Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

EssenceStory Well Deserved Praise

TrueHello Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

AnhartLinkin This story has more twists and turns than a second-rate soap opera.

GertrudeStern At first I thought, "This is going to be nothing like Brat!", but then I realized I was pretty wrong. As a very big fan of Brat, I was happy to see that Pro urodov i lyudey continued Balabanov's tradition of profiling shady figures and their nasty dealings without looking away.The film, which is shot entirely in sepia tone, revolves around two nefarious men, their connection to an underground world of pornographic delights (delights for the audiences, not the performers), and their impact on people who would rather be excluded from that world. You guessed it: no one escapes purity intact.Johann is the character of most interest. He rarely smiles, except for when he is brought a treasure that is sure to enchant those with an appetite for the curious -- a set of thriving conjoined twins who sing in harmony while playing the accordion.I would not put this one on for super PC friends or people who are not interested in things that are mildly grotesque.

Becky Alfaro Set in the early twentieth century Of Freaks and Men makes an indisputable impact with its seemingly controversial intro including pornographic pictures. Following the impact that pornographers, Johan and Victor Ivanovich have on two family's the film raises awareness of the dark industry early in Russia's history. The themes that are explored include sexuality, psychological issues and the decline of lifestyle which may be seen as an allegory to Russia at at the time. These topics are not taboo for popular director Alexei Balabanovs who delves into a myriad of dark subject matters. The film is not made for everyone's taste and it does include sensitive scenes that may be alarming to some. Despite this the film is entertaining and manages to make this satire into something thought provoking and even humorous at times. There is a large amount of irony which goes into the development of the characters such as the Siamese twins and the blind mother Ekaterina. The twins are held as juxtapositions of each other and differ mainly in their actions and reactions with one of them being more corrupt while the other remains untainted for the most part until the very end despite having to experience all of his brother's courses. Liza the main target of the other family is of doubtful virtue to begin with and becomes even more corrupt once she is exposed to the two immoral pornographers. The film is arguably a portrayal of the human condition and the underlying unconscious desires that are there to begin with. Very reminiscent to Freud's psychoanalysis, the film was interesting to watch.

runamokprods Bold, experimental film with overtones of David Lynch, Peter Greenaway and others, but on first viewing at least seemed to have more style than substance. Photographed on scratchy black and white and sepia toned films, and using titles like a silent film even though there is dialogue, there's a fascinating sense of being dislocated in time by this story of exploiters and pornographers in turn of the century Russia. Thematically it explores all sorts of exploitive relationships, particularly sexual, and the idea that all cinema, is in it's own way, porn.But somehow the ideas don't seem all that deep. I felt like I got the films message long before it was over. Still, the visuals kept me hooked, and I'd definitely give it another look to see if it grew deeper on a second viewing. It's one of those films.

daneldorado "Pro urodov i lyudej" (Aleksei Balabanov, 1998) is a dark, quixotic look at the earliest days of underground film making in Russia. One of its most interesting features is that the entire film is shot in sepia tone rather than full color, no doubt to emphasize the dreariness of its subject. There are a few outdoor scenes that show us a blue sky, but aside from that the entire film is rendered in that muted sepia color.The sad-faced, willowy Dinara Drukarova plays Lisa, a young woman who is imprisoned in her own family home and forced to pose nude for the camera, being whipped on screen for the pleasure of a few depraved male customers. After several months of captivity, Lisa escapes and heads for the big city to make a new life for herself... but discovers that the degrading scenes she has been posing for have become a fixation for her.The title translates into English as "Of Freaks and Men."The "freaks" part comes in when we are introduced to young Siamese twins, joined at the waist.But as the film progresses, we perceive that the twins are the least "freaky" characters in the film.Though the scenario is admittedly somber, there is a richness of tone and a strong storyline driving the film forward. We want to know what ultimately happens to the heroine, Lisa, and to the young conjoined twins. "Of Freaks and Men" is justly celebrated for these compelling virtues.