Product: The Trotsky
Rating: 5.0
Wonderful
This is a wonderfully dark comedy about a Canadian teenager who genuinely thinks he is the reincarnation of Lev Davidovitch Bronstein, better known as Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky. He imposes his own reality on those around him, much to their frustration, but no one can deny his determination. He's a one-man wrecking ball who won't take no for an answer. Trotsky's first wife was called Alexandra and was 10 years older than him. So when our teenager meets a 27-year-old woman called Alexandra, he pursues her with enormous energy. He infuriates his father so much that he's pulled out of his expensive private school and sent to a west Montreal high school, where he angers the strict new headmaster by insisting the students be allowed to create a union. The film cracks along and there is a regular supply of laughs -- forget those who say you need an understanding of the Russian Revolution to really appreciate what's happening. The climax of the film, where the young Trotsky learns whether his attempts to unionise the school, descends into something of a cliche. That said, the director recovers his touch and "The Trotsky" ends on a delightful tone. This is one of the best films I've seen this year.