The Return (aka Vozvrashcheniye)

(in Russian with English subtitles)

Directed by Andrei Zvyagintsev

The Return is a dark and depressing but powerful drama about two boys whose father returns after more than a decade of absence. The boys react differently to their father – which reveals things about their different personalities. The father is an enigma – information about him drips out in very small doses leaving the viewer a challenge: figure out what is going on with him. The three go on a camping trip and then… I’m not going to say any more about the story except that it is wildly unpredictable and very unusual. I also liked the cinematography – some very interesting shots and beautiful exteriors of rural Russia. Warning: this is a very sad movie – just so Russian! -- so don’t expect everything to be all perky-Hollywood at the end. I also found it uniquely thought-provoking.

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