To many in the West, Russia is one of the bad guys of the film industry. Hard-nosed KGB types are reliably cast as stock villains in mainstream fare, but the country's piracy problems are perhaps more troubling to the businessmen of Hollywood. But Russia's own burgeoning film industry has been gaining confidence for several years, with breakouts like Timur Bekmambetov's action adventure Night Watch achieving a modicum of success outside Europe. Bekmambetov has already made the leap to Los Angeles, where he directed James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie in forthcoming blockbuster Wanted. Meanwhile, budgets and ambition are on the rise in Moscow. Director Andrei Borisov has come to the Cannes Film Festival with an ambitious epic based on Genghis Khan, the Mongol warrior who built a vast 13th Century empire. (...) Despite the majestic sweep of the film's locations and the intense battle scenes, the film may prove to be a difficult sell outside Russia - not least because its dialogue is a mixture of nine Turkic languages. But its presence in Cannes is a convincing sign that Russian film-makers are ready to take their place on the world stage
Hard-nosed KGB types are reliably cast as stock villains in mainstream fare, but the country's piracy problems are perhaps more troubling to the businessmen of Hollywood.
But Russia's own burgeoning film industry has been gaining confidence for several years, with breakouts like Timur Bekmambetov's action adventure Night Watch achieving a modicum of success outside Europe.
Bekmambetov has already made the leap to Los Angeles, where he directed James McAvoy and Angelina Jolie in forthcoming blockbuster Wanted.
Meanwhile, budgets and ambition are on the rise in Moscow.
Director Andrei Borisov has come to the Cannes Film Festival with an ambitious epic based on Genghis Khan, the Mongol warrior who built a vast 13th Century empire.
(...)
Despite the majestic sweep of the film's locations and the intense battle scenes, the film may prove to be a difficult sell outside Russia - not least because its dialogue is a mixture of nine Turkic languages.
But its presence in Cannes is a convincing sign that Russian film-makers are ready to take their place on the world stage
It is reportedly a big success in Japan (and the two Mongolian sumo grand champions watched it) - no doubt thanks to a Japanese actor playing the main character. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
I can't find Brother 2 at all! No place has it for rent. And the places selling it only have it in PAL format and without subtitles.
I'd be happy if I could rent it without subtitles. But not buy it, and certainly not in some problematic format. gah. "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
BTW, I just now realised that the main character of Brat - as well as Prisoner of the Caucasus - is THE SON of the director of Prisoner of the Caucasus! Heh. *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
I see Oleg Menchikov is in Prisoner of the Caucasus (called Prisoner of the Mountains here.) I do like Oleg Menchikov... "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
called Prisoner of the Mountains here
Hm. All I can think of as a reason, did some stupid distributor thought potential viewers would be even more geographically stupid than him?... *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
Bodrov is the real-life father of the actor in Brother, right? I am seriously bummed to hear about his death... "Pretending that you already know the answer when you don't is not actually very helpful." ~Migeru.
Apparently, it was a truly trans-Eurasian project, with actors also from Mongolia, China and Japan; it had German co-producers and lots of crew, the score was by a Finn, one cameraman was Dutch... *Lunatic*, n. One whose delusions are out of fashion.
