Foreign film review: Ivan Vassilyevich Changes Occupation (Иван Васильевич меняет профессию)

Ivan Vassilyevich Changes Occupation

(Иван Васильевич меняет профессию)

Made in: Former Soviet Union
Language: Russian
Director: Leonid Gaidai
Starring: Yuri Yakovlev, Aleksandr Demyanenko, Leonid Kuravlev, Saveliy Kramarov, Natalia Selezneva, Natalia Krachkovskaya, Vladimir Etush
Year: 1973

Review written by: Joe Yang

Synopsis: Shurik (Aleksandr Demyanenko) is a brilliant, absent-minded scientist who has built an amazingly goofy-looking time machine in his Moscow apartment. While conducting tests, he's blown the fuses in the entire building, much to the chagrin of the uptight, bureacratic superintendent, Ivan Vassilyevich Bunsha (Yuri Yakovlev).

Ignoring Bunsha's routine warnings, and barely reacting when his cheating wife Zina (Natalia Selezneva) decides to leave him, Shurik eventually gets his amazing invention to work. As a result, he accidentally transports Bunsha and a small-time thief, George Miloslavsky (Leonid Kuravlev), back in time several hundred years.

Walking through a time rift, Bunsha and George find themselves inside the private chamber of Ivan the Terrible (also played by Yuri Yakovlev). The historic Tsar, terrified at the arrival of the two, inadvertently runs through the rift into modern day Moscow.

Forced to disguise themselves, Bunsha dresses up as Ivan IV (to whom he coincidentally bears an odd resemblance) while Miloslavsky passes himself off as a prince (who incidentally has the same name as an historical figure who was executed by the Tsar).

Meanwhile, the real Ivan the Terrible must temporarily adjust to modern life in Moscow while Shurik frantically works to get his time machine working again after it is nearly destroyed by a badly aimed battle axe.

The Good: Although incredibly cheesy, Ivan Vassilyevich Changes Occupation is a very good natured, well-acted, and well-directed film. The actors are superb, the characters are all distinct and meaningful, and director Leonid Gaidai makes use of some pretty impressive camera work. The story is utterly ridiculous, but it's very well focused and develops at a good pace.

Yuri Yakovlev does a very convincing job of playing two roles and is a lot of fun to watch. And Aleksandr Demyanenko is very likable as the absent-minded Shurik. The music is hilariously catchy, there's a lot of intelligent humor despite the underlying silliness, and there's a boldness to the whole production that makes the movie fun.

The look of the film is more 60's than 70s, and if I didn't know better, this could have passed as a retro-looking comedy made in the modern age (in an Austin Powers sort of way). I wouldn't be surprised if Ivan Vassilyevich Changes Occupation becomes a cult favorite among movie fans (if it hasn't already).

The comedy works so well because, first and foremost, the story is coherent. There isn't any silliness just for silliness sake. Every sight gag, joke, and scene serves a specific purpose. And what makes the film so funny is that none of the characters find their situation laughable (even if the viewer does).

The Bad: The ending was satisfying, but I thought it could have been a little better. I won't give it away, but it came close to being an "oh, it was just a dream" cop-out.

Who would like this movie: Ivan Vassilyevich Changes Occupation is for you if you like foreign films, cheesy stuff from the 60s and 70s, and Russian cinema. Many of the jokes are based off of Russian history (particularly the time or Ivan the Terrible), so it'll be helpful to do a little studying so you'll get them. A good number of jokes are also language-based, so those who don't know Russian might not laugh as hard as those who do.

And of course, some of the songs are great (in an incredibly cheesy way that could have only existed in the 60s and 70s).

It's too bad I never saw this back while I was in film school. Neither my undergraduate nor graduate programs ever explored this side of Russian cinema, and looking back, it's kind of a disappointment. Introducing films like this to students will help dispel a lot of stereotypes about Russian filmmaking.

Instead of forcing undergrads to sit through Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin several times a semester, it might be useful to let them know that, like anyone else, the Russians have a pretty good sense of humor too.

(3 out of 4 stars)

Horror Movie Review: Shiver (Eskalofrío)

Shiver (Eskalofrío)
Made in: Spain
Language: Spanish
Director: Isidro Ortiz
Starring: Junio Valverde, Mar Sodupe, Blanca Suárez, Francesc Orella, Jimmy Barnatán, Roberto Enríquez, Paul Berrondo, Pau Poch
Year: 2008

Review written by: Joe Yang

Originally published at: Foreign-Films-For-You.com

Synopsis: Santi (Junio Valverde) is a lonely teenager living in Barcelona with his mom, Julia (Mar Sodupe). He suffers from a condition called Photophobia, where he's hypersensitive to sunlight. As a result, he can't really do much during the day.

Other kids his age think he's a freak, his father, Oscar (Paul Berrondo), is a compulsive gambler, and his best friend Leo (Jimmy Barantán) is a pop culture geek who's as much of an outcast as he is.

At the advice of his doctor, Santi and his mother relocate to a remote village in the north, where the days are known for being short. The house they find is a little rustic, but it has all the necessary amenities for modern life.

But as in most horror movies, it comes complete with spooky shadows, window shutters that rattle really easily, and an attic full of stuff that belonged to the previous tenants. Yup, that's right. Nothing out of the ordinary around here...

The landlord, Dimas (Francesc Orella), seems okay, and although school isn't great, it's not as bad as it was in the big city. Santi befriends Tito (Pau Poch), a kid who's small for his age, and Ángela (Blanca Suárez), the attractive daughter of the local police inspector, Antonio (Roberto Enríquez). But before Santi can settle in, he learns that there's something strange about this quiet little town.

Something scary lives in the woods, and it's known for viciously attacking livestock. When it starts killing people, Santi just always happens to be around. Naturally, he's blamed for the deaths, or at least he's suspected of being a part of them. But as the frights escalate, Santi tries solving the mystery himself with the help of his friends. And before long, he uncovers a dark secret about the small town...

The Good: Cinematically, Shiver looks great and much credit should be given to production designer Pilar Revuelta (who worked on Pan's Labyrinth).

The story moves at a good pace, and unlike horror movies done in the US, the acting here is very good. Although the storyline isn't too different from a scary movie that you'd see Stateside, the higher caliber of acting gives the film more depth and intelligence.

The bloodshed isn't over-the-top. In fact, since many of the gory scenes take place in shadows or under shaky flashlight beams, director Isidro Ortiz leaves much of the horror to your imagination. Shiver contains plenty of solid suspense, and instead of going for cheap, jump-out-at-you scares, most of the creepiness is carefully constructed and plays more upon simple fears (being home alone, thunderstorms, lost in the woods, etc).

The Bad: Shiver doesn't make full use of all its major elements. Santi's photophobia is interesting, but it never plays out in a major way. It would have been better if, for instance, his "handicap" became a strength at certain times. If he can't come out during the day, then it's only logical to assume that he's at his best during the night. But no. Here, he's as scared of the dark (and ineffective in it) as anybody.

Tito has the potential to be an interesting character, but he sort of just disappears halfway through the story. And the love interest, Ángela, is underdeveloped as well. Without spoiling the ending, there are also some minor questions of logic that'll bother you if you think about them too much.

Who would like this movie: You should watch Shiver if you're fan of foreign films, and horror movies (particularly Spanish ones) that are focused more on scares than gore. Parts of the movie will make you think of movies such as Sleepy Hollow, Lost Boys, and maybe even the Blair Witch Project.

The overall premise is pretty familiar, but it's told very well. I suppose this counts as a teen movie in some ways, but it doesn't look cheesy nor does it insult anyone's intelligence.

There are no boob shots (which may be a disappointment to some), and since it's made in a country with no drinking age, I was mildly surprised to see that none of the main characters (or victims) got trashed. Perhaps that a cultural thing, which proves that foreign films are indeed educational.

For the most part, Shiver is an engaging thriller. It's not perfect, but it easily surpasses a lot of Hollywood stuff aimed at a similar demographic.

(3 out of 4 stars)