes from other actors.
Evaluating the direction debut work of Kirill Pletnev, we can say the following. First of all, Burn! was a nice and good movie about serious things that affect everyone. Secondly, the film is different soul and humanity. Thirdly, the film does not avoid such sore topics for Russian reality as corruption and legitimate violence. At the same time, “Burn!” has small drawbacks. Throughout the film, it seemed to me that the director was rushing from one person to another. He has a psychological drama, a musical comedy, a criminal thriller. And there is no harmony between these genres, which makes the action seem a little confused.
The script of the film is actually a transfer to Russian realities the real story of a real warden from the UK, who gained popularity after participating in the show “X-factor”. Actually, the film opens with a scene in which Alevtina performs as a little girl in the same prison, and right during the performance, her grandmother dies, who instilled in her a craving for music. Years pass, but Alevtina left her talent, only secretly allowing herself to sing something of her favorite songs. But once the network gets a video with her performance, and the heroine soon receives an invitation to participate in the show. Doubting herself and her abilities, she turns to the former singer and convicted of murdering her husband Masha for help. Further retelling the plot does not make sense, since everything is clear. The problem is that the plot lacks the disclosure of the characters of Alevtina and Masha. It seems to me that Kirill Pletnev, who is also the screenwriter of the film, should find and show the key moment that helped the heroines understand each other and become real friends.
Result In general, Burn! is a good positive, a little naive movie with a deep meaning and an important message. This film is about how important it is to find not only external freedom, but also internal, and not to be afraid of envious languages and views, but to go boldly forward to your goal, while remaining a decent person.
The first, for the whole history of Russian cinema, a film-musical of the highest standard.
I went the next day after the premiere, surprised by the small number of spectators in the hall, which is understandable: on Friday afternoon people still work, there are no reviews about the film yet, so ...
To say that he is pleased - nothing to say, the directorial debut of the full meter Pletnev - succeeded!
Plot:
Not as usual for musical films - the very predictability, intrigue throughout the film, the picture is both serious and funny at the same time, even the final credits are magnificent, like morality in a fable, only musical.
Actors' play:
Full of pleasant ' Expectations' (Isakova, Ilyin and Dogileva are guarantors of a good movie for me), while the roles of these magnificent actors are not quite typical for them;
And surprises (Oboldina - great, before that I saw her only in episodic roles, Ukolova - in the genre of the best series of the series Ivanova-Ivanova, in which she starred, Buzova - at a very high level, which surprised me);
Perhaps the entire cast is above all praise.
A spoon of tar:
There is some lack of emotional coloring, some episodic images, Shelest, Kamolov and Bilan (as himself), but they are non-professional actors and this does not particularly affect the overall picture of perception (and my assessment of the film).
Music:
Aerobatics, every song, not just for the sake of the song, but very with meaning, before that we did not have films of such a genre that such a level is possible.
Burn - the best Russian film-musical, perhaps, and nothing to compare.
10 out of 10
