"Tycoon: A New Russian" is a powerful saga that doesn't spare anybody. Oligarchs, Russian politicians, mafia - it is hard to tell them apart sometimes. The end of communism unfortunately didn't bring the peace and prosperity that people expected. The new economic rules were not followed with appropriate laws, hence the disaster happened. Some people with the brains , but without scruples, breaking all the rules of decency, became unbelievably wealthy. Platon Makovsky, the protagonist of this movie, loosely based on the life of Boris Berezovsky,was worth 5 billion dollars. It is mind boggling that in the disarray and tragedy after the fall of the Soviet Union, somebody can make that much money. This movie explains how it all happened, and it is clear to the viewer why the next leader of Russia became someone like Vladimir Putin. Like it or not it was inevitable.
19 Reviews
Interesting, but lack of finesse
jfseignol14 May 2003
A good movie about modern Russia. Two major problems, imho :
1) The desire of shooting "nice pictures" is often too invasive in the movie, it makes all the story too heavy, too dramatic
2) The financial aspect, the "how they succedd in conning people (and state)" is too quickly described. I'd rather had got more explanations.
But, despite its duration (more than 2 hours), this movie stays very interesting.
1) The desire of shooting "nice pictures" is often too invasive in the movie, it makes all the story too heavy, too dramatic
2) The financial aspect, the "how they succedd in conning people (and state)" is too quickly described. I'd rather had got more explanations.
But, despite its duration (more than 2 hours), this movie stays very interesting.
from East
Vincentiu12 June 2013
it is realistic and for Eastern public, full of memories. because it is not only a Russian story. it is the story of a period. pictures from transition to democracy, images about solutions after Communism, fight for power, success and fall. if it is a Russian slice from victory of a new generation, in same measure it is a beautiful film. action, love, friendship and old emotion of East. politic, crime and poetry. and interesting acting, smart script - not a surprise for the director of Ostrov. it is a special film for its flavor of atmosphere. common at first sigh, it represents a form of testimony and reflection of a dark reality who makes deep difference between East and West Europe.
Solid entertainment
snake7729 October 2005
"Tycoon" may not succeed as a political film or piece of social criticism, but I don't think it was meant be those things. "Tycoon" was obviously meant to be first and foremost an interesting, entertaining crime drama, and on this count I think it succeeds marvelously. It has timeless themes: loyalty, betrayal, greed, envy, power, love, lust. To me the fact that it is based on the 1990's Russian oligarchs is almost secondary. It's more like a good war movie - the time and place is really just a setting, a backdrop used to tell a good story.
The script is beautifully structured, the actors all give terrific performances, the direction is understated and confident. Unexpected things happen, scenes jump back and forth through time, and the pacing is excellent. Even though it's got the "a gangster's life" story arc (similar to The Godfather, Casino and the hugely overrated Scarface) in which the risks are taken, trusts made and broken, beautiful women seduced, liquor poured, bullets sprayed, etc., from scene to scene you aren't quite sure exactly who will do what. It holds your interest from beginning to end.
No doubt there is a great documentary to be made about the rise and fall of the actual oligarchs or "New Russians", one which could tie together with great detail the entire true story. But "Tycoon" isn't that film, and I think it's arguable that it's better because if it.
The script is beautifully structured, the actors all give terrific performances, the direction is understated and confident. Unexpected things happen, scenes jump back and forth through time, and the pacing is excellent. Even though it's got the "a gangster's life" story arc (similar to The Godfather, Casino and the hugely overrated Scarface) in which the risks are taken, trusts made and broken, beautiful women seduced, liquor poured, bullets sprayed, etc., from scene to scene you aren't quite sure exactly who will do what. It holds your interest from beginning to end.
No doubt there is a great documentary to be made about the rise and fall of the actual oligarchs or "New Russians", one which could tie together with great detail the entire true story. But "Tycoon" isn't that film, and I think it's arguable that it's better because if it.
"And you will produce wolves on this earth"
pbeliakov23 September 2004
I'm absolutely surprised that people in the West and especially in US watch this movie. Equally, I'm surprised they read War and Peace, Idiot, Crime and Punishment, Fathers and Sons etc.
This is not to say the movie is of the same magnitude as the books in the list, rather that it's equally deep and ought to be equally strange for a westerner. And, as usual, the moral of the story is ( kind of ) based on a piece of ( Galich, "One more time about the devil" ) poetry, and poetry is never easy to translate.
From my point of view, the story is entertaining and educating - to me. It's a little scary - to me, meaning "thank god I was too young to be a part of it", but it certainly is not "herky-jerky", characters are definitely well-developed. I was actually quite surprised how convincing the acting and the dialogs were.
Someone said the movie "asks more questions than it answers", I'd say it's what a good movie should do! Art is actually about asking questions, not answering them. If you want answers, turn to religion.
I rate the movie 10 out of 10 ( though it would be about 96 out of 100, some minor technicalities ).
This is not to say the movie is of the same magnitude as the books in the list, rather that it's equally deep and ought to be equally strange for a westerner. And, as usual, the moral of the story is ( kind of ) based on a piece of ( Galich, "One more time about the devil" ) poetry, and poetry is never easy to translate.
From my point of view, the story is entertaining and educating - to me. It's a little scary - to me, meaning "thank god I was too young to be a part of it", but it certainly is not "herky-jerky", characters are definitely well-developed. I was actually quite surprised how convincing the acting and the dialogs were.
Someone said the movie "asks more questions than it answers", I'd say it's what a good movie should do! Art is actually about asking questions, not answering them. If you want answers, turn to religion.
I rate the movie 10 out of 10 ( though it would be about 96 out of 100, some minor technicalities ).
Well hidden brilliant
asseveratio20 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
Believe me, this movie is absolutely magnificent. But, I suppose it is only "pretty good" for non-Russians. I want to explain one crucial point. All that guys (except, maybe Larry) are not mobsters. All of them have university degrees and some of them are PhD. Yeah, that's true. You see, there was a paradoxical situation in Russia of 90-s. Sudden freedom (as "Sudden Death") made almost entire population poor and indefensible. There was no matter if you are PhD or not. "How far can you go?" That really matters.
Actors' performance is on a higher level in the movie, except couple of insignificant supported actors. Mashkov is strong, intelligent and uncompromising. Mironova. Oh, she is the example of natural Russian Beauty. In point of fact, she has played 3 different women: glamorous girl, good-looking divorced woman with a child and then, mature 40+ lady. I was really fascinated with her play. Krasko's character brings some contrast and fun in this thriller. He is the typical representative of Russian "glubinka" (depth of the country). Andrei played very well and made fine subordinate plot.
To be honest, financial and other schemes which are represented in "Oligarkh" are too simple and they are far removed from reality. I believe this is the most important drawback.
All things considered, I believe that Lungin made very good movie about that weird time. Worth seeing.
Actors' performance is on a higher level in the movie, except couple of insignificant supported actors. Mashkov is strong, intelligent and uncompromising. Mironova. Oh, she is the example of natural Russian Beauty. In point of fact, she has played 3 different women: glamorous girl, good-looking divorced woman with a child and then, mature 40+ lady. I was really fascinated with her play. Krasko's character brings some contrast and fun in this thriller. He is the typical representative of Russian "glubinka" (depth of the country). Andrei played very well and made fine subordinate plot.
To be honest, financial and other schemes which are represented in "Oligarkh" are too simple and they are far removed from reality. I believe this is the most important drawback.
All things considered, I believe that Lungin made very good movie about that weird time. Worth seeing.
Assumes too much information
ulnoyman10 April 2005
Oligarkh, is an average movie about a group of friends taking advantage of the opportunities "new Russia" offered after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The movie has certain value in giving a rough sketch of how the vacuum left by the collapsed communist system was filled by various criminal elements. However, it fails to do that comprehensively, possibly because, as it targets the Russian audience, it assumes too much information. The transformation of the 'naive, jolly group of friends" into a vicious, ruthless, hierarchical criminal organization is not well demonstrated, phases of changes in characters' world views and emotions largely left to the imagination of the audience. Since the story is told going back and forth in time, some of the criticism can be overlooked, but one cannot help but notice some plot holes. Moreover, it ends in a quite cheesy way, reminding a cheap Hollywood B-movie, something I do not hope to see in a supposedly-sophisticated Russian movie.
The acting is generally good, but not outstanding. I thought supporting characters were more impressive than the hero, and I especially liked the commissar and his style. Direction is not bad, and actually it made me think that it was directed by a talented, but inexperienced director. It seems Lungin has a longer career than I expected.
The acting is generally good, but not outstanding. I thought supporting characters were more impressive than the hero, and I especially liked the commissar and his style. Direction is not bad, and actually it made me think that it was directed by a talented, but inexperienced director. It seems Lungin has a longer career than I expected.
Brilliant !!!!
derirre35723 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
SPOILERS
"If we can't buy Kreml we must become ourselves Kreml!"
After seeing the disk in the neighborhood video-shop and every time passing it over I finally came to the point where nothing worthy of my attention was left to rent. So I grabbed this, out of desperation and rented it expecting something quite bad. Boy I couldn't be more wrong. Since the beginning I knew the stakes were high - a red writing in the middle of the screen announcing "the day of Platon's death" (the main character Platon Makovsky). Then a retrospection showing his rise to power. Constantly back and forth, then and now. An investigator has been arrived all the way from Ural to investigate Platon Makovski because obviously the whole issue is too delicate to be left to someone from the Moscow DA. Some very high government employees are involved, even the FSB (the former KGB) and Shmakov (the investigator from Ural) has the unpleasant job of interrogating the friend circle. But this is where all comes to light... "The rise to power" segments show how Makovski and his friends, young economics experts start to make money after the fall of the communist regime with the assistance of a georgian (that's Gruzia) who appears to be connected to some of the crime structures. This jolly group of university friends quickly learns how to use their brains in order to cheat the system to steal and basically get their hands on everything they possibly can and how to wash the money, with their first achievement of controlling the automobile factory in Tbillisi - Georgia. After this they go straight to the top. In personal aspect Platon gains a powerful and bitter enemy in the face of the party functionary Koretsky. As time passes they become real oligarkhs and billionaires and of course their enemies (who basically don't have anything personal against them but want a piece of the pie) become more and stronger until the bitter end.
The movie has very strong cinematography, powerful editing, very beautiful music score and a great soundtrack. Wonderful dialogs, especially for Russian speaking people, I suppose in English some of the essence might be lost. Platon's 44th birthday is a godfather-esquire event - very large in scale, reminding me of the parties from "The great Gatsby". Great acting, especially from the supporting cast - Andrei Krasko as Shmakov and Levan Uchaneishvili as Larry are brilliant. Alexandr Baluyev as Koretsky, Maria Mironova as Masha and Vladimir Mashkov as Platon are also very good. The same things that can be said about the beginning are valid about the end - very powerful. Through the film goes on and on the question "who done it" but that's not particularly hard to guess... One downbeat moment towards the end - the little kids Platon and Musa - the kid-actors can't act at all and the scene itself was if not pointless really not needed. The movie is loosely based on Boris Abramovich Berezovski, who financed the rise of the Russian president Vladimir Putin (known to be a former colonel from the KGB). However after Putin became president he made clear that while Berezovski's money is welcome, he is not. The whole affair is known as "the godfather vs. Kreml" and Berezovski is living now in London in exile.
-"Nedless to say, one of you has killed him" -"Has or hasn't... everybody wanted it..."
"If we can't buy Kreml we must become ourselves Kreml!"
After seeing the disk in the neighborhood video-shop and every time passing it over I finally came to the point where nothing worthy of my attention was left to rent. So I grabbed this, out of desperation and rented it expecting something quite bad. Boy I couldn't be more wrong. Since the beginning I knew the stakes were high - a red writing in the middle of the screen announcing "the day of Platon's death" (the main character Platon Makovsky). Then a retrospection showing his rise to power. Constantly back and forth, then and now. An investigator has been arrived all the way from Ural to investigate Platon Makovski because obviously the whole issue is too delicate to be left to someone from the Moscow DA. Some very high government employees are involved, even the FSB (the former KGB) and Shmakov (the investigator from Ural) has the unpleasant job of interrogating the friend circle. But this is where all comes to light... "The rise to power" segments show how Makovski and his friends, young economics experts start to make money after the fall of the communist regime with the assistance of a georgian (that's Gruzia) who appears to be connected to some of the crime structures. This jolly group of university friends quickly learns how to use their brains in order to cheat the system to steal and basically get their hands on everything they possibly can and how to wash the money, with their first achievement of controlling the automobile factory in Tbillisi - Georgia. After this they go straight to the top. In personal aspect Platon gains a powerful and bitter enemy in the face of the party functionary Koretsky. As time passes they become real oligarkhs and billionaires and of course their enemies (who basically don't have anything personal against them but want a piece of the pie) become more and stronger until the bitter end.
The movie has very strong cinematography, powerful editing, very beautiful music score and a great soundtrack. Wonderful dialogs, especially for Russian speaking people, I suppose in English some of the essence might be lost. Platon's 44th birthday is a godfather-esquire event - very large in scale, reminding me of the parties from "The great Gatsby". Great acting, especially from the supporting cast - Andrei Krasko as Shmakov and Levan Uchaneishvili as Larry are brilliant. Alexandr Baluyev as Koretsky, Maria Mironova as Masha and Vladimir Mashkov as Platon are also very good. The same things that can be said about the beginning are valid about the end - very powerful. Through the film goes on and on the question "who done it" but that's not particularly hard to guess... One downbeat moment towards the end - the little kids Platon and Musa - the kid-actors can't act at all and the scene itself was if not pointless really not needed. The movie is loosely based on Boris Abramovich Berezovski, who financed the rise of the Russian president Vladimir Putin (known to be a former colonel from the KGB). However after Putin became president he made clear that while Berezovski's money is welcome, he is not. The whole affair is known as "the godfather vs. Kreml" and Berezovski is living now in London in exile.
-"Nedless to say, one of you has killed him" -"Has or hasn't... everybody wanted it..."
Russian B-movie
=G=30 June 2004
Telling of the rise and fall of an upwardly mobile wannabe tycoon who just sort of magically makes a fortune by parlaying brooms into jeans into cars, etc. by climbing the ladder of success in the new Russia's corrupt market economy of the past 20 years, "Tycoon: A New Russian" has low production value, a story which asks more questions than it answers, a confusing herky-jerky flow which leaps back and forth through time, poor character development, etc., and, of course, subtitles. Given so many liabilities, it would be difficult to recommend this flick to anyone save those few with a real interest in Russian cinema. Russian film enthusiasts should check out the much better Russian film: "Utomlyonnye solntsem (Burnt by the Sun)" (1994). (C)
Genuine depiction of Russian capitalism
gpopov26 October 2002
This is a very good and realistic movie showing the birth of Russian capitalism, the people who were behind it, the Russian mafia in its true form, and the man who made a fortune in a dawn of Russian capitalism. The movie is based on the novel "Bolshaya Paika" (The Big Slice) by Yuly Dubov about Boris Berezovsky, the true oligarch of Russia. This is the man whom Vladimir Mashkov brilliantly portrays in the charachter of Platon. 9/10
I enjoyed it.
baudeparts3 September 2004
I thought this movie was rather good. I liked how it jumped back and forth in time. The characters should have been developed better. However, its nice to see something different that the usual garbage Hollywood puts out. Ill admit some of the movie is cheesy but if you can get past that its a movie worth watching. It does not stack up to the Godfather or other such movies as the reviews claim on the cover. But it does give you a taste of such movies. Me, I love crime dramas and though I wish there was more blood spilt in the movie I found it surprisingly good. The main character is the strong point in the movie. He has a character and face that makes you sit there and watch the whole movie. Overall it was enjoyable and entertaining.
nice movie, but can't be apprehended by not-russians
another_account25 March 2008
the first statement needn't be proved if you've watched it. Indeed the story leaps back and forward, some details leak out too soon, but I liked the movie among other reasons because of good actors such like Vladimir Mashkov and Maria Mironova, who did here their best. the second is clear when you're Russian and read other comments like 'no subtitles and bla'. most not-American movies are not dubbed, so what? -> learn other languages if you're interested in other cultures! just the fact that this title was made in times when people like Khodorkovsky were arrested and that this movie was never broadcasted on the TV-channel which itself co-produced the film, are enough to say it's worth seeing.
A tangled hodgepodge, unfortunately
rlange-321 May 2011
The acting was good to excellent, and the overall plot themes were clear. This group of friends leaps into post-Soviet Russia and makes a fortune by bending the rules such that there are rules, and playing the political side of the economic game. In the course of doing this, they run afoul of a government that is equally corrupt. This is a setting that a well made film might turn into a masterpiece.
Unfortunately it doesn't happen. There are so many throwbacks and forward scenes that one would need to watch the movie with pen and paper in hand, tracing the characters and their actions to try and keep track of the specifics. The movie tries to help out by actually labeling each scene with a timeline, before and after the death of Plato, the central character. But even with these guideposts, the back and forth movement of time requires extraordinary effort to translate into meaningful flows and never develops a satisfying momentum. It is akin to reading a history in which a few paragraphs of Alexander are followed by a series on Hiroshima and then by a brief exposition on the founding of Rome, followed by a vignette on the Crusades.
No doubt some will see this approach as a puzzle challenge. Personally I thought it interfered with both the entertainment value of Tycoon, and the capacity of the movie to sustain intensity of interest. The end result is a crippled performance in which one is tempted to throw up their hands and say, "Ah, they are all just crooks, let's see some action". If that was the intent, the movie does provide some gratification, but it could have been so much more.
Unfortunately it doesn't happen. There are so many throwbacks and forward scenes that one would need to watch the movie with pen and paper in hand, tracing the characters and their actions to try and keep track of the specifics. The movie tries to help out by actually labeling each scene with a timeline, before and after the death of Plato, the central character. But even with these guideposts, the back and forth movement of time requires extraordinary effort to translate into meaningful flows and never develops a satisfying momentum. It is akin to reading a history in which a few paragraphs of Alexander are followed by a series on Hiroshima and then by a brief exposition on the founding of Rome, followed by a vignette on the Crusades.
No doubt some will see this approach as a puzzle challenge. Personally I thought it interfered with both the entertainment value of Tycoon, and the capacity of the movie to sustain intensity of interest. The end result is a crippled performance in which one is tempted to throw up their hands and say, "Ah, they are all just crooks, let's see some action". If that was the intent, the movie does provide some gratification, but it could have been so much more.
Very entertaining
azat_nugm19 February 2005
Well, the good news is that this is definitely a very fun and entertaining piece of cinema. The bad news is that, like most movies with very few exceptions, it took a cool premise and failed short in delivering it. Storytelling needs a lot of polish, plot resolutions may seem dumb at times, and acting can range from very good to absolutely horrible from scene to scene and from actor to actor. There's very little that this "Russian Godfather" has to say that wasn't already said many times (and much better) in "Godfather", "Scarface", and "Once Upon a Time in America".
None of that matters when it comes to the fun factor - unless of course you're one of those self-professed "critics" who spend more time ogling pretty ladies than following the story twists that are neither confusing nor overly complicated, or people who think that any movie that talks about a serious and controversial topic should be strictly unbiased documentary. Be neither, and don't take the movie too seriously.
None of that matters when it comes to the fun factor - unless of course you're one of those self-professed "critics" who spend more time ogling pretty ladies than following the story twists that are neither confusing nor overly complicated, or people who think that any movie that talks about a serious and controversial topic should be strictly unbiased documentary. Be neither, and don't take the movie too seriously.
Hit Stop Midway
Bigcritic7319 March 2005
To say this movie is bad is lending it too much credit. The writing and cinematography were atrocious, not to mention the amateurish acting that at times was so painful to watch that I walked away to answer a phone call and go to the bathroom - both more enjoyable.
Do not watch this movie unless you're in need of a cure for insomnia. The ten line IMDb requirement is bad policy for bad movies since there's really not much to say about this travesty.
There's a theory that a thousand chimpanzees sitting in a room full of typewriters could have come up with Shakespeare's masterpieces. I'll offer another theory: two chimps and a typewriter would stumble upon this story first with little effort and no editorial service.
I hope something better comes out of Russia soon, or they'll be blacklisted from my DVD player.
Do not watch this movie unless you're in need of a cure for insomnia. The ten line IMDb requirement is bad policy for bad movies since there's really not much to say about this travesty.
There's a theory that a thousand chimpanzees sitting in a room full of typewriters could have come up with Shakespeare's masterpieces. I'll offer another theory: two chimps and a typewriter would stumble upon this story first with little effort and no editorial service.
I hope something better comes out of Russia soon, or they'll be blacklisted from my DVD player.
The Best Russian Movie for the last decade!
NoMaDiQuE10 January 2004
It gives You whole process of becoming an oligarch in Russia during the Gorbatchov time. The movie highlights one of the major problems of modern Russia: segregation between really reach and powerful people, oligarchs, and the others, the majority which is really poor.
Moreover it gives you the chance to understand where and how such people became reach. The majority of ordinary people in Russia considers them as just thieves who swindled with privatisation etc. Indeed the movie describes all the talent of really genial enterpreneur.
It's a really well-crafted movie with excellent actor play, great plot and producer work. It's not so predictable as it seems from the beginning so you will have pleasure to watch it. I watched it for several times and wouldn't mind to watch it again. Actually after this movie i started to look at modern politics in Russia from the different angle, and better understand Why someone is acting this or that way. Only this should be enough to watch it...
Moreover it gives you the chance to understand where and how such people became reach. The majority of ordinary people in Russia considers them as just thieves who swindled with privatisation etc. Indeed the movie describes all the talent of really genial enterpreneur.
It's a really well-crafted movie with excellent actor play, great plot and producer work. It's not so predictable as it seems from the beginning so you will have pleasure to watch it. I watched it for several times and wouldn't mind to watch it again. Actually after this movie i started to look at modern politics in Russia from the different angle, and better understand Why someone is acting this or that way. Only this should be enough to watch it...
new Russia
lee_eisenberg24 March 2017
Pavel Lungin's "Oligarkh" (alternately called "Tycoon" and "Tycoon: A New Russian" in English) looks at the free-for-all that dominated post-Soviet Russia. The protagonist becomes the richest man in the country through all manner of vile means. It was unfortunate that Boris Yeltsin, initially seen as a champion of democracy, sold his country off to the old functionaries who became oligarchs. Some have fallen from grace and even faced criminal prosecution, depending on which ones the government favors.
I understand that Platon Makovsky is based on Boris Berezovsky. It probably could have just as easily focused on any of the magnates who rose to prominence in the 1990s. The point is, these ruthless people turned the Russian Federation into their playground.
It's not a masterpiece, but worth seeing.
I understand that Platon Makovsky is based on Boris Berezovsky. It probably could have just as easily focused on any of the magnates who rose to prominence in the 1990s. The point is, these ruthless people turned the Russian Federation into their playground.
It's not a masterpiece, but worth seeing.
A very Russian story
parahumanoid16 January 2012
This movie is very Russian. It's not intended for foreigners and will never work as an international film. You have to have lived there, to have feared to go out of the house after nightfall because of street shootings and grenades blowing up offices in a market sharing war of various mafia groups. You have to understand what a "thief in law" (вор в законе)means as a concept (a concept rather vague even to most Russians - and no, this concept is not what it sounds like literally, don't be misled that the term speaks for itself), you have to be able to relate to a bright person who found himself in a dog-eat-dog reality where intelligence alone isn't enough to sustain basic survival. This movie is GREATLY about being able to read the Russian reality between the lines. If you weren't there, you most likely won't get it and will join the thong of those who give this movie anything below 8/10 with comments about underdeveloped characters. Trust me, they are very well developed, you just don't get it, can't read between the lines. It's sort of like saying that Joyce's "Ulysses" is boring and conceded: most just don't get it.
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