A Gorky Film Studio production, in association with KinoProba Studio. Produced by Stanislav Ershov. Directed by Svetlana Proskurina. Screenplay, Ivan Vyrypayev.
With: Mikhail Evlanov, Victor Sukhorukov, Dana Agisheva, Jana Esipovich, Irina Evdokimova, Alexandra Kulikova, Elena Levinskaya, Natalia Sedykh, Tatiana Ipatova.
Two neurotic women develop a destructively co-dependent relationship over decades in vet helmer Svetlana Proskurina's ironically titled "The Best of Times." A handsomely lensed but airless and attenuated memory play, constantly shifting among the characters at ages 20, 40 and 60, pic has a pleasant minimalist aesthetic, but its personalities are oddly inconsistent, while tone suggests a distinctly Russian cross between Margarethe von Trotta and a non-Gothic Robert Aldrich. Emotionally remote feel won't connect well with auds, though the Proskurina name ("Remote Access") should be good for fest bookings.
A return to the seaside prompts flashbacks for Valentina (Elena Levinskaya), reluctant to celebrate her 60th birthday with housemate Katya (Natalia Sedykh). Back when they were 20, they both had an eye for Valentin (Mikhail Evlanov, sole thesp to remain constant throughout the decades), but he considered Katya (Jana Esipovich) a mere friend while Valentina (Dana Agisheva) was lighting his fire.
The confident, gamine-like Valentina toys with the desperate Katya, though they both have a long time to wait when Valentin gets sent to jail for brutally injuring a neighbor. Valentina hangs on, but when her beau gets sprung, his first encounter is with a now sexually brazen Katya, and before long, the two are married.
Jump 20 years later, and Valentin's marriage to Katya (Alexandra Kulikova) gets shaken up with the arrival of Valentina (Irina Evdokimova), a bitter, angry woman determined to reclaim her man. Rest of the story moves back and forth in time, offering glimpses of the trio as they stew in a destructive cycle of longing, hatred and dependency.
Proskurina's choice of actresses is an odd one, since none of the women have any consistent characteristics. Agisheva (also in "Remote Access") has nothing in common with the Medea-like wrath of the hard Evdokimova, and of the Katya trio, only Kulikova seems completely real. Just as in scripter Ivan Vyrypayev's "Euphoria," actions don't always make sense, nor are blanks always filled in.
Stately camerawork by ace d.p. Oleg Lukichev ("Garpastum") does much to hold interest, countering the heightened emotions with a preternatural air of calm that seems psychically melded to the recurring water imagery. Proskurina's regular sound man, Vladimir Persov -- unsurprisingly, an Alexander Sokurov collaborator -- works magic, while Andrey Sigle's score is beautifully understated and cannily utilized.
Camera (color), Oleg Lukichev; editor, Sergey Ivanov; music, Andrey Sigle; production designer, Dmitry Alekseev; costume designer, Olga Nikolaeva; sound (Dolby Digital), Vladimir Persov. Reviewed at Rotterdam Film Festival (Filmmaker in Focus), Jan. 24, 2008. (Also in Sochi Film Festival.) Running time: 95 MIN.
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