The Needle

It's a western in a way. A drifter comes into town to seek out a guy who owes him money and gets in touch with an old flame. But it's a bleak world, with gang violence and drug addiction lurking beneath the surface.

People act tough and just trying to get by in a seemingly hopeless post communist Russia, where life is a little dark and absurd. The hero tries to do the right thing, benefited of a somewhat comic stoicism, he is compassionate of the eccentric types he finds.

It's touching and sad and finds humor in odd moments. The hero does not affect coolness but is cool, despite being kind of a thug. The mellow mood conveys a poetic sense of longing. From within a sense of cultural decay, there is a hope for a better world, and a sad awareness it is not so easily found.

The music, the mood, the visual style are all very good. It's understated but elegant, symbolic but subtle. There's a post punk attitude, and a jangly alternative guitar vibe.

Highly recommended for fans of quirky indie dramatic comedies.