Likvidatsiya

Watchable, entertaining, almost thrilling... Historically correct and fair plot. I would call it unconventional scenario since all the bad guys are "exposed" from the very beginning, so you wouldn't have to wonder. In addition, the "first lady" appears to be extremely unattractive - the fact that is supposed to sort out all of the "Russian Beauty" hunters. The plot is neither predictable, nor "tough". In case you've "got lost" - they politely "guide" you to follow the "correct direction" in the beginning of each series.

It could have been good, really good, an 8.5 TV series, yet they've messed up with the music. Naturally, they suppose you watch it once in a week. This assumption made them believe that you wouldn't notice, that all in all - these series have only three (3!!!) "melodies" to run... could have done better...

SEVEN AND A HALF...

"Liquidation" by Sergey Ursulyak is the cult and best Russian series of the beginning of the 21st century. The direct successor to the glory of the best Soviet series "The meeting place cannot be changed." Post-war Odessa, a gang of the elusive Akademik against the super detective Gotsman and his team, behind whose back is the legendary Marshall Zhukov. The top of the acting career of Vladimir Mashkov.

I thoroughly enjoyed the show. It was educational to get into postwar Odessa. The local Jewish slang is definitely the most entertaining part. Check out the show's page at Wikipedia for a list of those great quotes.

Of course, nothing is ever perfect with historical movies. Especially, details. Still, the makers apparently did their best to render the minds and hearts of people on both sides of the regime. Frankly, I was surprised by such fairness.

This is a highly advisable watch for admirers of the Russian/Ukrainian Jewish culture, linguists, and certainly the Odessites themselves. Also, for the fans of Mashkov and Porechenkov like myself.

The new Russian series Liquidation was a huge hype and rather large success. With all the due respect to all the actors, the series now is seen as a miserable flop. The reason is multiple case - at first, there are blatant history mistakes considering 1946 Odessa in former Soviet Union - without any spoolers mentioned, I must only say such events as shown in the serial never could have happened, never. Another terrible moment that really scratched the ear of an attentive viewer is all that terribly false Odessa accent, in fact, this bogus talk leaves much to be desired and is very far from authentic Black Sea dialect of that famous city. The overplay of several actors is just painfully visible, and the plot holes hurt a lot. The main hero, Gotzman, a Jewish police detective, looks more like a wild west sheriff than a Soviet official. The main mean baddie Academic is such a one dimensional figure that is comply laughable. Famous Soviet marshall Georgi Zhukov is depicted horribly wrong style, as he never was that sort of person. Apart from that, as I said, the very core idea of the coup mentioned the movie is a schlock wrong idiocy. And to base the whole plot on the totally false premise makes the idea rather shallow and vapid.