The Fool

Name: The Fool
Genre: Drama
Released: September 16, 2015
Duration: 116 min
Rating: 83

2015

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Universal acclaim based on 7 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 48 Ratings

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8.1

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8.1	User Score Universal acclaim based on 48 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

Olive Films | Release Date: September 16, 2015 | Not Rated

Summary: Dima Nikitin is a simple and honest guy, a foreman of a repair team at a provincial housing service. Nothing really makes him stand out among the rest. It’s only the unusual combination of honesty and integrity that makes others perceive him as somewhat weird. In the little town there is a notorious dorm, inhabited mainly by drunkards andDima Nikitin is a simple and honest guy, a foreman of a repair team at a provincial housing service. Nothing really makes him stand out among the rest. It’s only the unusual combination of honesty and integrity that makes others perceive him as somewhat weird. In the little town there is a notorious dorm, inhabited mainly by drunkards and outcasts. One night the pipes burst at the dorm. After arriving at the scene, Nikitin discovers that things are way more serious – the building will not stand through the night. People need to be evacuated immediately. Fighting the red tape, Nikitin sets off on a night Odyssey around the town authorities.… Expand

Director: Yuriy Bykov

Genre(s): Drama

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 116 min

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Critic Reviews

100

Boyd van Hoeij

Sep 13, 2015

An explosive combination of highly personal moral drama and a wider, scathing portrait of a country in which corruption and greed seem to be the only shared values left, this well-oiled narrative machine is further aided by a clever ticking-clock mechanism that actually ratchets up the tension the longer the characters’ vodka-soaked, blame-game speeches are allowed to go on. Read full review

Alan Scherstuhl

Sep 15, 2015

Bykov's moral tale is clear-eyed and callused over, worrying not over individual lives but over a nation's soul. Read full review

Stephen Holden

Sep 15, 2015

The Fool is a hard movie to shake. Read full review

Vadim Rizov

Sep 16, 2015

Yuri Bykov’s third feature is in the same vein as a slew of recent Russian films sounding a strident alarm. Read full review

Peter Debruge

Sep 13, 2015

The helmer shows exquisite control of the world he has created. Read full review

Drew Hunt

Sep 13, 2015

It takes place entirely at night, and the dingy color palette, washed-out and intentionally drab, presents Russia as an almost alien landscape. Read full review

Farran Smith Nehme

Sep 16, 2015

He may be saddled with an overly ironic title role, but Bystrov is terrific. His cowboy squint and dogged intelligence are enough to give you hope for Russia, although the movie certainly won’t. Read full review

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User Reviews

MikeFineberg

Sep 17, 2015

This is a great and underrated film. At first it may look like it's about corruption and government, but really it's about people. Or at least russian people. As I'm from Russia, I know that this picture is very realistic to russian reality. Needless to say, it's very well shot and very wellThis is a great and underrated film. At first it may look like it's about corruption and government, but really it's about people. Or at least russian people. As I'm from Russia, I know that this picture is very realistic to russian reality. Needless to say, it's very well shot and very well written.… Expand

4 of 5 users found this helpful41

Impainter

Jul 2, 2020

Фильм однозначно не для всех, но я искренне советую его посмотреть. Единстввенное что в этом фильме плохо-оригинальный дубляж. Порой просто не слышно о чем говорят герои.Фильм однозначно не для всех, но я искренне советую его посмотреть. Единстввенное что в этом фильме плохо-оригинальный дубляж. Порой просто не слышно о чем говорят герои.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

LeZee

May 23, 2016

A man's stand between 800 lives and corruption.

It was another Russian film just like the Oscar nominee 'Leviathan' that highlighted the corruption in a city administration, except it had no depth in its narration like that one did. A simple tale that takes place within the 24 hours, butA man's stand between 800 lives and corruption.

It was another Russian film just like the Oscar nominee 'Leviathan' that highlighted the corruption in a city administration, except it had no depth in its narration like that one did. A simple tale that takes place within the 24 hours, but strongly told. From the domestic violence to the political targets, the film extraordinarily portrayed its each character and some of theirs double-cross. Besides, it discloses what the higher and lower class expects from each other, like it is already in order and those who disturb it will be seriously get affected.

When a public utility worker Dima Nikitin finds an enormous crack in an apartment block, initially he ignores it, but later thinks something terrible going to happen. As his duty, he notifies the higher ranked authorities in the middle of the night when they were partying. At the time when it was going to be declared emergency in the town and to take all the precaution measures, the tale takes a twist that changes the fate of many who were involved in the matter. So the dark side of the story comes into the display.

Showcasing Russia in such a bad light really hurts if you're a Russian. More than that, the outsiders judging a country from what the film depicts is very sad. It was neither true story, nor inspired by the true story, but this kind of things happens in every other countries. More or less the experts agree with the film to the present state of the Russian political landscape. It was financially co-supported by the ministry of culture that tells us they're going tough against such action. So this film was received well from all the quarters thinking such kind of portrayal might lead to transformation in the struggling society.

"A fish rots from the head down.
If I am tainted, then so are all of you."

In this, the main event was given the prime focus than any of the film characters. That's why the happy or the sad ending won't matter. But there was a character who was preferred the most for his involvement in the plot. In the meantime, it also followed other characters to add more complication in its narration and the story to get going. Overall, it was something like a chain reaction that began with a domestic violence and moved to the public service till it reached its highest end, I mean the head of the each department and the politicians.

What the film's end was outlined is something the negative side of the society. The lack of the knowledge of the lower class families and the negligence of the civil servants is the reason for most of the tragedy that could have stopped before it to happen. The title is a metaphor for one who unnecessarily raising his voice in a matter where others were being quiet. All the above, knowing what's coming at you and taking an improper way to tackle it is what's going unnoticed. Unless every citizen join hands to fight against the corruption, this thing will go on.

The film totally captures our attention. Obviously a slow start, but you could have not expected the way it ended. I haven't seen a single Russian film at the recent time, but very pleased with this. It was a double strike, delivering a message as well as a fine story for a film who seek only the entertainment. In some way, it was so much simpler and better than that Oscar nominee I mentioned. Because unlike that film, in here majority of us who always root for a particular film character mostly won't end in disappointment. That's the cleverness of this narration. If you had liked that film, then you should not miss this film as well.

7½/10… Expand

2 of 2 users found this helpful20

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