By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 3 cats
Director: Vladimir Kott
Starring: Aleksei Kravchenko | Alexandr Golubkov | Alexandra Tyuftey | Olga Lapshina
Original language title: Mukha
Country: russia
Year: 2009
Running time: 107
IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1267179/
Bruce says: “Fedor (Aleksei Kravchenko) is a happy man. He and his partner drive large trucks from town to town, drinking vodka and picking up women. Fedor connects with various women everywhere he goes but he also appreciates the occasional quickie. As the film begins, the two men spot a whore in a mini skirt cavorting (for their benefit) near a deserted country bus stop. They stop and she climbs into the cab. Before long the three of them are in a motel where the two men flip to see who goes first. Fedor loses the toss but displays a win some, lose some attitude.
“When they return to home base Fedor gets a letter saying he has a sixteen year old daughter that he knows nothing about. Her mother, one of Fedor’s regular flings of long ago, has recently died. Vera, his daughter has been arrested for assault, robbery, arson and attempted murder. To make matters worse, it is the mayor’s house she has burned to the ground. Fedor decides he has a responsibility and off he goes to meet his daughter. When the two men meet Vera (Alexandra Tyuftey), his partner says ‘She has your eyes.’ Vera replies ‘I have my mother‘s eyes.’ Fedor beams, ‘She has my eyes.’ So he decides to quit the road and stay to take care of his newly found child. That decision does not sit well with Vera.
“Fedor is a man who, unknown to himself, has been searching for love his whole life. He finds it in his daughter. THE FLY starts out well in describing that basic concept but soon develops too many subplots: rival school fights, details involving Vera’s mother’s death, boxing, payoffs to town officials, payoffs to school bullies, classroom challenges, Vera’s romance, father/daughter tensions, and Fedor’s affair with a local woman. What some of the subplots do well is define the extent of corruption and the concomitant futility pervading daily life in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union. Vera’s recalcitrance and misanthropy becomes annoying after a while. But like many Russians, Fedor seems to take his brand of adversity in stride. 3 Cats
“(THE FLY was screened as part of the New Directors/New Films festival sponsored by the Film Society of Lincoln Center and MoMA.)“