The Fool (2014 film)
| The Fool | |
|---|---|
.png) Film poster | |
| Directed by | Yuri Bykov |
| Written by | Yuri Bykov |
| Produced by | Alexey Uchitel Kira Saksaganskaya |
| 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 |
| Cinematography | Kirill Klepalov |
| Edited by | Yuri Bykov |
| Music by | Yuri Bykov |
| Distributed by | Rock Studios Bazelevs Premium Film |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 116 minutes[3][4] |
| Country | Russia |
| Language | Russian |
| Budget | $1.3 million |
The Fool (Template:Lang-ru) 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 the best actor.
This is the third film of writer and director Yury Bykov.
Plot
Dima is a dauntless young plumber surrounded by the adverse effects of his pessimistic family and harshly uncaring community. He lives with his hasty mother, apathetic father, and wife and son. He faces financial struggles while studying and attempting to complete school. When Dima discovers a leaky pipe in a building, he stresses the importance of urgent action. Furthermore, he notices the entire building is tilting.
His compassionate and good-hearted character cannot rest with knowing the inevitable destruction of the building is in the next 24 hours. When he tries to warn the mayor Nina Galaganova, he passes the inspector of public housing Fedotov. They are too intoxicated to understand the severity. They joke around with the validity of Dimas claim, saying he’s probably sleeping with some girl who offered him an apartment. They only become concerned once they realize what others will think of them and how they will lose everything after the destruction. They are hit with the guilt of taking out money for themselves and letting the accidents pile on top of each other until they are faced with the catastrophe of abruptly trying to relocate 600 residents who are slowly killing themselves.
It is only now they realize they’ve fostered an embarrassingly tragic home due to their selfishness. Despite his efforts, no one is evacuating the building. Dima takes matters into his own hands going banging from door to door urging residents to leave before the building collapses. “We live like animals and we die like animals because we are nobodies to each other” Dima stresses to his wife Masha when she refuses to care about the wellbeing of others. Despite his bravery, he gets attacked for disrupting the entire building, as no one believes him or supports his efforts. The final scene is Dima laying in a fetal position after getting punched by arrogant and annoyed residents.
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 93%, based on 14 reviews, with an average rating of 7.7/10.[5] On Metacritic the film has a score of 83 out of 100, based on 7 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[6]
In 2018 users of the Russian movie database KinoPoisk voted it to be the best Russian movie made in the past 15 years.[7]
Awards and nominations
- Gorin Prize for the Best Script, Open Russian Film Festival Kinotavr in Sochi, 2014[8]
- Best Actor Leopard, awarded to Artyom Bystrov, Locarno International Film Festival, 2014[9][10]
- Ecumenical Prize, Locarno International Film Festival, 2014[9]
- Junior Jury Award, First Prize, Locarno International Film Festival, 2014[9]
- Atlas d’Argent de la mise en scène (silver prize), Arras Film Festival, 2014[11][12]
- Audience Choice Award, Arras Film Festival, 2014[11]
- Young Jury Prize, Arras Film Festival, 2014[11]
- Flèche de Cristal, Festival de cinéma européen des Arcs, 2014[13]
- Best Cinematography Prize, awarded to Kirill Klepalov, Festival de cinéma européen des Arcs, 2014[13]
- Youth Jury Award, Festival de cinéma européen des Arcs, 2014[13]
- Best Screenplay, Dublin Film Critics Circle Awards, Jameson Dublin International Film Festival, 2015[14]
References
- ^ "2014 Schedule" (PDF). Open Russian Film Festival Kinotavr. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- ^ "Durak". Festival del film Locarno. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- ^ "The Fool (programme note)". Vancouver International Film Festival. 2014. Archived from the original on 2014-10-19. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- ^ "The Fool". m-appeal. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- ^ "Durak (2015)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
- ^ "The Fool Reviews". Metacritic. Metacritic. Retrieved September 17, 2015.
- ^ "Читатели КиноПоиска выбрали лучший российский фильм за последние 15 лет — Новости на КиноПоиске". КиноПоиск (in Russian). Retrieved 2020-10-30.
- ^ "Winners of the 25th Open Russian Film Festival Kinotavr". Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- ^ a b c "Official Awards" (PDF). Festival del Film Locarno. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- ^ Ariston Anderson (2014-08-16). "Filipino Director Lav Diaz Takes Home Top Prize in Locarno". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- ^ a b c "Arras 2014 : Fair Play et The fool se partagent les prix". Le Blog d'Écran Noir. 2014-11-17. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- ^ Erwan Desbois (2014-11-16). "ARRAS 2014 : le palmarès". Accréds. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- ^ a b c Elsa Keslassy (2014-12-19). "Yury Bykov's 'The Fool' Wins Top Prize at Les Arcs". Variety. Retrieved 2015-01-05.
- ^ Donald Clarke (2015-03-29). "The winners at JDIFF from the Dublin Film Critics Circle". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2015-10-23.
External links
- Official website (Olive Films)
- The Fool at IMDb
- Film Review: 'The Fool'