This is a long movie, with poor editing that creates a distracting choppiness. But its premise is intriguing. Based on the first novel in a trilogy by Tom Rob Smith, the film takes place in 1950s Russia during the Stalin era. Security officer Leo Demidov (Tom Hardy) is demoted and exiled with his wife Raisa (Noomi Rapace) when he refuses to denounce her as a traitor. With the help of his new commander, Gen. Timur Nesterov (Gary Oldman), and Raisa, he throws himself into investigating a series of child murders that the government is covering up as accidents. Its position is there are no murders in paradise. Demidov’s compassion and desire to protect those he loves make him an endearing character despite the monsters who surround him. And while the film is dark and gloomy for many reasons (its setting, its grim storyline and its sense that not much has changed), it also conveys a message of hope by showing that love can emerge out of even the most dire circumstances.
Should You See It? Wait for the DVD.
Viewed at Wehrenberg Des Peres 14 Cine
