On March 1, the Dovlatov documentary was released. Sergey Dovlatov is a well-known Russian and American journalist, writer, an extraordinary personality and a loving father, whose image is detailed and colorful in the picture of German Jr.
It would seem that two hours spent in the cinema should give incredibly sparkling episodes, bright bursts of emotions and sensations. But the whole film is shrouded in Soviet grayness, hinting at a crisis in the writer's creative activity. You will see how Dovlatov talks with girls, using his natural wit, worries and throughout the film tries to find for his daughter a large German doll, which is very difficult to purchase in the USSR.
One of the main advantages of this picture is a well-chosen cast. I can’t say that Milan Marich ideally entered the image of Sergei Dovlatov, but his sense of smell, external data, and affection for his daughter won the hearts of a female audience. Milan Maric was thoroughly prepared for the filming of the film. He lived for several months in St. Petersburg to imbue the atmosphere of Leningrad. He had to recover by 15 kilograms, and the director, either jokingly, or seriously, said that they fed Marich fat.
The production of Dovlatov belongs to three countries: Russia, Serbia, and Poland. Despite the international status of the film, it was not without our actors familiar to all Russian viewers: Svetlana Khodchenkova and Danila Kozlovsky, worn down to holes, also came to their place. Kozlovsky plays the role of artist David, a friend of Dovlatov and an alcoholic by vocation. The most bloody and possibly tragic scene in the film is the death of David, hit by a car. That alive, that the dead character left no trace in the heart of the viewer. As for Svetlana Khodchenkova, the role of the second plan was a success. The actress conveyed that mood of love and frank sympathy for Dovlatov, who himself, by the way, breathes quite evenly to women. In life, Sergei Dovlatov easily gave himself to girls, he liked to drink and have a row with fights, in his film German Jr. painted a completely different image - faded and quite infantile with notes of tenderness.
I admit, being a fan of Brodsky's work, I appreciated his ubiquitous presence in the film. The poet was played by a gorgeous actor - Arthur Beschastny, who already played the role of Joseph Brodsky. The events of Dovlatov take place on the eve of his emigration; these few days, a brilliant essayist and lyricist was the closest friend and interlocutor of the protagonist. He was especially touched by the episode in which Brodsky carried Katya's daughter Dovlatov in his arms. This indicates a strong friendship between two talented people, whose work went down in the history of literature.
The film has no fiction, unexpected twists, surprises and high-profile scandals, even the artificially interwoven plot lines of frankly superfluous heroes of the background only characterize a very real era of stagnation.
In conclusion, I want to say that if you are not a supporter of long, intricate scenes with close-ups and experiences of heroes in real, documentary time, then you better not go to this film, read about Sergey Dovlatov on Wikipedia. I tell the rest - this is not a waste of money and time. The film by Herman Jr. “Dovlatov” is a worthy picture of an outstanding man.
