BACK IN THE U.S.S.R.
A film review by Mark Santora
Copyright 1992 Mark Santora
Tonight I had the good fortune to see a preview of this new film. I must admit I was a little turned off by the name, stolen from the Beatle's song, which by the way does not even appear in the film. But from the start you come to realize that this film is not the cheesy- looking film depicted in the horrible advertising campaign.
The film is of high caliber. The script and acting are all first rate. The cinematography is beautiful. The entire film was shot in Russia, which attributes to the look of the film. (We also get a look at the Moscow McDonald's!) I am sure that Roman Polanski's acting forces were also felt behind the camera.
The plot revolves around a missing artwork (icon) that is recovered by the church in the opening minutes. Stolen just minutes later, the film becomes a chase to find it. There are plenty of plot twists and of course, the occasional chase, but it is the story and characters that hold the film together.
As I mentioned before, the film does not feature the Beatle song which shares the same name of the film. In fact, there is no rock music except in the end credits, which is okay with me. The orchestrational score for the film is a must hear. It is a definite purchase for all those soundtrack collectors out there.
In the end, I recommend this film. It is a good time and most importantly it moves along nicely and uses its time wisely. Do not think of this as a simple film. It is not. But I consider it the first film of 1992 that is worth seeing.
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