Satisfaction by Grishkovets and Mathison

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

In 2010, a curious film was released in domestic distribution, in which the famous artist Yevgeny Grishkovets, reincarnated as an oligarch, challenges his wife's lover to an "alcohol" duel. Grishkovets' conversational and table drama "Satisfaction" participated in the competitive screening of the 21st Kinotavr, has an IMDb rating of 6.20.

Creative duo

This film project was the debut for 27-year-old Irkutsk director Anna Mathison. The director met Grishkovets when, as a TV producer, she took part in the creation of a short film based on his opus “The Mood Has Improved”. Since Yevgeny Valerievich acted in the cinema in several guises at once: co-author of the script, producer and performer of the main role, most filmmakers consider the creation of Satisfaction to be his merit. The Russian playwright is inclined to position his creation as a sophisticated film composition, which is based on the most complex lyrical plot, favorably distinguished by the deep elaboration of images.

Storyline Summary

"Satisfaction" by Grishkovets begins with an acquaintance with the main character - the Irkutsk oligarch Alexander Verkhozin, who, having inspected the construction site, taught a lesson to the negligent contractor, tried to save the dog on the track, together with an assistant goes to a rented restaurant. The fact is that his friend and assistant Dmitry also became the lover of the businessman's wife. Alexander prefers to sort things out in an unconventional way, calling the adviser to a "drunken duel." The one of the two men, whose body will be more resistant, will receive a windy beauty and a million dollars. The role of Dmitry was played by Denis Burgazliev, and Evgeny Grishkovets reincarnated as Verkhozin.

Reviews to "Satisfaction" emphasize that keeping the viewer's attention for 97 minutes by the dialogue of two characters in one location is a very difficult task. But, according to most reviewers, the authors coped with it. The successful find of the director is the division of the conversation into topics, which splits the entire film into conditional episodes. The characters talk about one thing, then move on to another, as a result, the mood of the story changes, the atmosphere heats up, tension grows.

Film performance

Critics, evaluating the picture, reproached the creators of pretentious theatricality. Indeed, it is difficult to consider the film-performance "Satisfaction" by Grishkovets as a full-fledged movie. Many are tired of the dialogues of the central characters and monotonous interruptions-inserts with a demonstration of what is happening in the kitchen.

But it's fair to sayIt should be noted that the form of Satisfaction by Grishkovets is not very innovative. Among foreign analogues, it is worth recalling "The Game of Hitting" (1972), in which a we althy writer plays psychological games with his wife's less well-to-do lover. The shooting style is strongly reminiscent of Jim Jarmusch's masterpiece "Coffee and Cigarettes", in which, over 11 short stories, different characters talk about everything over a cup of coffee. Satisfaction cameraman Andrei Zakablukovsky repeatedly almost exactly repeats individual frames from the above-mentioned picture, the camera from above shoots a round table on which there are cups of coffee.

Grishkovets' film "Satisfaction" is also similar to Nikita Mikhalkov's powerful domestic drama "Without Witnesses", in which the amazing acting duet of Mikhail Ulyanov and Irina Kupchenko shines. The examples given serve as proof that the form of a film-play is winning, especially with good dramaturgy, well-balanced dialogues and the finest acting.

Undoubted advantages

Many film experts and viewers often compared Grishkovets' "Satisfaction" with the comedy "What Men Talk About" by Dmitry Dyachenko. But the author's monologues of Evgeny Valerievich surpass the jokes of the Quartet I, and the absence of unnecessary events that could distract the public from a self-sufficient text only benefits Anna Mathison's work. At the same time, the actors should be given their due. It is difficult to remember such convincingly "really" drunk heroes who appeared on the screen. Russian and German theater and film actor Denis Burgazliev is verytalented performer. Known for the series "Volkov's Hour" and the films "April" and "The Bourne Supremacy". In "Satisfaction" he managed to look no worse than Grishkovets, he squeezed the maximum drama out of his hero.

An interesting director's decision in the film should be considered screensavers with a kaleidoscope, which show the viewer throughout the film. Viewers immediately associate with a kaleidoscope of human destinies, which suggests the presence of a philosophical background to the film.