“Metro” is a film about which reviews were widely heard in 2012. Not so many disaster films are shot in Russia, so the premiere of Anton Megerdichev’s drama turned into a real movie event. What impressions did the film arouse among the critics and the audience?
The creators of the picture
“Metro” is a film whose reviews were written in all major newspaper and magazine publications in Russia. Reviewers noted both the positive and negative sides of the picture. Among the general noise, one thing was clear - an event really happened in the world of cinema. And this event was the premiere of the Metro disaster tape.
The film (the description of the film will be presented below) on the plot, in fact, is not particularly original: at first there is some kind of accident affecting a group of people, then on-screen heroes try to save their lives. Of course, not all survive. The peculiarity of the tape lies precisely in the fact that it was shot in Russia. For Russian cinema, projects in a similar genre are a rarity.
The film was directed by Anton Megerdichev, a fan of unusual films. For example, in 2010, he shot the fantasy thriller "Dark World", which for the cinema of the Russian Federation also became something radically new and hitherto unseen.
The script for the film "Metro" was written by Denis Kuryshev based on the novel by Dmitry Safonov. The plot of the film and the book significantly diverge. To add spice to the on-screen action, the scriptwriters changed a whole series of plot details.
The picture "Metro" was nominated for the "Golden Eagle" and "Georges", but won only "Nick" for the work of the cameraman.
Filming process
The biggest problem for the film crew of the project was to realistically recreate the subway. The film, the description of which allows us to understand that the action takes place in Moscow, was actually shot in Samara. The Moscow Metro Service categorically forbade any filming on its territory.
Then the film crew of Anton Megerdichev decided to appeal to the authorities of the Minsk subway. But soon in Belarus there was a terrorist attack right at the Oktyabrskaya metro station. As a result, I had to abandon the idea of moving the shoot to Minsk.
To the general joy of the group, the permission to shoot was given by the Samara Metro. His management even provided a hotel car for transportation of the film crew. Moskovskaya, Borodinskaya and Alabinskaya stations turned into places for future screen action. Naturally, in the film they all have fictitious names.
The actors spent most of the filming process in water. It was not always possible to warm up an impromptu “pool”, so the performers put on warming wetsuits under ordinary clothes.
I had to work hard and decorators. The mines that the main characters roam in search of a way out, as well as some tunnels were created specifically for filming.
“Metro” (film): description and reviews, short story
The painting “Metro” begins with a brief introduction to the life of the central characters. Before us is the image of an exemplary family man Andrei Garin and his walking wife Irina. Since the woman after meeting with her lover did not have time to return home in time, Andrei has to take his little daughter personally to school. So they get to the Sadovaya station in the Moscow metro.
The film, the description of which does not look as exciting as the screen action itself, in the blink of an eye turns into an exciting thriller. Passengers ride in a subway car, discuss their affairs and make plans. But at one point, streams of water collapse through a gap in the tunnel directly onto the first train carriage along with heavy debris.
Some passengers die under the rubble, some during crush. The remaining people jump out of the cars and try to get out, but the contact rail still generates current and in the water many people die from electric shock.
By accident, only a few people remain alive: among them Andrei Garin, his daughter Ksyusha and Irina's lover. Throughout the film, this small group of people will try to escape from the underground trap by all means.
“Metro” (film): actors, photo. Sergey Puskepalis as Andrei Garin
Andrei Garin is the protagonist of the film Metro and a pronounced protagonist. He works as a surgeon in a hospital, turns like a squirrel in a wheel, saves human lives. At the same time, he does not forget to take care of his child. The contrast to him is the unfaithful wife Irina.
Once Garin returns from the shift and discovers that there is no one to take her daughter to school. Here, as luck would have it, the car breaks down, so the father and the child descend into the subway. Having passed only a few stations, Garin, together with Ksenia, is in a terrible catastrophe. Miraculously, the father and the girl remain alive. In the course of events, they have to go through many tests together. And every time Garin shows himself from the best side. Largely thanks to him, a group of several people successfully got out of the flooded subway.
The film, the cast of which is quite good, was included in the filmography of Sergei Puskepalis - it was he who played the surgeon Garin. The artist can also be seen in the dramas Icebreaker, Battle for Sevastopol and The Scream of an Owl. Puskepalis is also a theater director and an Honored Artist of Russia.
Anatoly Bely as Konstantinov
Anatoly Bely is a regular guest of numerous Russian TV series. In 2000, he began his career with episodic roles in The Brigade, Kings of the Russian Detective, The Killer’s Diary, and Kamenskaya 3. Bely got the first main role in the drama “Obsession”, where he became a partner on the set of Tatyana Arntgolts. Then Anatoly played Alexander Uvarov in the soap opera The Talisman of Love. And constantly White appeared on the screens in the image of an antihero. Then, of course, the situation changed. But the actor once again happened to play a first-class villain in the thriller Metro.
The film reviews received mixed. But to the game of actors, claims were rarely made. Normally, the audience reacted to Anatoly Bely as a selfish businessman Konstantinov. Vlad sleeps with Irina Garina, gradually inciting her to divorce. During the disaster, he finds himself in the same carriage with her husband and daughter. However, Konstantinov does not save them from good intentions, but to raise his “value” in the eyes of his mistress.
In a critical situation, narcissistic Konstantinov quickly lose their nerves. He fusses a lot, begins to speak causticism at his "comrades in misfortune." Still, Vlad manages to escape in the finale of the picture with Garin and his daughter.
Alexey Bardukov as Denis Istomin
Who else of the famous actors appeared in the Metro (film)? The reviews of critics and spectators positively evaluate the game of Alexei Bardukov, a graduate of the Moscow Art Theater School. The young actor received the role of Denis Istomin in the film, who also fell victim to a major catastrophe in the subway.
Before all the tragic events, Denis managed to meet a charming girl Alice in a subway car. However, the couple’s flirtation was interrupted by a terrible accident and a crush. Subsequently, Denis and Alice tried to stick together and more than once helped each other in a critical situation.
Alexey Bardukov is not often shot in films, but his filmography contains interesting works. In 2004, he, in the company of Vladislav Galkin and Kirill Pletnev, became the protagonist of the military series “Saboteur”. In 2009, Bardukov was entrusted with the main role in the adventure action movie “On the Game”. Also, Bardukov played senior lieutenant Garkush in a series of detective films "Mosgaz", "Executioner", "Spider" and "Jackal".
Catherine Spitz as Alice
Ekaterina Shpitsa burst onto the television screens along with the series Princess of the Circus and Swallow's Nest. The ambitious girl from Perm took a chance and moved to Moscow, where she was subsequently able to become a sought-after actress.
Due to its miniature appearance, Spitz had to play teenagers or children for a long time. At the age of 24, she could easily pass for a ninth-grader, which was used by the producers of the series Katya: Military History. In this dramatic film, the actress played the young nurse of a military hospital, which all misfortunes fell upon with the advent of World War II.
Spitz also lit up in the provocative tragicomedy "Lights of the brothel", playing the prostitute Zinka-Hitler. Then there was the film "Metro".
Positive feedback was received by the work of Spitz in the biographical drama "Poddubny", where she played the wife of the legendary strongman. In 2016, Katerina starred in the drama "Crew", playing the stewardess of the ship crashing.
Other role performers
Who was invited to minor roles in the film "Metro"?
Reviews from the audience regarding the cast of the project sounded only in a positive way. How could it be otherwise if celebrities were busy even in minor episodes?
Svetlana Khodchenkova (Viking) played the role of Irina Garina in the project of A. Megerdichev. However, the performer had not so much screen time: a couple of scenes at the beginning of the film, interspersed in the middle and the final.
How organically the actress looks like a traitor, this is another question. Svetlana tried herself in various images, once even played the serial killer of Lady Bathory. But the role of the fatal beauty can hardly be called suitable for Khodchenkova. Rather, it is more plausible to see her as a positive heroine in every sense.
Star of the film “Border. Taiga novel ”Elena Panova appeared before the viewer in the image of the drinking woman Galina, who was trapped in a flooded subway and died in the middle of the film.
Stanislav Druzhnikov (“Voronin”) also did not stay on the screens for long: according to the plot, his character, the courier Mikhail, was washed away by water flows in the subway tunnels.
Actor Alexander Yakovlev (Admiral) played a train driver. Appeared in the frame and Kirill Pletnev ("Saboteur") in the role of NTV journalist Nazimov. The head of the Moscow Central Internal Affairs Directorate was Vladimir Yumatov (Mosgaz).
Metro Comments
For the viewer, not dedicated to the intricacies of the subway, the drama of Anton Megerdichev looks quite realistic. The question naturally arises: can such a situation as the film “Metro” describes in reality arise?
The responses of the drivers and subway workers come down to a consensus that the picture improbably describes the work of the underground services and its structure as a whole. Subway workers assured that such a situation could not happen in principle. Some situations and plot twists, which are described by the film “Metro” (Russia), seem completely delirious to technical people.
Reviews of knowledgeable people, of course, are important. And the film crew even at the stage of creating the script needed to turn to a special consultant on these issues. On the other hand, the picture is entertaining; it does not pretend to be documentary. And if more than half of the audience was imbued with the atmosphere of horror that people experience during the disaster, then this is already a success.
Critic reviews
What did professional film critics say about the Metro tape? The film received mostly positive reviews from critics: 85% of reviewers dubbed the project worthy of attention.
The Village correspondent noted that the most important thing in a disaster film is the technical display on the screen of the disaster itself. Special effects satisfied the audience, and the death of extras looked quite believable. Accordingly, the tape is sustained in the declared genre.
There were also negative reviews. A columnist from the Kommersant newspaper saw state propaganda in the film Metro. He did not like that in the final of the picture the epic heroes could not get out of the sewer manhole the first time and they were rescued by the Ministry of Emergencies a little later. The critic saw the absence of logic in this plot twist and concluded the review with the conclusion that the film failed.
Viewers reviews
The film "Metro" received reviews from the audience of approximately the same nature as reviews from critics. In their comments, the audience admits that they began to watch the Russian disaster film with great skepticism. However, the picture was quite competitive. The streams of water that were drawn using special effects look very realistic. The moment when the ceilings collapsed on the subway cars also causes a nervous tremor.
The audience was less meticulously looking at the plot, so illogical moments, even if they were, did not particularly notice. For example, it is easy to believe that, relying on Russian chance, underground services have overlooked a serious problem. Perhaps the technical details seemed unrealistic to the real drivers and other knowledgeable people. But the situation as a whole is very recognizable.
The movie rating on the IMDb website is 6.6 points. Kinopoisk evaluates the work of Anton Megerdichev at 7.2 points. It follows that at least once the catastrophe film “Metro” is worth a look in order to make your own opinion about the tape.