Historical Film Noir in the USSR

Rating: 10/10 (21 September 2016)

Forget the low ratings,as this is an excellent movie. It's kind of like Film Noir with the flavor of historical Russia. It was set in 1953 and that is interesting as that is the year Stalin died. So, eventually, after his death, this is when the USSR began to loosen up a little bit without Stalin's craziness ruling over everybody and ruining many people's lives. So the characters change as in all drama, and the country is going to be in the throes of change as well.
The combination of a detective thriller with the political repression of that period is brilliant, I think. It really gives you a two-track story. It has been said that all drama is about how a character changes as the story moves along. Truly Dickensonian in that sense.(I like Dickens)
OK, the acting is great. Tom Hardy, of course. He is the new Gary Oldman as he can play anything. It is ironic, or is it?, that Gary Oldman is also in the movie. Noomi Rapace. Can't beat the Dragon Tattoo lady. She says very little and says so much. Joel Kinnaman always a favorite, the hipster cop from The Killing.
This movie was definitely "my cup of tea", to the letter.
So you combine great writing with terrific acting, and I think you got something there!