In what may have been Sergei Bodrov Jr's most famous role before his untimely death - he got killed in a landslide while filming a movie in 2002 - he plays an outcast from a small Russian town who moves to St. Petersburg, where he becomes a hit-man. "Brat" (the Russian word for brother) has some pretty ugly imagery, but nothing gratuitous. The scenes in which Danila goes to McDonald's represent his life: it's fast food, and he lives fast. The streetcar represents the fleeting nature of his love life. The scene where he washes his hands in the water suggests that he is washing away his sins (although he will probably never be able to fully escape his actions during his time in St. Pete).
I certainly recommend this movie. Partially a look at conditions in post-Soviet Russia*, it pulls no punches. You'll likely want to avoid it if you're the squeamish type. There was a sequel, but it apparently wasn't worth seeing.
*People in Moscow have told me that under Yeltsin, nothing worked right in Russia, and so they like that Putin and Medvedev at least fixed that aspect.
I certainly recommend this movie. Partially a look at conditions in post-Soviet Russia*, it pulls no punches. You'll likely want to avoid it if you're the squeamish type. There was a sequel, but it apparently wasn't worth seeing.
*People in Moscow have told me that under Yeltsin, nothing worked right in Russia, and so they like that Putin and Medvedev at least fixed that aspect.