Oleg: The Oleg Vidov Story

Vidov came out of politically problematic origins to become the leading Soviet matinee idol of his era. An unfortunate marriage into the Brezhnev inner circle brought him regret, ultimately leading to his defection to the West. He returned to post-Soviet Russia to broker the acquisition of the Soviet cartoon film library for curation and dissemination in the West. The Putin regime retaliated, but he and his wife and partner Joan Borsten prevailed in a US court, forcing the Russian government to buy them out. This documentary captures it all and is evocative of its time.

I watched this with friends who came of age in teh Soviet Union during Vidov's rise to superstar status. They loved every minute. I know the post-Soviet period of Vidov's life best and also loved the film. It captures a moment throuigh the microcosm of an individual life.

A man who bore the media moniker of "the Robert Redford of the USSR", Russian screen actor Oleg Vidov lived a colourful and entirely stranger than fiction life that Australian born director Nadia Tass explores in her comprehensive documentary Oleg: The Oleg Vidov Story.

Narrated by screen legend Brian Cox and featuring a raft of talking heads that includes the likes of Roger Donaldson, Walter Hill and Joan Borsten, Oleg recounts the rise of Vidov from humble beginnings as a son of a school teacher, a teenager obsessed with the art of cinema and a desire to be front and centre to the medium through too a certified superstar of Soviet Russia that turned sour when he was forced to flee to America in search of a new life and a home out of reach of the KGB.

It's the type of true life story that would feel far fetched if someone were too conjure up such a narrative from their imagination, giving Tass a lot of ground to cover in a relatively short sub 100 minute documentary but for the most part Tass's workmanlike documentary should be seen as a key exploration of Vidov's life and times, if not exactly the quintessential one that long term fans of the Vidov story will be seeking.

Undoubtedly a small budgeted affair, Oleg does at times appear to be limited by its budget, with certain pieces of footage being reused throughout the film and an over reliance on still imagery giving off student film vibes in certain instances but there's a well-intentioned nature of Tass's films and the sincerity and generosity of Vidov the man goes a long way too ensuring that this unflashy documentary is an engaging viewing experience without ever being an utterly gripping one.

Unable to deep dive into some of the more complex issues that arose throughout Vidov's career, particularly when he defected to the United States to escape the KGB ruled Soviet Union, there feels like there was more to explore here in certain aspects of Vidov's up and down journey in the public eye but as an easy to digest expose on a man that has had much commentary directed at him and about him, Oleg is an undeniably adequate documentary.

Final Say -

Delivered in a workmanlike fashion, Oleg: The Oleg Vidov Story is far from a ground-breaking or revelatory documentary feature but it's an accessible examination of the extraordinary life of a figure whose life was entirely unique and fascinating.

3 Soviet animations out of 5.

Jordan and Eddie (The Movie Guys)