Oleg and Strange Arts (2016) User Reviews

A man the world needed to meet

[MOscarbradley · 8/10 · 6 July 2017]

We are back in the Hermitage but unlike the swirling, continually moving camera of "Russian Ark", Andres Duque's camera hardly moves at all, for the subject now is not the art on display but the small, strange-looking old man who has entered the long hallway and is regaling us with a tale of how he braved the snow to get there. He is Oleg Karavaychuk, the great composer and pianist and it really is a pleasure to meet him.

Karavaychuk was almost 90 when this lovely documentary was made and he died shortly afterwards. He may have been a recognized musical genius in Russia and yet he was someone most Russians would not recognize on the street, (Mubi describes him as looking as if he had stepped out of a novel by Gogol). A great raconteur and a true eccentric he was, of course, the best guide to his own life and music and he makes for wonderful company. However, there is also a touch of the 'Grey Gardens' about Duque's film which might make it uncomfortable viewing for some; was it Oleg's genius or his eccentricity that hooked Duque? But then does it matter? Here is a man the world needed to meet and hopefully this film will receive the widest possible distribution, at least on the art-house circuit. I found it, and Oleg, really quite wonderful.

My reception on the strangely unusual life of a genius.

[jayshukla12 · 8/10 · 8 July 2017]

Documentaries about great people always travel a journey, A journey that should make you feel about the subject's life and the essence of it, in a given time frame. Some movies either do that successfully and some fail.

Oleg unusually (strangely as the title would suggest) walks into the legendary hermitage, his shoes rhythmically telling the viewer that he wants to convey something. And when he stops,you know it, he wants to convey something. And if you're like me,you suspect that too – He wants to talk about himself. But surprisingly, you're very very wrong.

He rather talks about Art, History and Music into which his whole life is centered.

It is technically a very unconventional way to start a film. But that is what it is.That is what this film is about. That is what the subject is all about. He wants to make you uncomfortable, he wants to set those uncomfortable roots in your skin and enjoy its beauty, dissonances as he calls it.

Now, you're onto a piano. A piano which describes its own history. Excited as you are, He starts playing his compositions. And since at this point of time, you're not well aware about him, Andres Duque teases your imagination. He plays games with the light continuously. The perception of a darker shade (through light) on the left hand than on the other one, is simply a genius interpretation. He does it quite regularly throughout the film. He makes the point.

The film proceeds as he talks about his life, art and history. Art, mostly.

The film beautifully captures the inner expression and emotions of a great composer. Morever,the nuances of his behavior (physically and mentally) were captured exceptionally well by the young filmmaker, Andres Duque.

Surely, he (Andres Duque) was on a journey too, he seemed enthusiastic in grasping the very strange imagination and thoughts of the legendary composer on art, through the camera.

And Lucky for him. He gave us a master touch (Pun intended)

Post Script : The beauty of the film lies in the expression from the man himself, Oleg Nikolaevitch Karavaychuk.

So, it would be unfair to enjoy the essence of imagination of art through quotes. Hence no manifestation of dialogues.

A must for people who like the unusual

[jonflynn1 · 9/10 · 2 October 2016]

I just had the great pleasure to watch this film in Madrid. I had no idea what to expect. The film is both beautiful and poetic and gives its main character the stage. Oleg Karavaychuk is a rare character, an eccentric in all the best forms possible. The film moves from monologues to piano pieces and captures a bizarre world inhabited by one man. There are glimpses of a luxurious past now lost to ruin and memories. Andres Duque, the director, treats everything with a great sensitivity and respect. The combination of the two artists is exquisite. This is not mainstream but a must for art lovers and people who like to take a trip into a strange and fascinating world.