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Gorky ParkRating:
Release Date: 19 December, 2000 Retail Price: $14.95 OUR Price: $12.99 You SAVE: $1.96! Cast: Complete Cast (10 total) |
Gorky Park Reviews
First Rate, Bittersweet, Effective
It's winter and three corpses are found in Moscow's Gorky Park. They've had their faces and finger tips carved off. Arkady Renko, an honest, slightly obsessive Russian cop, is assigned to the case. He sets out to identify the bodies by reconstructing their faces, and as he gets closer he finds obstructions in his path. He finds a girl (Joanna Pacula) who was friends of the trio, a wealthy and ruthless American (Lee Marvin), an American cop (Brian Dennehy) out for blood, and more than he probably wants to know about sable coats and the animals they're made from. It becomes clear that corrupt higher-ups are involved in something with greater stakes than solving a triple murder. Hurt and Marvin do great jobs and are well matched.
This is a tight, very well constructed police procedural that is a little exotic, with the cops and functionaries being Russians. It's also a bit gloomy with a bittersweet ending, but it still works as a very watchable film. A lot of the outdoor shots were filmed in Helsinki, and the movie takes place in the winter. The atmosphere looks cold and oppressive. The contrast is striking with the scenes set in a pre-revolutionary bath and an expensive restaurant, both reserved for the use of privileged Soviet officials.
The book, by Martin Cruz Smith, is even better. Apted also directed Enigma, and I like both movies a lot.
Not your typical walk in the park
I remember how this movie got very mixed reviews when it came out. I was always curious about it, but it took me 20+ years to get around to seeing it. When I finally did, I felt that I may as well have waited another 20 years.
Without a doubt, this has to be one of the most boring movies I've ever seen. It seems like every minor point in the plot is dragged out more & more. The plot is very convoluted (to say the least!) and by the end of the film I really didn't care anymore who did what (or why). In short, this was a DVD where I looked FORWARD to the final credits.
The movie basically has 2 "selling points." The first is the shock-value of 3 people not only being murdered but having their faces sliced off. And yes, for those interested, the film-makers milk this grotesque feature of the plot for all it's worth.
The second selling point is Joanna Pacula. She is beautiful and perfect as the Russian girl Irina. I don't know if she has any Russian blood in here, but she's VERY believable portraying a woman in the former Soviet Union. She even sounds Russian. She also looks terrific without her shirt on, but the viewer has to sit thru 2+ hours to get to that part, and it's a very quick scene. (((((((sigh)))))
If you're a die-hard murder mystery fan, this movie might be for you. If you go bonkers over all movies that detail the former Soviet Union, this movie might be worth a look. Otherwise, I'm inclined to think you'll find it to be as big a yawner as I did.
More Customer Reviews (10 total)
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