The Stringer

This movie may not be a masterpiece, but it is surely a breath of fresh air, a relief from all the Hollywood nonsense, the various Spiderman and Pirates of the wherever, Harry Potter and the suchlike. To begin with, this documents a time in Russian history, I don't think such a movie could be made nowadays and if it were it would have to depict a reality, which, only a few years later, is already vastly different! Russian had their fleeting short summer of freedom, with politicians standing on tanks (paradoxically!), the White House of Parliaments being stormed by troops, and scores of bizarre and eccentric political figures taking center stage and being able to speak their own mind!. Most Russians were probably too busy putting food on their table at the time, to notice that that WAS actually gloriously anarchic FREEDOM! The story has the easy relaxed rhythm which characterize the best indie and world cinema, it does not try too hard, its strenght is being steeped in the social reality it depicts, and quite effortlessly maintain a pretty strong dramatic tension. I found myself caring about the main characters, bizarrely enough including the right-wing eccentric presidential candidate, who on the whole cuts a pretty lonely and pathetic figure, all the time trying to make reality conform to his grandiose delusions. A sexy Anna Friel represents the romantic interest and for Prison Break's fans there is the added bonus of catching up with a young Robert Knepper playing a fairly square and straight-laced journalist.