Balabanov's Brother 1 and 2 were hailed as one of the most innovative Russian thrillers ever. Unfortunately, "Zhmurki" (Blind Man's Bluff) fails to live up to that same level of achievement despite its talented, visible cast and some colorful characters - always a Balabanov strength.
The two main leads are interesting, with Dyuzhev's character being an effective blend of Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver and Dim from Clockwork Orange, while Panin is the classical Balabanov thriller hero (Bodrov, Chadov), here in a more sinister incarnation.
The first half of the film moves effectively and is interesting, with Mikhailkov providing some good laughs. The second half gets heavily bogged down in one scenario where we begin to see certain thematic and character nods to Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs (i.e. psychopathic behavior set to a pop soundtrack, the lodged bullet, the 'wolf'/accidental medic, and the suitcase belonging to the big boss), with Balabanov's stylistic spin on them. Unlike Tarantino or Scorsese, Balabanov's static use of the camera adds to the boredom in the second half, and it's only thanks to the music that we get some movement.
As with other Balabanov films, there is social commentary, esp. the way Stalin's figure is tied into the criminal world. However, it is not as effective as with some of his other films, e.g. Brother 2, War, It Doesn't Hurt Me, and Stoker.
Overall, when compared to the Brother films, this is a disappointment, though it will entertain if you don't come to it with the same elevated expectations.
The two main leads are interesting, with Dyuzhev's character being an effective blend of Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver and Dim from Clockwork Orange, while Panin is the classical Balabanov thriller hero (Bodrov, Chadov), here in a more sinister incarnation.
The first half of the film moves effectively and is interesting, with Mikhailkov providing some good laughs. The second half gets heavily bogged down in one scenario where we begin to see certain thematic and character nods to Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs (i.e. psychopathic behavior set to a pop soundtrack, the lodged bullet, the 'wolf'/accidental medic, and the suitcase belonging to the big boss), with Balabanov's stylistic spin on them. Unlike Tarantino or Scorsese, Balabanov's static use of the camera adds to the boredom in the second half, and it's only thanks to the music that we get some movement.
As with other Balabanov films, there is social commentary, esp. the way Stalin's figure is tied into the criminal world. However, it is not as effective as with some of his other films, e.g. Brother 2, War, It Doesn't Hurt Me, and Stoker.
Overall, when compared to the Brother films, this is a disappointment, though it will entertain if you don't come to it with the same elevated expectations.