To be honest, I don't really watch modern Russian movies, maybe one/two in a year, mostly due not very good reputation of the Russian film industry (the biggest, most expensive, advertised movies are quite often unforgivably bad and poor acted), but this one grabbed my attention. Firstly because it went to the Cannes, secondly because it sets in my hometown (Yekaterinburg) and after Cannes was premiered here earlier that anywhere else. So, I heard about this movie everywhere and the synopsis only increased my interest. I went to the cinema with a fear that I will be very very disappointed (again), BUT, to my big pleasure, Petrov's Flu is a very fine movie.
The story (which is based on novel by Alexey Salnikov) is mainly about a typical family, all members of which caught flu just before the New Year celebration. The plot is a mix of every-day-life situations, fantasies, hallucinations, flashbacks involving vampires, aliens, bloody killings, everything what a delirious mind could think of.
This movie astonishes you by it's craziness and unpredictability, but yet remains truthful to the what it represents. Serebryakov skillfully draws a picture of the middle and lower class people living in the provincial Russian city. Scenes in public transport are especially authentic, showing to audience the variety of characters and it's behaviours (a little bit exaggerated ones) distinctive for Russian realities. There are plenty of humorous and absurd situations mixed up with a philosophical "kitchen" talks about life, family, religion, politics, every other aspect of human existence, which so ingenuously conveys unique nature of nation.
Can't help but mention the cinematography, it's immaculate, so many interesting transitions, you can see an own well-developed author's style. The landscapes of the city are kind of theatrical, exaggeratedly dark, poor and dirty as if this is some made up city in a comic book like Gotham, what perfectly connects with the grotesqueness of the events shown in the movie.
Last, but not least, the acting. This part in modern Russian movies upsets me most often and I can't always tell why I didn't like a particular performance. At the first sight everything is fine, but something is off, like, you don't see real people, you see actors do their job and you just can't empathise with their characters because you fully aware that this is fiction and the magic of the cinema just disappears. !! BUT!!this movie is another case. For the first time IN A WHILE I really believed every word spoken, every move made on a screen. And that was the best feeling ever, knowing that there are some good actors and filmmakers left in this country.
That kind of movie for sure will not leave anyone indifferent. It's authentic, provoking, unique experience I 100 pro-cent recommend you to try.
