Chelovek iz Podolska

Summary

Unclassifiable film that goes back and forth from the absurd black comedy to terror about an unusual police interrogation to which a journalist detained for no apparent reason is subjected.

Review

After a day with several setbacks and when he prepares to return to Podolsk (a small city near Moscow), Nicolai (Vadik Koriolov) is arrested for no apparent reason and taken to a police station, where he is subjected to an increasingly unusual interrogation.

Semyon Serzin's film, based on the work of Dmitriy Danilov (also a co-writer), does not hide this theatrical origin, but it knows how to give it a convincing cinematography.

At some unclassifiable point, the story immerses us in absurd and sometimes surreal and almost dreamlike situations that go (and come) from black comedy to terror, in a true Kafkaesque odyssey for the protagonist (and the viewer). Police interrogators assume atypical roles in the face of the perplexed Nicolai, a journalist unhappy with his work situation and the place where he lives. As reminiscent of his communist days, the film is set today. And that is one of its keys.

A true gem. This movie has this Kafka atmosphere in it and it's truly overwhelming. At first it feels trivial and I'm sorry to say, but acting doesn't really feel convincing. Still, as it goes forward such minor troubles fade out, because of the meaning and the plot of the movie and how it is executed. You feel it through together with the main character, you feel the same as the main character. At least, I did. And that is truly amazing, because even though you know where this is going you are still amazed when it ends. Like you've seen something you should've known the whole time before, but it slipped out of sight, you never actually thought on it. This movie leaves you dazzled, in a good way.