Leonid Bronevoy Movies
- 2007
Director Alexei Popogrebsky's grimly sardonic drama Simple Things (AKA Prosty Je Vesci, 2007), joins The Death of Mr. Lazarescu and other recent films that explore the mordant misery of everyday lives in contemporary Eastern Europe. Tyro Sergei Puskepalis stars as Sergei Maslov, a self-centered, manipulative anesthesiologist in his 40s caught deep in the throes of a mid-life crisis. Afraid of adding another member of the family to his small, decrepit flat, he spends his time nagging his pregnant wife, Katya (Svetlana Kamynina) to have an abortion - when he isn't out philandering with a sexy blonde at work. He also extorts money from ailing patients with clever mind games, and eventually accepts a job from a questionable agency, that requires him to make daily check-ups on senior citizens. Eventually, this leads Sergei into a tempestuous rapport with a severely ill, retired actor Vladimir (Leonid Bronevoy) who senses Sergei's economic desperation and strikes an unholy alliance with him: euthanasia, in exchange for a rare and priceless painting that Sergei can sell to generate much needed income. Popogrebsky also authored the original script. ~ Nathan Southern, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sergei Puskepalis, Leonid Bronevoy, (more)
- 1986
- R
This fact-filled biography of the Russian diplomat Georgi Chicherin was released in 1986 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of his death. Chicherin, a Russian aristocrat, was jailed in London not long after the 1917 Revolution. Lenin gets him released and puts him in charge of foreign relations for the new USSR. Chicherin soon finds himself in Italy, hobnobbing with the likes of Lloyd George and the King of Italy (quite a contrast to his stay in prison). Involved in the first signing of a peace accord with Germany, Chicherin has to follow orders even if he personally does not agree with the accord. But at the same time, he put all his efforts into obtaining the accord, and in so doing breaks the diplomatic blockade of his now Communist homeland. Chicherin's career unfolds against a tumultuous historical backdrop. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Leonid Filatov, Leonid Bronevoy, (more)
- 1982
In a series of vignettes, Moscow of the 1950s comes back to life as Konstantin (Mikhail Kozakov, also the director) reminisces as he stands by the Pokrov Gate, thinking about the house he used to live in and his neighbors and friends (the young Konstantin is played by Oleg Menshikov). The post-Stalinist thaw has set in and Moscow had a special aura of relaxation and warmth, as this film illustrates. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Oleg Menshikov, Leonid Bronevoy, (more)
- 1981
Even after years of such films as Rasputin and the Empress and Rasputin: The Mad Monk, the long-awaited Russian film Rasputin (aka Agoniya, which translates to Agony) manages to find freshness and nuance in a familiar story. Alexei Petrenko stars as "mad monk" Rasputin who insinuates himself into the royal court of Czar Nicholas II and Empress Alexandra by seemingly curing crown prince Alexei of his hemophilia. Rasputin's power and despotism grows, as does his capacity for liquor and sex. When a group of nobles set about to assassinate Rasputin, they find that the job is a daunting one: it takes poison, stabbing, gunshots, beatings and finally drowning to eliminate the apparently invulnerable "holy man." Director Elem Klimov took a "docudrama" approach to Rasputin, interspersing color reenactments of historical events with simulated black-and-white newsreel footage. He completed the film in 1975, intending it to be part of the upcoming 60th anniversary celebration of the Soviet Revolution. The Soviet officials declared the film "worthless" and consigned it to the shelf. It was finally shown at the 1981 Moscow Film Festival, then disappeared from sight again, resurfacing internationally in a severely edited version in 1985. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexei Petrenko, Anatoly Romashin, (more)
- 1977
This western was made in the Soviet Union. It follows the attempts of a miner, a reporter, and a nightclub singer to save other gold miners from greedy claim jumpers who have found oil on the miner's land. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Donatas Banionis, Mircea Veroiu, (more)
- 1976
Loosely based on Vladimir Mayakovsky's satirical play about little people with overarching ambitions, this officially sponsored film mixes puppetry, live action and cartoons in order to tell its story. Organized in a highly self-referential style, and created in the form of a story-within-a-story, it tells simultaneously of the auditions for a role in a film, shows the film itself, and mixes in real and made-up documentary clips of a historical nature. Moving from 1920's music in the style of Kurt Weill into a rock-operatic mode, it is a fast-paced melange of symbolism, style, and storytelling. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Galina Volchek, Iya Savvina, (more)
- 1976
At the time Proshu Slova was released, Soviet reviews indicated that the theme of the film was the contrast between the outer events of the main character's life and their inner meaning. With great courage and forbearance, Uvarova (Inna Churikova) endures the death of her son in a shooting accident and attempts to carry on the business of the city, for she is its mayor. Her big project at the moment is to get a bridge constructed to an area where much-needed housing may be built. However, she has run into tremendous local opposition, and feels compelled to take her case to higher authorities. As she carries on the business of the city, flashbacks show her memories of key events in her life. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Inna Churikova, Nikolai Gubenko, (more)
- 1973
One of the most popular Soviet TV miniseries of all time, The Seventeen Moments of Spring is a tale of the heroic exploits of a Russian spy in Germany during the last months of World War II. The movie is a battle of wits rather than a regular glamorized spy fare, with a heavy reliance on dialogues and atmosphere. Vyacheslav Tikhonov is quietly convincing as the leading character but the film's popularity owes a lot to its great supporting cast of which Leonid Bronevoy and Oleg Tabakov stand out. ~ Yuri German, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Leonid Bronevoy, (more)
- 1968
A prominent engineer battles against bureaucratic ineptitude when he recommends a costly project be shelved. His career is put in jeopardy when he attends a meeting in Moscow. He also is troubled because his son wants to quit school to be with an unwed mother. His wife leaves him when she questions his loyalty to the Communist Party ideology. His son elopes with the girl, after the father has searched for his son with the girl's former roommate. The man is somewhat vindicated when at a media conference with the American press his proposals are accepted by an impartial source who blasts the bureaucracy for their over-spending and lack of foresight ~ Dan Pavlides, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Igor Vladimirov, Nikolai Plotnikov, (more)
