Presents a New Landscape, but Barely Tolerable with its Muddled Stories

Rating: 6/10 (11 September 2015)

The Movie, Based on Real-Life but Time Shifted Backwards a couple of Decades, is about a Serial Killer of Children in Russia during a Time when it was Said that "There are no murders in paradise."
The Combination of Political Representations, Gloomy and Dank befits the Harsh and Cold Soviet Winters, with a "Police" Procedural might seem to be a fit worth Filming. But Here it is with a Sloppy Hand that the Story is Told.
Confusing and Bewildering at Times, the Movie Never Finds the Right Footing and it Wanders around the Landscape with many Profound Pronunciations that are Rarely Followed-Up or Clearly Presented.
The Whole Movie is Wildly Washed Out and Never Narrative Satisfying. A lot of It doesn't make a whole lot of Sense and there are Abrupt Transitions that Come Out of Nowhere.
Things seem Hopeless and then There is a sudden Rescue that could only come from Script Contrivances, like the Ending Switch when Tom Hardy and Nomi Raice finally Finding Their Suspect and what Transpires in those Final Scenes is Beyond Believable.
The Film has a Downbeat Appeal as it Showcases the Time and Place focusing on a Brutal Police State doing Their Worst to Citizens Trapped in Squalor and Paranoia. How Much of this is an Actual Representation of the Majority of Souls at the Time is Currently Debatable. Gary Oldman is mostly Wasted with Little Screen Time.
Solely as a Movie and a strictly Engaging Set Up and Story, it Misses much but Delivers enough to make it Worth a Frustrating Watch. The Pursuit of the Child Killer is Not Handled very Well, and the Life Situations told from the State and the Citizen's Point of View is mildly Intriguing but both are Mishandled to Distraction.
The Movie's biggest Strength is presenting a Crime and Political Story in a Setting that seems New and it is that Milieu that makes the other Shortcomings Watchable and Tolerable.