A Gentle Creature

This incredible movie was hard to watch but it was well worth it. The original story of Fyodor Dostoyevsky was adapted by the director to Putin's time, so much so that I thought that the movie (filmed in 2017) was made after the start of the present Ukraine war. The un-named woman leaves her residence and travels to the prison where her husband is held, without knowing that she enters a kafkaesque maze where the individual is a prisoner of the whim of the authorities. The reader is advised to remember all the passersby because they will be back towards the end. A very unusual movie, worth watching by all means despite its length.

I never read Dostoyevsky's short story that inspired the 2h20 film, so I'm not sure if the written story also reveals a large country where corruption is the dominating rule. If you are the usual movie fan, be prepared for long quite shots, raw characters, sophisticated narrative and humor. The story takes the viewer through a Kafkaesque and labyrinthine sequence of incidents and misfortunes where promises are broken and hope lives faraway. I guess it's all about Putin's Russia but also about Czar's and Stalin's nation. I like the movie but some creative solutions are a bit excessive.

No that's not what this is about. Well on the surface it is about prisons. But generally speaking it's about a goverment, about a land keeping their citizens at check. And them going along with it. We see our main actress who just wants to send something. But the package never gets delivered. So she goes and tries to solve that issue, so the male this is supposed to reach gets it.

It's not even about the package or what is in it. It is about everything working against the ordinary citozen. In this case a woman who seems determined to get answers, but also easily swayed to not to. But circumstances don't let her go, even when she is warned and accepts to leave. This is harrowing and quite draining. To call its pace slow would be quite the understatement. Like saying, the main character doesn't talk much. She probably is us - the viewers ... viewing! Watching and trying to figure out what's going on.

Get out - one may think multiple times. But as I said that's easier said than done. And leads us to quite the memorable ending - even though expected - is it actually what happens? Do we know? And how dreamy does it get after it is quite "real" at the beginning. There is dreadfulness, there is pain and there is horror of the mind (and body) ... and there is maybe also the question: how come the director has not been arrested yet? Did he get lucky? Maybe Putin isn't aware of this or does not think this will reach a lot of people anyway ... and even if ... it's just a story, righ? Right?

First i gotta commend the cinematography ,, really impressive and montage just transition you into those miserable moments "gentle creature" experience ,, i mean her facial expressions were on point, for an amateur actress, and this is her first lead (big screen) ,, but it is apparent she is professional in "theater" ..

Anyway,, the story is emotional ,, and even though the script was not that strong, the events just keeps on pulling you to engage more and just try to find whether she gets to meet her husband or not.

final thought, recommended , but don't get bored from the first 20 minutes ,,, keep on watching ,.

A thought provocative, very engrossing film. Though it is slow & boring at times, it rewards the viewer in the end. Hats off to the director.

Good acting, good screenplay, minimal dialogues. I will cherish this film for many years.

A Not To Be Missed film.