Sergei Makovetsky Movies
- 2007
A gambler learns the hard way that you can con a con man in this period comedy adapted from a story by Nikolai Gogol. Luciano (Giuliano di Capua) is a smooth-talking Italian card shark who finds he's not welcome among the upper crust at home when he's unable to pay his gambling debts. Sneaking into Russia, Luciano is looking to make some fast money and thinks he's found a jackpot when he ends up in a card game with three men (Sergei Garmash, Sergei Makovetsky and Andrei Merzlikin) from a small village in the steppes. Luciano is smart enough to realize that his would-be victims know a thing or two about cards, and when they propose he join them for a confidence game in which the mark is a wealthy salesman, he's more than willing to sign on. However, while Luciano still imagines his new partners are half-bright rubes, the Russians are willingly living up to every negative stereotype about the peasant class in order to get the best of the unsuspecting gambler. Russkaya Igra (aka The Russian Game) received its American premiere at the 2007 New York Russian Film Week Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sergei Garmash, Sergei Makovetsky, (more)
- 2000
In this sequel to the 1997 comedy The Brat (a major hit in its native Russia), Chechen war veteran-turned-gangster Danila (Sergei Bodrov, Jr.) meets up with a few of his Army buddies while appearing on a TV chat show about the conflict. One of Danila's pals mentions that his brother, who has moved to the United States and is enjoying a career as a hockey player, is having a cash-flow problem, and wants to know if Danila can help him. Danila promises to see what he can do, but when he gets back to his friend, Danila discovers he's been killed under mysterious circumstances. Convinced something fishy is going on, Danila and his brother Victor (Victor Sukhorukov) head to Chicago to find his friend's brother in hopes of finding out the truth; however, they quickly make a mess of things. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sergei Bodrov Jr., Viktor Sukhorukov, (more)
- 2000
Aleksandr Proshkin directs this historic epic, which is full of complex intrigue, doomed lovers, and shots of the icy Russian landscape. Drawing from two of Alexandr Pushkin's most beloved works, The Captain's Daughter and A History of Pugachev, the film opens with young cadet Pyotr Grinyov (Mateusz Damiecki) trekking off to his remote compound after Empress Catherine II (Olga Antonova) has her husband Peter killed. On the rookie soldier's journey, he lends his fur coat to runaway Emelian Pugachev (Vladimir Mashkov), who soon believes that young Pyotr is in fact Tsar Peter III. Later at the fortress, Pyotr finds himself competing with his fellow soldiers for the attention of Masha (Karolina Gruszka), the gorgeous daughter of the fort's commanding officer, while Pugachev masses rebel forces against the fort. This film was screened at the 2000 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Jonathan Crow, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vladimir Mashkov
- 1998
Alexlei Balabanov (Brother) directed this period film, set in turn-of-the-century St. Petersburg, where a middle-class family and an upper-class family both become intertwined with pornographic photographer Johann (Sergei Makovetsky). Dr. Stasov (Alexandr Mezentsev) treats railroad engineer Radlov (Igor Shibanov). Johann takes an interest in the doctor's maid (Tatyana Polonskaya) and Radlov's daughter (Dinara Drukarova), Johann's sister Grunya (Darya Lesnikova) is Radlov's mistress, Johann is thwarted in his lust for Lisa -- until Grunya takes over Radlov's estate after the engineer's death. Filmed with a tint to resemble sepia photographs of the period. Shown in the Directors Fortnight section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sergei Makovetsky, Dinara Drukarova, (more)
- 1998
Set in contemporary Moscow, this comedy drama from 72-year-old director Pyotr Todorovsky (father of director Valeri Todorovsky) is a remake of Abram Room's controversial silent film Bed and Sofa (1927). Actor Sergei (Sergei Makovetsky) leaves his wife and drops in on friend Kostya (Yevgeni Sidikhin), married to Rita (Elena Yakovleva). Rita and Sergei pair off after Kostya goes away on a business trip, and when Kostya returns, they become a threesome. Shown at the 1998 Berlin Film Festival. ~ Bhob Stewart, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Yelena Yakovleva, Sergei Makovetsky, (more)
- 1997
Ukrainian filmmaker Kira Muratova offers a darkly comical look at everyday cruelty in these three savage tales. The first, "Boiler Room No. 6" is based on a story by Yevgeny Golubenko and takes place with in a blue-tinted boiler room where a panic-stricken resident of a communal apartment has dragged the body of his neighbor, a young woman he killed over an argument about a bar of soap. There he beseeches the talkative poet, who tends the massive furnace, to help him dispose of the body. The nearly surreal "Ophelia," the second story, centers on the vengeance of the title woman, a blonde beauty who works in a maternity hospital. One day she sneaks into a records room and learns the names of every mother in town who has given a baby up for adoption. Ophelia was one of these babies and she is still angry. She finds one of the mothers and strangles her. She then finds her own biological mother and pushes her off a dock. The third vignette, "The Maiden and Death" follows a winsome little girl who tires of being constantly admonished by her well-meaning, but wearisome, paralyzed grandfather. He says the word "no" once too often and she retaliates by slipping rat poison into his tea. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1994
In this ironic Russian drama, a man's thoughts of revenge turn to thoughts of reconciliation as he comes to know his intended victim a little better. The story is set in contemporary Russia following the destruction of the Communist regime. Nikolai is a slightly shady but successful businessman; he and his brand new wife are happily honeymooning on a train when he suddenly recognizes the sleeping car attendant as Oleg, the judge who gave him seven years for black-market trading during the Soviet era. The still angry Nikolai immediately begins plotting revenge against Oleg. He first feigns friendship with Oleg and ends up renting a room in the ex-judge's house. Then he gets Oleg a part-time job at one of his warehouses. Once Oleg trusts him, Nikolai has the town tart crawl into the older man's bed so that his wife will find Oleg in a compromising position. The ploy works and she leaves him. Later Nikolai plans to have Oleg take the fall for a warehouse robbery. But no matter what he does, Oleg is happy and when he finally recognizes Nikolai, he explains his reasons for having to send him to prison even though he did not want to. Nikolai slowly begins to respect the judge and then changes his mind about having his ex-cell mate kill Oleg. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sergei Makovetsky, Igor Livanov, (more)
- 1994
This provocative Russian drama provides a disturbing examination of the post revolutionary values and philosophies of the country as a poet must decide which has more importance: his poetry, or his gun? The film's title has a double meaning. Makarov is the protagonist's name, but is it is also the name of a powerful Russian handgun. Makarov, the main character, is a poet suffering from writer's block. On his way home one night he encounters a black market arms dealer who asks if he'd like to buy a Makarov. The poet pays all of the money he received from his latest poetry volume, 10,000 rubles for the gun. He must now conceal the gun from his family. At home his wife reads him a poem about a bullet. Makarov hides the gun. Throughout the film, other characters continue to recite poems about guns, and this causes Makarov to look deeply at his values. Eventually the gun wins. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Sergei Makovetsky, Jelena Majorova, (more)
- 1992
In this free-wheeling drama, dozens of little dramas center around an affair between the wife of an NKVD official and a baggage handler she has met. The woman, a former aristocrat, is relatively safe in Moscow in 1930, even though Joseph Stalin is running the country since she is married to a member of his secret police (the NKVD). Her husband's unit has been ordered to train a feisty black stallion for the Red Army commander to ride on parade. Hopeless love and aberrant sexuality seems to be a secondary theme, as one story concerns a lawyer who has fallen in love with his praying-mantis-type client, a woman who kills her bedmates. Another story concerns a poet who has fallen in love with a ballerina who cannot accord his affection the kind of response he desires, which makes him suicidal. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alexander Feklistov, Ute Lemper, (more)
- 1990
In this drama, a directing debut of the popular Russian actor Leonid Filatov, the actors at a Moscow repertory theater company react with ever-increasing activism to the news that their company is to be closed down by the government. One of the rep company's directors committed the cardinal sin of defecting during an international tour. At first, the members of the company simply lodge their protests with the bureaucrat who is responsible for the order of closure. When this doesn't move him, they resort to attempts to seduce him and then blackmail him. Still, he will not relent. They finally try a hunger strike. This film is based on a true story. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Vladimir A. Ilyin, Alexander Abdulov, (more)
