NO-ONE (2018) User Reviews

Very interesting movie

[wissammelhem-03499 · 7/10 · 1 November 2022]

I decided to watch this movie to see how the movie is and why it won the Best Feature Film and Best Cinematography at the Vienna Independent Film Festival and Best Feature Film at the Winchester Film Festival.

The movie starts off with a scene between two lovers, which is a contrast to what you think the movie will be about. Especially, after reading the introduction on screen that talks about the collapse of the Soviet Union and the attempts to regain power before losing power once more.

This movie is not a war movie or necessarily a historic movie. As the movie goes on, you realize that the Soviet Union collapse is just the background for this movie and instead it depicts some dramatic events with the characters in Crimea. Side note, but interestingly enough, Crimea is a hot topic as of late with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The script touches upon political events only in passing references and conversations about unfulfilled expectations and dreams.

In my opinion, the story itself is pretty strong but the movie could have been done better. There were too many long scenes between Vlad and Vyacheslav Zholobov and there was even a long scene of Vlad pretending to talk to his uncle that felt a little too dragged.

The characters talk a lot and with a large number of quotations and postmodern references.

It's clear what the Prudkins are trying to create with this film and end it with a tragic ending that really highlights the consequences of political and social change at a turning point in Russian history.

From a cinematography point of view, I really enjoyed this movie. It depicted that era very well and showed beautiful scenes of Crimea as well. The colors were visually pleasing and even though it's not a big-budget film, the cinematography was still a joy to watch. The production on the movie was great as well.

The movie is mostly about how Natalya Vdovina, a famous actor in the movie, cheats on the General of the secret service with both a beach boy and with the general's nephew. The story unfolds in the Crimea, annexed today by Russia from Ukraine, where the actress comes for a holiday.

Surprisingly the movie took a dark turn in the end when the general went on a killing spree killing both the lifeguard and his nephew who both cheated on him with his wife. What's even worse is he severed his nephew's head and put it on a platter just like he referenced earlier in the movie in a scene he watched.

It was sad to see at the end that he had a meltdown on the beach and ended up killing the lifeguard and then proceeded to pretty much kill himself by drowning. I think he felt like he lost his wife, his nephew, and the country and had nothing else to live for.

At the end of the film newsreel footage presents a clear picture of what the general predicted and what was inevitable at the time. The collapse of the Soviet Union happened.

Overall, despite being interested in the events of back then, the movie didn't draw me as much as I thought it would. Some scenes felt too long, the storyline dragged, and some characters spoke a lot. I don't think this is a required viewing or really an important story to tell for the time period. Do not go into the movie thinking it'll depict true events or be a historical remake because it isn't and there isn't any war or coup scenes. I could be wrong but that's just my opinion based off what I watched. What saves this movie is the strong acting and the well-written script. The older male lead had an intense part in the movie and nailed his acting. Interesting, longish, and thought-provoking, I enjoyed this unique and eerily-accurate movie. Heads up that the movie does dwell on some sex scenes which can be not age appropriate to some. The movie has themes of sex, cheating, betrayal, and death. I'd give it a 7 out of 10 rating overall just because of the balance of it being too long with the acting and the script being great.

Great movie for fans of Shakespearean adaptations

[pbennett-56827 · 6/10 · 17 November 2022]

This movie is a modern adaptation of Shakespeare's work Othello framed amidst the downfall of the Soviet Union. The beginning of the film was hard to get into as it seemed slow and overdramatic. There are many monologues in this film which makes sense as an adaptation of a play but still they leave me waiting for the long scenes to move on.

As with other Shakespearean adaptions, there are many times where you can feel the struggle of transforming a play into a movie. The story picked up the pace about a third of the way through and I found myself laughing and holding my breath in anticipation during certain scenes. The wife is a compelling character and by the end of the movie I wondered if she was intended to be a metaphor for Russia. The husband's speech to his nephew towards the end about the wonderful nature of his wife and his disgust towards anyone who would use her for their own means held my attention and had me reflecting on this film long after it ended.

Overall, this isn't an incredibly entertaining movie for the general public but I do think it is a great film for certain audiences who can appreciate the modern retelling of an old classic. By the end of the movie I was anxious to learn the fate of the characters. I appreciated the use of foreshadowing that was highly impactful and satisfying at the end. I will probably never watch this film again but I would mention it to anyone I know that enjoys Shakespearean adaptations.

Not Bad But Not What I was Expecting

[s-32202 · 5/10 · 7 November 2022]

This movie takes place at a time that was difficult for the Soviet Union. The main character is the wife of a high official and she seems to have been a lost soul. She is cheating on him and her lovers try to get revenge with her husband. There's a lot of sexuall activity in this movie. In the beginning there is a narrative about the time frame that the events are happening and then there is the the opening scene. The opening scene was an attention grabber. It caught my eye and I was ready to see what was next, but then it slowed down a bit. While it isn't the most exciting movie it has some interesting parts here and there. I was almost expecting something a little more educational but that was not the case. After the initial scene, it was slow, but then every now and then you'd get something to perk you up, some of the violent and torture scenes. I admit a lot of the dialogue was hard to follow at first, but the pieces started slowly coming together. Since it was in another language, I had to keep going back to catch some parts that I'd miss but that was not a deal breaker because of closed caption. The ending kind of made me think but I will watch it one more time to see if I can get more out of it the second time around. Overall, the movie was okay. You have to pay attention to really understand what is going on and when you do, it easier to see why things happen the way that they do.

Interesting take on the time period.

[jteringman · 6/10 · 24 November 2022]

The movie definitely had a little bit of a slow start for me, but it did pick up throughout and it definitely picked up in the end. I actually did not expect the ending that it had, so I enjoyed that part of it quite a bit. Overall, it's a slower movie, but each scene and piece of dialogue seemed to be very deliberate. It was an interesting take on the period of events. I thought it had great cinematography and the acting was well done. It actually felt like this film was created in the 90's, so that really helped me immerse into the movie. It did seem to jump around quite a bit, but it also did a good job of explaining the backstories. As I mentioned previously, it was a little slow for my taste. I realize it wasn't supposed to be a fast-paced movie, but it seemed like it tried to hang in the pauses and the suspense more than it needed to. I don't know that I would come back to this movie again soon, but I did enjoy it.

Alright Indie Film About the Collapse of the Soviet Union

[ashlynwoodpublications · 5/10 · 29 October 2022]

NO-ONE by Lev Prudkin and Vladimir Prudkin stirred up mixed feelings in me when I watched it. First, a warning, if you are uncomfortable with the topics of sexual themes and incest, you should steer clear of the film. Now that we have the warning out of the way, while I did not dislike the film, it was kind of mediocre. It has an extremely slow-moving plot, with long-drawn-out conversations, with the very first one taking close to ten minutes.

On top of that, I did not necessarily care very much for the themes of incest between the two main characters. It made it very difficult for me to understand the film's message fully, but other than the long-drawn-out conversations and incest themes, it was well-created. The camera work is reminiscent of Steven Spielberg, and the soundtrack was fun to listen to. I do think more music could have been implemented to help fill in some of the quiet moments.

Instead of really focusing heavily on the fall of the Soviet Union, though, it focuses a lot more on the affair between two of the main characters. While not necessarily a negative aspect of the film, it would have been great to see the film focus more on the actual events of the collapse rather than just the affair.

Overall though, I give the film a 5/10. It was neither a terrible film that I would not recommend to anyone nor was it really that noteworthy. Part of it is probably the fact that I have never really researched much about the time period in the film, but regardless of that, it can still be an enjoyable film if you enjoy slow-burn dramas.

A Decent Slow Burn

[gee_maddie · 6/10 · 6 December 2022]

The first thing that you should know about "NO-ONE" is that you need to pay attention. Every little detail matters and contributes to the ultimate ending of this twisted love affair. While the Soviet Union crumbling down is a prominent part of the film, personally it is the relationships that draw you into the film. Every character in the film has a dark and secret side. For example, Vlad wants to be seen as someone who cares about his diplomacy as well as his filmmaking. However, he truly doesn't care about diplomacy at all and is using his filmmaking to start a forbidden relationship. The sexual opening scene alone makes you curious about what's to come. On the outside, you think you are entering a film about war and power. Instead, you are entering a film about lust and seduction, which leads to those involved in power making irreversible decisions. The dreary and dark backdrop of the city and beachside complement the intense scenes nicely. The tension starts off slow and eventually takes off in the final act of the film for those who love long character development. While some anecdotes and monologues could have been cut short, the film overall was a solid watch for those into suspense.

Not what I thought it'd be..

[kwb-39655 · 3/10 · 26 October 2022]

I was really intrigued by this film because of the title and description. The blurb about "Soviet political collapse" and all that made me think it really would be based on something to do with that or that the main story would be about the political collapse. In a sense it was but it was more about relationship issues. I think it was supposed to be metaphors about governments but I just didn't get that out of this storyline. They spent very little time on that. The main story was the marital issues and taking care of her 'lovers'. But the characters showed barely any emotions. None during intimacy, killing, political chats, etc. Most of the time they were straight-faced, with a few very unreal laughs. I would have enjoyed some more realness to make you feel what they're feeling, to really get involved with the story.

Overall, it was slow going - getting to the point or purpose. For almost 2 hours long you just sort of wondered what was going on. Starting with a poor nudity scene just didn't get me excited. It had a lot of nudity with no emotions, as well. I mean these people are doing the acts (multiple times) and literally no facial expressions during the acts. Doesn't seem to be enjoyable for them so how is a viewer supposed to not feel awkward and uncomfortable watching that. It really was unnecessary for most of it and didn't add value to the story besides knowing the wife was cheating.

The only part I didn't mind was reading the subtitles and the outside views. It just didn't draw me in and keep me entertained the whole time.

An intricate perspective at the times of change

[klennykh · 10/10 · 17 August 2021]

This film is an intricate view at one of the most significant political and social shifts in history through the prism of human relationships.

The shift of a paradigm of a whole cultural layer, results in a distortion of human behavior and its expression in interactions and relationships.

An intelligence general turns to a mind boggling form of art, in his understanding.

A silver-spoon film director attempting to quench his significance through surreptitious mischief

A prominent actress seeking for her expression through unreasonable adultery

And all this occurring away from the stage of events of the political coup attempt of 1991.

And although we don't see what is happening on the streets of Moscow, through the amazing and expressive performance, we feel the tension and the absurdity of the events with a flavor of inevitability of change.

Human interactions portrays the imminence of collapse of the "old ways" with an experience of absolute uncertainty and, even, desperation towards the future. Yet there is an aroma of faith, that even this shall pass...

Didn't really understand the point, but beautifully shot!

[lekaitom · 7/10 · 25 November 2022]

No-One is an interesting indie film, and very different than most films you will see. To start, the cinematography is beautiful, and the shots are very well shot. The story itself can be a bit confusing at times, I got lost at times balancing the political and social complexities of the film but see how it tied together at the end of the film to illustrate the fall of the Soviet Union. I would argue that the film resembles what is happening today with the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the battle for Crimea. However, I'm not really sure what I was supposed to take away from the film, it appears that it was supposed to illustrate the fall of the Soviet Union, but I feel like I understand more about betrayal and scandals that didn't exactly add tons of value to my knowledge. The film could have touched much more on Russia in my opinion and why the Soviet Union fell instead of focusing so much on the social side.

A Collapse Of An Era and Time

[danielle_starr · 4/10 · 21 October 2022]

The film starts with an unusual dance between two characters and a film maker that later becomes clearer as the movie unfolds. The dance seems to signify and mirror the emotions and angst that the characters are feeling, whether they verbalize or use body language.

The setting of the movie is a somber and stark with the changing of the old guard in the USSR to the unknown. This is shown by the actors themselves physically. The film shows a contrast between the older characters and the younger and how they view life, love, politics, power and pain. The actions that the characters take lead down some dark paths and personal inflection that the characters themselves are able to see as well as the other characters.

The writing is trying to convey internal chaos and turmoil that the characters are either trying to work through or ignore. However, the acting comes across as flat and emotionless. This may be what the director was going for to try to show the contrast of emotion to what is going on around the characters at the fall of the USSR. This takes away from the storyline with stoic acting that does not bring the characters to life, but rather leaves them in a two dimensional life. This takes away from the story because you want to not just watch, but find a character to identify with, but because of the emotionless acting it is hard.

The plot of the movie is predictable - an older man with a much younger wife that enjoys being in the spotlight and in the company of younger men. The husband knows what is going on and deciding on what actions to take. The younger crowd at the beach trying to enjoy themselves and find their roles in the new world and with each other.

The script is predictable as well you can already envision what and where conversations are going. The lines are delivered with little emotion. The captioning at times is difficult to read because white lettering with a white or light background.

Overall the characters themselves are not likeable, no matter how much one tries. The director uses lots of imagery to give the film not only artistic touches, but also an interpretation of what is going on or foreshadowing without speech. The film is okay, but lacks emotion and the ability to draw the audience in.

Somber Metaphors and Haunting Visuals

[torimccaffery · 8/10 · 10 October 2022]

This film serves as a metaphor of the political and social climates of the USSR through the lens of interpersonal relationships. As these climates shift, the parallels are felt as we watch the changing dynamics between the main characters and those they interact with. Tamara, the spiritually tortured wife of a KGB General, Vlad her filmmaker nephew, and Zina, Vlad's lover and the daughter of a political figure all dance together to demonstrate the expressions of pain, romance, and power as a medium from which the viewer can unravel the story of the collapsing USSR. The film is stark while also grandiose in its aesthetics through the visual settings and the characters themselves. Juxtaposition and drama make this film impossible to look away from, as you never know what is going to come next. This film provides a lot for the viewers to decipher and is one of the ones you will still be contemplating long after the last frame has ended.

Surprising turn of events...

[Nahnha · 7/10 · 26 November 2022]

Isn't it how amazing how we can be so faithful to a cause, to a friend or to a lover and then be greatly disappointed by them? That is what this movie also reveals, the complexity of the human nature and the extent to which one can go to when pushed against the wall...including murder. They say, 'Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned', but 'No-One' depicts what a man can do when he is scorned as well.

Right from the get-go, this movie is not what one would expect. The opening scene is shockingly explicit which can cause the viewer to either flee...or continue to watch. We are then gradually introduced to the various characters--the distinguished and somewhat unstable General dedicated to his country's cause, the General's wife who cheats on him with a lifeguard and his own nephew without any remorse, the backstabbing, shrewd nephew who tastes of his uncle's treasured possession, (his wife) and the nephew's beautiful girlfriend who loves him but does not fully have an idea the incestuous acts he does behind her back.

The General's wife in the movie wears many hats- she is the caring mother who spends time with her son, the 'special' actress and dancer who stars in her husband's nephew's 'unique' films, the well-known actress loved by people and finally the queen of adultery.

Of course the sexual scenes were more prevalent in the movie with a dash of political issues sprinkled here and there. I believe it might be in line with what the movie says at the very beginning that, 'the movie is about those days but not really about those events.' However, it would have been nice to see more drama in the political area.

'No-One' gives us a glimpse into the lives of the various characters and how life continues even during hostile takeovers or when there is the smell of war in the atmosphere. The quality and cinematography of the movie was quite good and the dramatic pauses were interesting though some scenes were unnecessarily long. This movie is not something I'd usually watch but the twists and turns kept me glued to my screen.

All in all, this movie was not at all bad, and it will keep the viewers on their toes because it goes from one extreme to another --- Shockingly explicit to shockingly murderous. If you love surprises, then this movie might just be for you.

It's more about Betrayal then war.

[brokntears-48886 · 3/10 · 20 November 2022]

Im not reqlly one to watch a movie in a different language, but I decided to give it a shot since I had seen that it won multiple awards. It was very professionally filmed. The actors were well-chosen and it was really thought out. You grew to know each character and the roles they played. Most were pretty unlikeable in my opinion. Some of them were also pretty bland, but that might have been the intention of the film and they way it was created.

I did like the way it was filmed, it was very visually appealing. However it seemed very drawn out.

I was able to follow along with the subtitles and not miss any details. The Russian language in the back round made it tough but Eventually, I got the hang of it and was able to follow along easier. You still have to pay close attention though so you do not miss any important parts of the film.

It seemed way more of a romantic drama film, which confused me after reading the synopsis and seeing the first scene having nothing to do with war. It will grab the attention of some people, or make them run depending on the person watching the film.

A scene more war-related would have grabbed my attention assuming what I read from the synopsis. After the first scene, you see two men, and things start to change into discussions of war. There are lots of twists and turns, blackmailing, affairs, and betrayal throughout the film. There were not any battle scenes as I expected in a typical war movie. There was still plenty of drama though. Overall, the main focus of the film was more on the sexual affairs going on rather than the collapse of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Union collapse was more of what was going on during that period. Some scenes seemed to linger on way too long and were drawn out. The conversations just kept going, which was very hard to keep my attention with their quiet voices. I had to go back a few times and listen again because they had lost my attention and I had no idea what was going on. Eventually, something would happen to reel me back in. There is way too much dialogue and not enough action in my opinion. It gets stale here and there. The conversations are a bit slow and do not have many expressions. Lost my interest multiple times. I think after reading the summary, I had the assumption that there would be more action as with most war movies, but do not be expecting that.

As with any movie, there are positives and negatives. The big negative for me was the lingering, dull conversations and that it was really drawn out. The storyline is very creative, well thought out, and intriguing, but it could have been a little more had the dialogue been more than expressionless. You have to pay attention as you will be reading the subtitles the entire time. Once the General starts to learn all of the ways he is being betrayed by the people around him, as a viewer, I am hoping the whole time that he gets the revenge he should get towards those who did him wrong.

I would recommend it to someone they are looking for a foreign film, to watch and have an interest in drama, love, and a little bit of war. Would definitely say it is worth a watch.

Slow burn that doesn't burn brightly

[seanjameslarsen · 3/10 · 23 November 2022]

No-One provides a painful look at the collapse of the USSR and the meltdown of personal relationships in the midst of it. Long walks with long, boring dialogues give the viewer a challenging task in staying engaged with the movie. While the movie contains lots of foreshadowing (some painfully obvious moments), the viewer is often left wondering, "What is the point of this? Why is this here?" The movie has wonderful music and mostly decent cinematography. There are a few shots and scenes that had me wanting the camera to not awkwardly zoom in. The characters are underdeveloped and one dimensional. I was left wanting more character development or just better characters in general. This was truly a slow burn. Unfortunately, it did not burn brightly.

Dark, honest, eerie with beautiful camera work

[johnmyers-36922 · 7/10 · 19 October 2022]

The 2018 Israeli-Ukrainian film No-One, directed and written by Lev Prudkin and Vladimir Prudkin, brings to light the grimy, unclean party of Soviet society present in the global superpower shortly before the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991. Amidst the distress of a crumpling political system, in which some characters are directly involved, the film intertwines marital disloyalty with the inklings of political unrest. Produced in 2018, the film is eerily accurate at times, reflecting the sad reality that would, at times, turn out to be true in 2022, with the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

The film by itself is eerie, at times making the viewer uncomfortable with long pauses and stiff, awkward exchanges between characters. Given the circumstances of the plot and the setting, I believe this move was not only accurate but deliberate for the general feel of the movie. The directors did a fantastic job at reflecting the simmering distrust and discomfort planted within the hearts and minds of the average Soviet citizen, with concern on the horizon about the well-being and existence of the state, and of the lives of its citizens. Especially for the characters involved in politics, the presence of the unknown is almost like the Grim Reaper, present in most scenes, lurking in the background or seemingly creeping up behind the main characters, waiting to strike. In a way, this figurative Grim Reaper affects the viewer too, causing him or her to grow anxious, waiting for the scene to end, and thus relieve the built-up pressure and suspense caused by this relationship. The dim colors and often spotty light heighten this effect, this mood of death creeping around the corner, never completely out of sight. Even in sunny scenes, such as when the characters are seen on the beach, there is still a strong sense of distrust and stiffness. Again, I believe that this is a deliberate, as well as a smart move by the producer, as it really seals the deal on the discomfort the characters feel given their situation.

At just under two hours long, this movie does drag on at times, and although the effects caused by this add a layer of depth to the situation, at times the movie is unnecessarily long. The opening scene, mainly an interaction between two of the main characters, Oleg Sergeyevich, General of the KGB and his nephew Vlad, holds importance to setting the stage for the rest of the film, although it seems excessively long.

In terms of production value, and of the quality of the picture during the scenes, I feel this film does exceptionally well. Dark angles and sharp contrasts create a stark scene in almost every part of the movie. Even when the sun is out, there is not significant stress present, the producers make the setting uncomfortable, almost inhabitable. In scenes where the viewer would traditionally expect something, for example a laugh or some form of communication, this film is silent, emotionless, and dim. In a way this is presumably realistic, especially in the Soviet Union during this time. In some sex scenes, the mood is barren of emotion, sometimes just showing two naked bodies after finishing to convey the meaning of what happened instead of showing. This causes a cold feeling, almost a shiver in the spine, to see how mechanical and robotic an act like this can be when done amidst sad circumstances.

Despite the ending becoming predictable after watching about half of the movie, due to the general tone and mood of the plot up to that point, the ending still manages to emit an additional groan of pain. Like a Shakespearean comedy ending, the characters appear to get what they deserved for all of their desperate, fleeting attempts to find meaning and purpose in their crumbling life and country. In a film where power is taken rather than given, the main characters of the plot find that their happiness, it seems, cannot be taken. Despite all of their attempts to find meaning through lust, deception, and disloyalty, they all, for the most part, meet the same fate.

Interesting, longish, and thought-provoking, I enjoyed this unique and eerily-accurate movie. Although the length and boredom of some scenes detract from the overall score, the honest and wonderful camera work made this movie worth the watch. 7/10.

Not a bad foreign indie flick

[xtrrmin8 · 4/10 · 16 October 2022]

No-One is advertised to be ab out how the fall of the Soviet Union affected people in that region. It has the stile of an artistic indie movie, with some gratuitous nudity and mild sex scenes that are pretty normal for the genre. If English is your only language and reading subtitles annoys you, then this isn't the movie for you.

There's a lot of drama and intrigue.

If I'm being honest, much of the movie focuses primarily on affairs, not the political coup, which makes the coup and the collapse of the Soviet Union seem more like a trivial subplot than it was advertised to be. But given the fact that the trailer for the movie on YouTube really told me nothing in terms of what the movie was about, I really had no idea what to expect from it.

Parts of it are slow and draggy, but that can happen even with some of the more top-rated movies. There's a LOT of dialog and very little action, which is odd when you consider that the collapse of the Soviet Union is the backdrop of this movie.

The little bit of action that does occur is completely predictable. And one prop in particular was ridiculously low-budget (watch til the end and you'll know which one. It has old school Evil Dead vibes without the comedy.), which sort of adds to the campiness of this movie.

Overall, it's alright for a foreign indie film. It wasn't as bad as I expected it to be. It could have been a lot better, but it's definitely not the worst indie film I've seen.

An intriguing historic film that lets you live through a dramatic downfall.

[mkateg-08528 · 8/10 · 16 November 2022]

If you are seeking out a historical yet drama-filled film, this is the perfect foreign film for you. This film takes place in a historical era, with a matching setting. This film shows you how life was during the time of the soviet political downfall. A small family gets dragged through the troubles of the collapse, causing hell and despair. I would say this film is not appropriate for all ages, only because of the scenes that contain nudity. All of the varieties of vehicles, clothes, and color schemes are a very accurate representation of the plot of the film. One thing that I didn't like was the length of the film. Towards the end, I felt as if some scenes had no purpose or relation to the plot, and the film was overall dying out. I admire how fluent the actors are in Ukrainian. At the end of the day, this was a great film full of dramatics and self-reflection!

Not bad

[lionoksana · 7/10 · 3 November 2022]

The film is set against the backdrop of the August 1991 coup d'état. The nephew of a KGB general makes amateur movies with his uncle's wife, and there is no doubt that he is destined for a career as a diplomat.

There are mixed feelings after the film and it leaves you thinking for a while. Maybe not everyone will be able to understand it.

But thanks to one of the main characters, Oleg Sergeyevich.

Who reveals himself in a special way in the film, gives us a chance to think.

He has his own special view of the world - a view from above. He knows everything, what was before, what will be after, he sees the whole world and the whole country at the same time, he understands all the difficulties and is puzzled why people are so picky.

Generations like this are an unforgettable era. They grew up in one country and live in another. The hero of the film is also the kind of person willing to jump from one train to another-imagine him in the 2000s. It's not true that his fate was so glorious that he was able to reach the position of power he has today. As a rule, these are people from the 1990s. Either they became successful oligarchs themselves, or they served these people closely and reliably. They stepped aside and even moved away from the state. But then somebody took a step back.

So for reflection and pondering, I advise to watch It is up to you to decide what you will see in this film for yourself.

Visually Arresting but not what you Expect

[eleneri · 9/10 · 10 November 2022]

A faithless wife, a forgotten son, and a husband and father realizing that his world is falling apart in front of him.

No-One, by Vladimir Prudkin and Lev Prudkin, is supposed to be about the collapse of the Soviet Union in the 1990's, so you might be confused by the film's opener. Within two minutes of the opening credits, you're watching a woman have very artistic and athletic sex for a camera. If you're confused, so was I.

But No-One takes you on a slow-moving ride to places both in the setting and inside the characters themselves that you don't expect.

Tamara, Oleg Sergeyevich's wife, is a young, beautiful actress who attracts everything in pants, including her nephew by marriage, Vlad. Vlad starts off as earnest and honest at the beginning of the film, but the longer you watch the more you realize his smooth exterior is just window dressing for the rotten human being underneath. How rotten? Vlad was the director of the movie she's having sex in.

Oleg Sergeyevich, Tamara's husband and KGB generalissimo, is busy dealing with the coup overtaking Soviet Russia. He's the perfect grey eminence character, wily with his words and knowing more than anyone else should be comfortable with. But for all his power and intelligence, he's helpless against the new political wind of glasnost and his wife's rampant infidelity.

There are a handful of secondary characters: Vlad's girlfriend is the daughter of a party boss, which makes her aristocracy without the bloodline. There's an actor who's opposite Tamara in her sex film, who works as a lifeguard at the resort she goes to. There are some more young people in the party who basically serve as a Greek chorus to feed Vlad commentary about his choices.

In a lot of ways, between the way Oleg talks about going to the seaside and spending time in Crimea, it's almost as if both the Crimean beach and Russia itself are silent characters. I really liked that about this film: the cinematography does an excellent job of punching up the backdrop as something more than set dressing.

No-One is basically a movie about loyalty in which most of the players are... well, disloyal. Tamara is beyond ridiculously unfaithful to Oleg, which might not be the best move, because he is a high-ranked KGB officer. Vlad isn't loyal to either his uncle or his girlfriend. He's the power-hungry kind of amoral that makes the viewer dislike him. Even Oleg seems as if he's disloyal to the Empire he's spent a lifetime upholding.

In fact, the characters that stand out the most for me are secondary ones. Oleg and Tamara's son appears very infrequently, but he comes across as a refreshingly normal teenager for the approximately five minutes he's on screen, and even provides a bit of jarring menace when he talks about the dream he had that his father is drowning his mother in a fish tank.

My favorite characters, though, are two low-level KGB officers running a wiretapping of the new democratic attempts. One of them is jovial, lively, absolutely positive that his generals are going to crush this ridiculous rebellion. He makes fun of how disorganized these people are, how foolish they are. He lists all the ways the rebellion can be crushed. His faith in his party and his generals is absolute. The other man, who goes to the Crimea to keep an eye on Tamara and Vlad, is likewise unshakably loyal, even late in the movie when Oleg no longer has the authority or position to give him orders. He tells him that a favor or an order will be done. It doesn't matter to him whether Oleg is still a general.

Aside from those two, the wealthy elite characters are emotionless. Robotic, disillusioned. Even the sex scenes are artistic but uncomfortable: Vlad blackmails his aunt into sex, and he might as well have been ordering a pizza. Even when the hormones are flowing, the expressions are absolutely flat.

Honestly, the acting plays well with the cinematography, making those long shots of incredibly long hallways and graceless, oversized architecture feel even more depressing. The directors' aim was to capture the hopelessness of the last days of the Soviet Union in all its soul-crushing lack of glory, and they succeeded brilliantly.

On a meta level, Tamara comes across as the physical stand-in for Russia herself. She's beautiful, aloof, attainable but ultimately un-possessable. Even when she betrays them or walks away from them, they don't want her death. It's almost as if she exists outside their grasp, and part of the reason they're all so obsessed with her is that untouchability.

Overall (minus the sex scenes) I really did enjoy this movie. It has a level of subtext that isn't anywhere near the trite "hit them in the face" motifs of Hollywood. It's a thinking person's movie, beautifully shot and interestingly written, with twists you kind of see coming but are so slow in arriving that you're surprised after all.

Without giving away the ending... I will point out that when an old KGB general with nothing left to lose takes you up on a cliffside to talk about how he met his wife and that she'd been acting in a Shakespearean adaptation... well, let's just say that the choice of Desdemona from Othello was deliberate on the part of the filmmakers and leave it at that.

This isn't a child friendly movie at all, but if you're into foreign films, or even if you're not, No-One is definitely worth a spot on your watch list.

Good Little Indie Film

[kingwolf-53055 · 6/10 · 24 November 2022]

This film has beautiful cinematography. It's apparent that the director and the rest of the filmmakers put a lot of love into this movie. In the beginning, the opening shots are breathtaking. We get pictures of the city back to back showing you where the location of the movie is going to be. Then the costume design is amazing. They really did a good job of letting you know what era the film will take place in. The script was well-written too. Not the best in my opinion but for a small indie film, it did just fine. I mean the film did win Best Feature Film and Best Cinematography at the Vienna Independent Film Festival, so it must have done something right.

If perhaps you didn't read the description of the movie beforehand, this movie is a drama. It's also set in another language so you'll have to read subtitles. The storyline is set with four characters. A general named Oleg, his wife Tamara, Vlad, and Vlad's lover. They all hate each other for their own little reasons and you find out some of them as the movie continues. The film has a ton for the movie where it's set in the final days before the collapse of the soviet union but it doesn't go into much detail other than that. That's more just there for some background context, the main part of the film is dealing with these four characters and their rocky relationship with each other. There are heavy sex scenes in this film so be vary if you are not into that kind of stuff. The film has a lot of twists to it that I honestly wasn't expecting. At the start of the movie, it's foreshadowed to us that someone has betrayed Oleg in a way. I didn't want to go into spoilers but it's hard not to with this movie. If you don't want the movie spoiled for you then stop reading here and just go to the last paragraph I write.

The general's wife Tamara, who is a famous actress, has multiple affairs throughout the movie. A lifeguard and the general's nephew Vlad. While Tamara is no longer in her younger days we see that this doesn't deter both men from wanting her. We'll start with Vlad first. At the start of the film, Vlad is walking with his uncle Oleg and you find out he's the director of a new film. Tamara and another actor are in Vlad's new film. Vlas starts out as a nice guy in the beginning but the more you watch the more you realize just how scummy he is. Vlad's girlfriend Zina is the daughter of a party boss. I did feel bad for Zina since all of Vlad's actions ended up just hurting her and being a side character in the movie. The general doesn't notice his wife's infidelity due to him being busy all the time dealing with the coup overtaking Soviet Russia. We get scenes of this throughout the film. We even see lower-level KGB officers.

Towards the end, the movie starts to take a dark turn and becomes gruesome in a way. The general goes on a killing spree which tricks you into thinking he may have just gone crazy with rage. I wouldn't blame him either. He found out his wife cheated on his wife his nephew and the lifeguard from the film, plus this is Russia after all. Oleg kills both the lifeguard and his nephew. I say it turned gruesome in the end because he cuts off his nephew's head and puts it on a platter. If you're not used to that kind of stuff then I can see how it would affect some people. The general kills the lifeguard after giving him a speech. It was sad to watch as Oleg went into the water and basically ended up killing himself. He lost everything pretty much towards the end of the movie.

Overall I would give the movie 6.5 out of 10 stars. It's not the best film I've ever seen but it's also not the worse. The movie remains intriguing to me even after I watched it. It might be confusing to some people who don't watch foreign films and I'll admit some parts of the film are confusing at times. There were some scenes I had to rewatch to understand more but it's still a good little indie film. I recommend people go watch it and give it a chance.

Chekhov meets Cabaret

[saricaine-97541 · 7/10 · 24 November 2022]

This slow thriller written and directed by Vladimir Prudkin and Lev Prudkin reads like a futuristic Cabaret. All the elements for pre WWII Berlin are in place here: the spies, the characters who are constantly performing, the depravity, the helplessness of its participants, shot with an unsympathetic understated metallic reserve.

Taking place on the precipice and then during the collapse of the USSR in 1991, the plot centers around the story of one family, also at war.

"If I lose today, I'll win tomorrow." One of the family members remarks tonelessly playing a game of cards with two women, one his fiance, and the other his Aunt (not by blood) as the world around them collapses.

The crux of the action takes place on the Crimean Peninsula where various members of the family gather in the Chekhovian countryside as the tanks also gather (unseen) on the city streets, one of the most powerful family members remarking in a monotone: "I am incognito."

The cinematography is impeccable, the set design as well, and the acting is strong. Overall the story, couched in metaphor, is almost too understated to be fully satisfying but it builds towards its final destination.

Intriguing and full of Revenge!

[LawS-G · 6/10 · 28 November 2022]

The film gives an authentic and rustic feel with a slow start but wonderful ending. As the Soviet Union diminishes the main character's plans, he takes revenge and executes his plan with the help of his former subordinates. The way he planned and carried out his revenge is what really pulled me into the movie. At first, I didn't understand Oleg's motives as it seemed as if he was so defeated by the fall of the empire that nothing mattered, until his plans started to unfold. I thought the movie had a few spontaneous and irrelevant scenes that did not go together. A few scene transitions seemed out of place and confusing. I didn't quite understand if the events were happening in the present or past but after watching it a second time, the scenes helped portray the carefree lifestyles of many during that time and Oleg's motivation. Overall, the movie was intriguing and even though it's not what I prefer watching usually, I think its originality and portrayal of the events worked well for a one of a kind experience.

A little slow but artistic and interesting

[jolenesevilleva · 8/10 · 17 November 2022]

This wasn't what I expected, but it was an interesting movie. I love history and since I don't know much about Russia or the attempted coup of 1991 I was excited to learn more about it. I went into this expecting it to be more focused on the events of the time and maybe a fictional telling of events leading up to it. I didn't expect a fictional story mostly unrelated to the coup.

The film opens with a Star Wars type scene with important information scrolling up the screen. It explains what was going on at the time this movie takes place in regards to the Soviet Union and an attempted coup. It then moves into a kind of weird dance/sex scene, which already threw me off since I expected this to be more related to the actual historic events. But it's quickly made clear that the true life events of the time are kind of the background of this story.

It honestly started pretty slow for my liking. The long scene between Oleg and Vlad at the beginning felt like it was dragging. Oleg was talking but at the same time felt like he wasn't really saying anyway. They are uncle and nephew but do they even like each other? Are they enemies? What are these vague threats? This scene really set the pace for the rest of the movie. What I would call a slightly confusing slow burn. At times it felt so slow it was almost hard to follow what was going on. Scenes like Tamara and the lifeguard talking at the beach felt very stiff and unnatural. I felt secondhand awkwardness from their interaction.

The cast of characters isn't exceptionally large. A few main characters and a handful of side characters. But none of them are really likable and on their own not particularly interesting. Oleg fascinated me the most and scenes with him were the most exciting and drew my attention. I looked forward to the moment he returned to the screen. He is certainly not a likable character. He isn't nice or pleasant. But he's kind of scary and a hard ass and when he is around we're getting more focus on the coup which I was obviously very interested in. When he was in a scene I almost expected him to snap at any moment and just start stabbing people. He has a very intense energy even through the screen and even though he often looks fairly unassuming you know he is not someone to mess with. Ultimately, he did not disappoint me at the end of the movie.

It seems like everyone is sleeping with everyone, which will obviously lead to problems. I understand it as a plot point, and the affairs themselves were important to the story. But the sex scenes felt off to me. I'm not opposed to these types of scenes in a film in general but for me, it kind of detracted from the rest of what was happening. Almost like I was watching two different movies. They felt almost out of place and even the cinematography in those scenes was so much different than the rest of the movie. I think they could've been blended better into the rest of the movie and it wouldn't have felt so jarring when you get to them.

The cinematography was lovely and even though I wasn't totally loving the story, the film was nice to watch. A few scenes felt a little like they didn't belong or were unnecessary. Short cuts of random things. But as a whole, the film itself is a beautiful piece of art. The sets and costumes were beautiful without being over the top. And the scenery was also absolutely gorgeous! Lovely beaches and forests. The set and music gave a lot of the movie a vintage detective movie feel which I really enjoyed! The black and white footage at the end was really heartbreaking and interesting.

Also, it's a small thing but there were a couple of small typos in the sub-titles. Spaces missing between words, that kind of thing. It didn't prevent me from understanding but if things like that bother you you will notice.

All in all, it was a pretty good movie. I enjoyed the story itself I'm just not sure it was executed in the best way.

Not What I Expected

[Mark_V114 · 6/10 · 13 December 2022]

No-One is an art house movie that does a lot of telling versus showing. The tone is set by the long opening narration that could be done with a series of photos and actual footage over the opening credits instead. I wanted to like the movie, but I just couldn't find anyone to root for. Ultimately, I never connected with anyone and couldn't tell if there was supposed to be a main character. At times, the cinematography was visually impactful, but it was inconsistent due to editing.

There were plenty of soliloquies while the actors stared into the camera to simulate experiencing a play. That added a little character to the film, but the dialogue wasn't compelling enough for me to enjoy the trick.

For the characters, there was a lack of growth; no arcs. Everyone does what was expected of them based on their introductions in the movie. The sleazy guy stays sleazy up through the end. The cheater cheats, the spy spies, the killer kills. There is a severe lack of emotion throughout that seems to be on purpose. Unfortunately, it backfires in the viewer not making any connections to the characters. And when the lack of emotion comes to a breaking point, the outbursts seem melodramatic by comparison.

Demise of Stalinist Russia and life saga as seen thru Oleg

[cdorney-35037 · 9/10 · 27 November 2022]

The 2022 film, No=One probes minds about the fallen Stalinist regime during Vladimir Putin's current war against Ukraine. Set on the shores and in the mountainous regions of Crimea, "NO- one " negates reminders about the demise of Stalin's empire as the powerful message comes to life by Ukrainian Producers and writers, Lev and Vladimir Prudkin sharing production credits by Israelis and Russians who contributed to art, camera and post- production. KGB Generals and comrades, eloquently portrayed by Vyacheslav Zholobov, as Oleg Sergeyevich surpassed hopes of the crumbled Stalinist regime with the symbolic and evocative plot outlaying betrayal, revenge, and loss in war and personal saga with unease casting shadows in murder, adultery and subtleties of Satanism.

The film's beginning builds the hopes of Oleg and his loyalty to Communist founders as he threatens his nephew Vlad, played by George Marchenko to affiliate his views as a diplomat and artist. Uncle Oleg, likening his artistic flare, shares his idea to cast his famous actress and wife as Queen Margot in a play about her marriage to a French King. Vlad acknowledges the attempt at intimacy as both men prepare for travels to Crimea in possible war threats and engagement in Crimea. Both actors evoke feelings about the war with ease as Vlad ends the scene with an act of rebellion declaring his Uncle's antics a threat. The scene sets the stage perfectly for audience awareness of plot and knowledge about characters to enter later. Vlad demonstrates early volatility while the elder uncle gets his point across in a shadier demeanor.

Oleg's wife and famous actress introduced earlier as a dancer, unbeknownst to viewers as Tamara, Oleg's wife and instead used as a beautiful intro finally debuts as she has already stayed in Crimea and performed duties as an actress. It becomes clear soon that she also plays adulterer to a younger male and lifeguard as an awkward scene amongst Sasha, her lover and his peers depicts pretty and youthful-looking Tamara as scorned and jealous. Unfazed, Sasha promises a tryst and nephew Vlad appears in Crimea to celebrate girlfriend Zina's birthday. The furtive Vlad uncovers the romance by taping the affair between Tamara, played by Nataliya Vdovina and sending it by the receptionist to Oleg as he arrives in Crimea August 19 as the time of the film is set at summer's end.

Oleg engages in different entanglements with shared believers in old Russia known as comrades. Oleg, along with portrayed comrades make derogatory remarks about all who fail the regime and show determination to annihilate Crimeans. Meanwhile, Vlad entices Tamara to fornicate in a forest denying incest by disassociation from blood relations. Oleg later discovers this affair in the midst of many affairs as he had sought Evan, an old KGB officer to watch over Tamara and Vlad for protective reasons. As Oleg and the comrades lose support amongst intelligence, their dream of capturing Crimea dissipates. It is their hatred alone for all opposed to the regime which surfaces through the film. This upset renders Oleg with revenge for his marriage failures and he retaliates in a peculiar and quite demonic manner. Uneasiness must be warned to the audience as Oleg's demeanor and malevolent acts are played out towards Vlad and Sasha, played by Dima Sova.

Symbolism is sure to envelope the film as the Ludkin's allude to a cold, steel knife used by Aztecs to behead enemies. As Aztec culture disintegrated, Oleg's use of the knife seeking his comfortable method of revenge serves the dual purpose of capturing the demise of the U. S. S. R. and the tragic personal loss as the retaliatory process played with ease by character Oleg is inevitably a normal response as the audience writhes witnessing the detached, callous and demonic General. After the final scene plays out a dramatic, twisted exchange between Oleg and Sasha, Oleg again defers to the knife equating imminent death with proximity to the Aztec knife. Angrily and deranged, Oleg punctures the ground for the knife's placement adamantly symbolizing death in a very transparent form. As Sasha's white shirt alters, Oleg comments on color, possibly making implications to the Mensheviks in the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. The film's last scene shows the Bolshevik Revolution in the midst of WWI. The film's creators place Vladimir Putin with old regime leaders, obviously symbolizing the leader's desire to lead similarly to Lenin and Stalin. One dying concept in modern society's desire for governance leaves viewers to wonder if the Producers are demonstrating a distaste for Putin's current actions in the Ukraine.

In conclusion, the film was very entertaining, dramatic and understated. Its length was timely as I, as a viewer awaited more drama and entertainment. The message was presented creatively, and its symbolism was forthright enough to understand. The film's entrance to the movie industry is right on time with current events and the havoc Putin is causing to the dismay of the majority. I have already recommended the movie to whomever I converse and continue to give it an overwhelming thumbs up.