Lesbians in Russia are difficult because of homophobic mothers, but there is always a chance to negotiate with them Dmitry Gribanov began his experiments in a short film with “Sister’s Kiss” – a story about young lesbians. At least it was an unexpected turn (if you do not read the descriptions for the film, the turn is really unexpected). There is nothing like that in the second short. There's nothing here. “Peter Moscow” was meant as a slice of the special atmosphere of a nascent love affair in the urban jungle. To some, this misunderstanding may indeed seem atmospheric, but, sorry, in fact it is mortal boredom.
To the accompaniment of cheap advertising music, two girls spin a novel - then walking, then sitting in the kitchen, then doing unchildish affairs in the bedroom. One of the girls has a homophobic mother. There's got to be a cool conflict, right? Not true. While we wait for the climax scene, which, by the way, looks cliched and stupid, we have to watch the bold attempts to create that notorious atmosphere between the heroines. Attempts are so stupid and unprofessional that the art house becomes too repetitive, it seems that the director played and didn’t care about everything around: the main thing is that young nymphs kiss or hold hands, oh yeah, just let’s take it off, no matter what angle.
Because of creative self-admiration, or rather, narcissism, the meaning of the plot remains seven seals. Okay, what's next? Then there is what happens and should cause at least some emotions in the viewer. No shock or surprise can be experienced, for the turn was predictable to the bone. But even predictability can be conveyed in very good colors, bringing conflict to the desired boiling point, right? Not true. The boiling point expressed in a single conversation is indignant, because a confession that should have been made with difficulty and received more aggressively turns into a game of “truth or desire,” only without desire. It is very easy for a girl to confess something to her mother, which I do not believe in. Very quickly and without initiative passes this scene and falls into shameful nothingness.
Does history develop later? A little. Only “a little” also gives the upper hand the senselessness and destruction of a potential conflict, because the director had no task at all to show the conflict. He just wanted to admire two lesbians, create his own version of Kesheesh’s “Life of Adele” – a lousy, implausible, but so much inspiring option for thirteen-year-old girls to search for love on the Internet (and do not pretend that nowadays children do not know anything about anything).
Stupid acting, dull and unattractive characters, sluggish directorial work, terribly boring for the variety of pictures and music, the lack of a coherent script, the conflict destroyed before its own beginning, the refusal to support and develop the topical topic of anti-LGBT in Russia on a private example, as well as a pale imitation of melodramatic urban art house – these are all the components of Peter Moscow. There are too many shortcomings to even dare to award any meager dignity to this short film.
1 out of 10