Alex (Konstantin Lavronenko) takes his family to stay at his father’s house in the Russian countryside.
The idyllic surroundings provide peaceful retreat from the city and Alex’s ties with the criminal underground. But that peace is shattered when his wife (Maria Bonnevie) reveals that she is pregnant by another man. Tormented by love for his wife and family, Alex’s masculine pride leads to tragic consequences.
Andrei Zvyagintsev’s second film retains much of the taut suspense and magnificent cinematography that won his debut The Return such critical acclaim. An economical storyteller, his films are challenging but naturalistic and engrossing. Heavily inspired by the work of Tarkovsky and the masters of the renaissance, Zvyagintsev is not only one of Russia’s most promising filmmakers but a leading light in global cinema.
