The beautiful film 'Arrhythmia' made in 2017 by Boris Khlebnikov reminded me of a brand of Russian (Soviet in fact) cinema that I had kind of forgotten and which I really liked in the late '70s and early '80s. Those movies were bringing to screens simple and moving stories from the lives of ordinary people, the inhabitants of the Soviet empire of that time. they were telling such human and emotional stories and presenting without any propaganda ornaments the reality of the last decades of communism in the country that was trying to impose it on the world and especially on the Eastern Europe. Of course, there were limits, there were never any direct criticisms of the communist regime, but even apolitical approaches were a stance in those years. 'Arrhytimia' similarly manages to bring to screen a sample of today's Russian reality with its people, conflicts and problems. The quality of acting and film production is no lesser than of the best such films I can remember from 40 years ago.
Oleg and Katia are a young couple from a provincial town in Russia today who are living an uneasy marriage. At the origin may be the difference in education and social position between the two, who both work in the emergency teams of the health system. Katia is a surgeon. Oleg is just a paramedic, works on ambulances, provides first aid, saves lives. The film follows him especially, and the intervention scenes of his team captivated me, although I'm not a big fan of movies or series with medical themes. Oleg is one of those paramedics that anyone wants in the difficult times when calling the emergency services - dedicated, competent, humane, brave, takes responsibility for his actions, refuses compromise and fights bureaucratic complications. However, this total involvement in the profession has a negative impact on the rest of his personality and private life - Oleg drinks excessively and does not have the time, power or maybe even the emotional intelligence to express his feelings towards Katia and not let the work on ambulance and hospitals take over their lives. Their marriage is in danger of falling apart. Katia shows a lot of love and understanding, but for how long?
The film could have easily slipped into easy melodrama or medical techno-drama, but it doesn't, because the script is written with intelligence and sensitivity (with the exception maybe of the ending which disappointed me). The acting interpretations of the two main protagonists are exceptional: Aleksandr Yatsenko and Irina Gorbacheva perform two beautiful roles, authentic and profound psychologically. It's hard not to resonate, even to fall in love with them watching this movie. But the other characters are also remarkable, from Oleg's ambulance colleague and the chief sent from Moscow to implement the new working rules of the ministry, to the small roles of the people met during the various emergency interventions. Following them we get the impression that we are acquainted with an entire sector of contemporary Russian society and especially with its people. 'Arrhythmia' is both a beautiful love story that takes place in the context of a troubled marriage, and an excellent open door to the human universe of today's Russia. Highly recommended.
