Good but slow

Rating: 7/10 (20 March 2016)

Child 44 was a good movie. Not great though it could have been. I found it a bit too long and plodding. Acting by Tom Hardy and Gary Oldman was effective and Noomi Rapace was better than in other movies I've seen her in. (I loved her as Lisbeth Salander, and she was good in Prometheus but in subsequent movies just so so). The story drew me in. The ending was a bit too pat, too Hollywoodish for me with the fight and deaths. The costume and set design was wonderful. The portrayal of 1950's Russia looked cold, wet, dirty and bleak. Clothes, besides some official's uniforms, were worn and faded. It looked very realistic. I would watch a sequel if one was made. The characters of Leo and Raisa Demidov and General Nesterov were portrayed as complex personalities that warrant further investigation. The movie is listed as a thriller but I would disagree with that label. There was not enough action for a thriller. It is more of a murder intrigue where the story unfolds slowly, a bit too slowly I think. Anyway it is worth a watch. I wish I had read the book before seeing the movie.