Conversations avec monsieur Poutine

I was kind of expecting in what direction this movie was going to go! Given that i have seen some movies from Mr. Stone and his documentaries, i knew this wasn't going to be attack as the Western journalists do. I saw it as a chance given to someone to explain himself without the need to battle with the journalists. After all when you get accused of something an go in front of a court, you are given a chance to tell your version of a story. Innocent until proved guilty! If you want to see both sides of the story, you should definitively see it! After that make your own opinion!

This documentary is very well-done and shows a side of Putin and Russia that is rarely seen by people here in the US. The mainstream media and most people here in America have a strong negative association to Russia, often times without actually even knowing very much about Russian history. It's refreshing to see someone taking the time to try to understand rather than simply condemn Putin and the Russian people. Highly recommend It.

I liked those hours with Putin. You don't have to like this person nor his work, but at least you should listen to this man. He is unagitated and articulates his view and interests. Also it's an opportunity to get a few insights of a man and a country which most people will never visit and only watch in the TV or read in the newspaper. Well, you won't learn much about the country but maybe some will realize there are other countries with interests too and like Oliver Stone did it: listen to them, you don't have to agree, but dialogue is the way we should choose.

If I were to rate this on candor, I'd have to put it closer to a 1 or a 2. I will give it a 4 just because Stone captured a record of what spews from the subject's mouth. I read the transcript, then I watched a bit of the show, then I looked at specific parts of the transcript. This is a "snow-job." Putin is cunning. He presents his circumstances and his views in a noble fashion here. But, these philosophies are contradicted by his actions -- his alleged killings of his perceived opponents -- some living in exile in foreign countries, no less -- by extremely dangerous and reckless means ((Polonium-210, Novichok nerve gas, etc.) causing injury to innocent bystanders (citizens of foreign and sovereign nations). So, what's his excuse? If he ordered the hits of Litvinenko, Skripal, and others, then everything he says is garbage, because he doesn't believe what he says. If he didn't order these hits, then he does not have control of the State apparatus; he would lack integrity, thus credibility, and therefore may just be incompetent. Either way, how can this fabricated persona be meaningful?

Oliver Stone's The Putin Interviews is… garbage. Stone, though respected as a filmmaker, at least for some of his earlier works, loses all credibility with this attempt at a "documentary". This four-part series is not a documentary, and it cannot be called journalism either. Is just a platform that Putin uses to justify to the world his policies, in his own manner of course: politically correct at times, even diplomatic, but with some subtle/not-so-subtle references, even irony when needed. Stone as an interviewer is practically useless. His questions are at times obviously ill-prepared, but, more annoying is his way of asking something by providing the way in which the question could be dodged. Not that Putin needs help with that. He has a lot of practice with his annual Valdai Club's meetings, Direct Lines and call-in shows. All of this while witnessing Stone's anti-Americanism and admiration for everything that is Russia or Russian. In the end we do not learn anything new. To be avoided.