It's hard to understate how impressive it is to take a subject that bores me to tears and make it a gripping thriller. Of course, it helps that the real-life story is equally mind-boggling: In order to acquire the rights for the video game Tetris, Dutch businessman Henk Williams mortgaged his house, risked trouble with the KGB, and was initially dependent on a company that was actively trying to screw him. When he finally broke free and secured the rights with the Nintendo company, he realized he didn't have the rights because he was lied to.
Although it's easy to root for him in retrospect, movies like these often overlook that these bold risk takers simply can't be classified as responsible adults. I'd love to see a deleted scene between Henk and his financial advisor, where he tells him how this is the opposite of the kind of investments he should be making.
The film comes with ready-made villains in a rich heir to a rival company (seems kind of spoiled with privilege) and the KGB. It also doesn't require much suspension of disbelief that this was the strict reality of the KGB at the time. Sofya Lebedeva plays a honey pot of sorts who sneaks up on the protagonist (and the audience) with her allure.
Tetris is the kind of film you never knew could exist based on what's on paper. Who knew that a film about intellectual property rights could be so sexy and fast-paced?
Although it's easy to root for him in retrospect, movies like these often overlook that these bold risk takers simply can't be classified as responsible adults. I'd love to see a deleted scene between Henk and his financial advisor, where he tells him how this is the opposite of the kind of investments he should be making.
The film comes with ready-made villains in a rich heir to a rival company (seems kind of spoiled with privilege) and the KGB. It also doesn't require much suspension of disbelief that this was the strict reality of the KGB at the time. Sofya Lebedeva plays a honey pot of sorts who sneaks up on the protagonist (and the audience) with her allure.
Tetris is the kind of film you never knew could exist based on what's on paper. Who knew that a film about intellectual property rights could be so sexy and fast-paced?