As you've probably surmised, LEVIATHAN is not the film to see if you're in the mood for something fun and uplifting, nor is it for those who crave fast action with lots of dizzying twists and turns. Nevertheless, this film brilliantly incorporates a fairly simple, straightforward plot with a rich variety of complex themes, and while it may seem slow-moving to many, it's truly gripping and full of surprises. It moves at such a natural pace that it often seems slice-of-life, but there remains a solid beginning, middle, and end to this story. Certain key events that most Hollywood films would show in graphic detail are left out of the picture, which will disappoint some viewers; all the same, these omissions serve a definite purpose. With special mention going to Sergey Pokhodaev as young Roma, a truly sympathetic character, the acting by all is as immediate and real as acting can be, which helps to convey the subtle, complex, and ultra-intelligent development of virtually every character here. Without being at all heavy-handed, it espouses certain Christian ideals, skillfully contrasting them with the frequent hypocrisy of the church. LEVIATHAN is obviously no comedy, but it's far from completely humorless. Set and filmed in a small fishing town near Murmansk in northwestern Russia, the scenery is as bleak as most of the film's other elements. But again, this only serves to enhance the sad realism of a film that's not easily forgotten.
Review of Leviathan
