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Touches You

It's entirely possible that sending the audience out feeling lousy was intentional

While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

Landscape is beautiful and desolate sometimes mimicking life.Pasha/Pavel and Gulybin/Sergey are two researchers working alone for a lengthy period in the Arctic. Each is from a different generation and assumingly socioeconomic background. When terrible news comes across the radio, the younger Pasha is afraid to tell the older more domineering Gulybin. The longer he waits the worse things become.Overall this is a very good movie with a couple small problems. In one scene it is unclear whether or not Sergey received the message during a solo radio call later and pretended he did not. If this was not the case, then it seems a little odd that no one would mention their condolences at some point to this man. I kept wondering why they would hang fish out to dry for two reasons - won't they freeze leaving the salt unable work, and wouldn't it attract birds or bears??? Maybe about 10-20 minutes too long because it did slow down a bit at the end.

I have never watched a Russian film before and I was not sure what I was going to be in for with this film, but I was pleasantly surprised! The story line is fresh, simple but very effective, it is filmed well and the music/sound is very well done to really give this particular feel to my first watched Russian film.Hollywood could pick this film up, change a few things to the story line, add a few well known actors in the mix and they would have a winner on their hands, Hollywood has been doing it for years, but damn I hope they don't do it with this film, as I think it is great the way it is.Give it a go, no special effects, no blood and guts, just a good solid drama, with great decor to boot! 8 out of 10

It is a small travesty that more films like this from across the pond don't get a wider audience (I think the only reason this has managed to get a UK release was the fact that it won Best Film at the BFI London Film Festival). But this small gem has managed to escape obscurity and has now been given a cinema release so that everyone can enjoy this small gem.First, may I state the following: this is not a thriller! Please do not start watching this film expecting Russia's interpretation of Hitchcock - you will be sorely disappointed! The film itself has relatively little in terms of plot - a fact that another reviewer has (unfairly) criticised it for. Instead, what we receive as viewers is a quietly poignant, at times almost meditative exploration of isolation and the tensions that arise between the two leading characters in the vast, sparse, beautiful terrain of the Arctic in which they work.As the film develops, the suspense certainly mounts, and at one point, a tense cat and mouse chase does develop. Indeed, it is not only themselves, but their surroundings which they have to tread carefully around - sinister hints about a deserted house on a cliff top and the danger posed by polar bears play their role. But don't try and second guess the film, because above all, this is a truly understated, moving exploration of human fragility rather than an action flick. The ending made me smile in surprise, and I felt ashamed at how cynically I had felt that I knew where the film was going. You will never see an ending as mature as this coming from Hollywood.I won't bother with a plot summary - the one provided by IMDb is more than sufficient. What I will say is that both the acting and the cinematography are superb. The two leads both do wonderful jobs in which the performances require far more than the confines of the dialogue - so much of this film takes place in silence, and both men tackle their parts with great success. Then there is the cinematography - it has been a while since I have seen such beautiful images come together to create such an atmosphere of isolation and buried tension. The vast, beautiful landscape, the pale blue skies, the gentle lull of the sea, the calm glassy lakes, the dark, imposing cliffs, and then the intermittent fog... postcards could be made using some of these images. The effect is perfect.In short, this is definitely worth the watch, and it's one to look out for in 2011!

If you're into action movies, Hollywood flicks, comedies (romantic or otherwise) you can stop here - this is not the film for you. Two hours of dazzling Arctic scenery with a psychological battle between the only two inhabitants of a Russian scientific data gathering team. The Older man has served there for many years - the Younger is learning the ropes for the first time. Older doesn't appreciate Younger's lack of dedication, but they get along as well as can be expected. Then while Older is away fishing, Younger receives a shocking radio message meant for Older. He makes his first serious mistake by not passing it along. Because he's afraid ? or crazy ? or just to keep things from getting strange? We're left to decide for ourselves. One mistake leads to another and another and the all-too-real consequences drive the rest of the film. I've said too much already.The real joy from this film comes from the magnificent photography, the mood the director gives us, and a story that continues to surprise us. I was fortunate enough to see it on the big screen that these scenes almost demand. It's available from filmmovement.com on DVD. I suggest sitting real close to your widescreen TV to let the mood and the place surround you. For me, this is the best film I've seen in 2010. It really crawled into my gut as it unfolded. If you appreciate film for the art that it CAN be - but so rarely is - I highly recommend this one. If you're looking for entertaining fluff, try something else.