One of my all time favorites.

Lack of good storyline.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

True to its essence, the characters remain on the same line and manage to entertain the viewer, each highlighting their own distinctive qualities or touches.

Balabanov's Brother 1 and 2 were hailed as one of the most innovative Russian thrillers ever. Unfortunately, "Zhmurki" (Blind Man's Bluff) fails to live up to that same level of achievement despite its talented, visible cast and some colorful characters - always a Balabanov strength.The two main leads are interesting, with Dyuzhev's character being an effective blend of Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver and Dim from Clockwork Orange, while Panin is the classical Balabanov thriller hero (Bodrov, Chadov), here in a more sinister incarnation. The first half of the film moves effectively and is interesting, with Mikhailkov providing some good laughs. The second half gets heavily bogged down in one scenario where we begin to see certain thematic and character nods to Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs (i.e. psychopathic behavior set to a pop soundtrack, the lodged bullet, the 'wolf'/accidental medic, and the suitcase belonging to the big boss), with Balabanov's stylistic spin on them. Unlike Tarantino or Scorsese, Balabanov's static use of the camera adds to the boredom in the second half, and it's only thanks to the music that we get some movement. As with other Balabanov films, there is social commentary, esp. the way Stalin's figure is tied into the criminal world. However, it is not as effective as with some of his other films, e.g. Brother 2, War, It Doesn't Hurt Me, and Stoker. Overall, when compared to the Brother films, this is a disappointment, though it will entertain if you don't come to it with the same elevated expectations.

DEAD MAN'S BLUFF is a Russian comedy, which means that it is really dark. So dark in fact that most Western audiences will scare at the first of many very racist jokes (and unlike Western films but like reality, the racists don't necessarily get a comeuppance). The plot, such as it is, concerns a briefcase of heroin which gets stolen by various parties. A pair of hulking hit men (the nominal heroes), a gangster who dotes on his fat son, and a corrupt cop all go looking for it. On the way they all torture, murder and cheat. It's crude but funny, buttressed by a great soundtrack of real Russian music, suitably grim run-down locations and cameos by lots of Russian actors in disguise. The film is really a parody of 1990s Russian gangster films - including those made by the same director - which means that it is gloriously over the top, to the point where a running gag is that the heroes are running out of space to stack the corpses.

This movie is not a fictitious brainwash like "Reservoir Dogs" or "Pulp Fiction" (personally got nothing against both these entertaining titles but they are made for fun) - it's more like a history lesson, more like "Tora! Tora! Tora!". It would be so funny, if it were not so tragic. It is one of a very few modern Russian films, which deserve respect and consideration. Don't let the bloody scenes distract your attention from the essential ideas. "Nightmare, bloody festival, ridiculous mess-up..."? No way. It's our reality. Get a load, if you can carry.A little boy's visit to the morgue and his father's words at the very beginning of the movie are priceless.9 out of 10 easily (minus 1 point, because it's a very "national" experience, which, foreigners will not be able to grasp and evaluate properly). Thank you for attention.

The movie shows how modern authority figures gained their power and capital. A lot of them came from not so clean jobs and the movies shows details of that.Two guys - Simon (Duzhev) and Sergey (Aleksey Panin) - are working for a local mobster (Mikhalkov) as negotiators (extortion specialists actually) and killers. They are not brain surgeons and are quick to pull out a gun, which always puts them in different awkward situations. Considering there are competitors such as crooked cop, local dumb criminals and other low-life element, Simon and Sergey are in for a fun ride... Expect lot of gunshots and a sea of blood.The movie has gathered a great number of Russian cinema stars even in episodic roles (Andrey Panin is an architect, Andrey Krasko is an unlucky neighbor, Dmitriy Pevtzov is a drug-dealing lawyer, etc.), which makes the movie so much fun to watch. Under a virtuoso management of the director Aleksey Balaganov all characters are simply dumb and extremely standardized, which makes it look like a joke.Just like Guy Ritchie's movies this one can not really be taken too seriously. On the other hand it's too much dark humor and too much blood to be considered a comedy.Just keep in mind that it is a true biography of some today's Russian politicians. Perhaps, that will leave you thinking.p.s. "The Russian Ethiopian" is absolutely hilarious!