The Fool (2014 film)
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Film poster
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| Directed by | Yuri Bykov |
| Produced by | Alexey Uchitel Kira Saksaganskaya |
| Written by | Yuri Bykov |
| Starring | Artyom Bystrov Boris Nevzorov Natalia Surkova Kirill Polukhin Yuri Tsurilo Darya Moroz Irina Nizina Alexander Korshunov Maxim Pinsker Sergei Artsibashev Olga Samoshina Yelena Panova Ilya Isaev Dmitry Kulitchkov Pyotr Barancheev |
| Music by | Yuri Bykov |
| Cinematography | Kirill Klepalov |
| Edited by | Yuri Bykov |
| Distributed by | Rock Studios Bazelevs Premium Film |
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Release dates
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Running time
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116 minutes[3][4] |
| Country | Russia |
| Language | Russian |
The Fool (Russian: Дурак, translit. Durak) is a 2014 Russian drama film written and directed by Yuri Bykov. It had its international premiere at the 2014 Locarno International Film Festival, where it won the prize for best actor.
This is the third film of writer and director Yury Bykov.
Plot
A Russian plumber, Dima Nikitin, is also a municipal repair-crew chief in an unnamed Russian town that is not yet 40 years old. Some of the city’s housing blocks are already in a grave state of disrepair. A routine burst bathroom pipe in one of the rickety communal housing buildings reveals a much larger problem, as the exterior wall behind the pipe has cracked and started to shift. When Nikitin goes outside to inspect the matter, he realizes the building has fissured from the ground up to the ninth and last floor.
Though it’s not officially part of his district, Dima’s sense of personal responsibility leads him to go in the middle of the night to find and alert the higher-ups. He is alarmed at the prospect of the building splitting in two and crumbling in less than 24 hours. Believing this and for the sake of 800 plus inhabitants are at risk, Dima races to the 50th birthday party of Nina Galaganova, the town’s imperious mayor, to convince her to evacuate the building. He bypasses his direct boss Fedotov, the corrupt inspector of public housing, who applied only a coat of paint the last time he received funds for a major overhaul of his projects. He funneled the money onto work of his daughter's personal residence. Nina conducts an extended, behind-closed-doors meeting with Dima, Fedotov and heads of several other departments, including the fire brigade, Matugin. The feverish gathering takes place in a meeting room next to the hotel restaurant where Nina’s birthday party is in full swing, with loud music filtering into the room.
Nina sends Fedotov and Matugin to assess the damage with Dima. The officials soon accept that the building will indeed fall, and return to report this to the mayor. They all realise that an evacuation of this scale would cause a financial review, and reveal years of embezzlement. Arrangements begin to evacuate the inhabitants, but the mayor calls them off, seeking temporary housing for her residents in a nearby suburb. The manager of the blocks of houses refuses, citing a number of reasons. Bogachyov also threatens her position as the Mayor and reminds her where she is now and how she got there.
Nina with Bogachyov guidance decides to pin the expected building collapse on Fedotov and Matugin. Together with Dima, Fedotov and Matugin are instructed by Sayapin, the police chief that arrangements are being made for evacuation. The trio are put into a police van and taken by subterfuge to meet Galaganova instead they are taken to a remote location on the city outskirts. It becomes clear to them that Galaganova is covering her tracks by eliminating them, to pin the future dilapidation of the building with there disappearance. Fedotov pleads with the policemen to release Dima and they reluctantly agree, instructing him to leave the city with his family immediately. Matugin and Fedotov are shot.
Dima takes his wife and son and drives away, believing that the building is being evacuated. However, as they drive past it, Dima realises that no attempts at evacuation are being made. His wife wants to leave and be safe as a family. Dima, doesn't understand this and asks her to leave him forever. Dima decides to stay even if his life is at stake. She drives away, leaving Dima behind. Kowing Dima's actions his parents feel sorry for him and asks him to forgive them for not equipping him to live with and through the reality of the world.
Early morning, Dima rushes into the building and evacuates the inhabitants one by one, telling them that the building is about to collapse. Eventually, he gets everyone out of the building, but the tenants beat him seeing nothing has happened and return to their flats, leaving him unconscious on the sidewalk.
Cast
- Artyom Bystrov as Dima Nikitin
- Natalia Surkova as Nina Galaganova
- Yuriy Tsurilo as Bogachyov
- Boris Nevzorov as Fedotov
- Kirill Polukhin as Matyugin
- Maksim Pinsker as Sayapin
Reception
The Fool has received generally positive reviews from critics. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a rating of 91%, based on 11 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10.[5] On Metacritic the film has a score of out 83 of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "Universal acclaim".[6]
Awards and Nominations
- Gorin Prize for the Best Script, Open Russian Film Festival Kinotavr in Sochi, 2014 [7]
- Best Actor Leopard, awarded to Artyom Bystrov, Locarno International Film Festival, 2014 [8][9]
- Ecumenical Prize, Locarno International Film Festival, 2014 [8]
- Junior Jury Award, First Prize, Locarno International Film Festival, 2014 [8]
- Atlas d’Argent de la mise en scène (silver prize), Arras Film Festival, 2014 [10][11]
- Audience Choice Award, Arras Film Festival, 2014 [10]
- Young Jury Prize, Arras Film Festival, 2014 [10]
- Flèche de Cristal, Festival de cinéma européen des Arcs, 2014 [12]
- Best Cinematography Prize, awarded to Kirill Klepalov, Festival de cinéma européen des Arcs, 2014 [12]
- Youth Jury Award, Festival de cinéma européen des Arcs, 2014 [12]
- Best Screenplay, Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards, Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, 2015[13]
References
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