Balabanov's latest film is very different from Brother, though also
set in St Petersburg - here he tackles the beginning of the 20th century
rather than its end. Darkly humorous, the plot concerns a pornographic
photography business and the households of its subjects/clients, who
appear to be the only inhabitants of the eerily empty city. The striking
sepia-tinged photography and use of old 78s exaggerate the
artificiality and make one feel constantly at the edge of some deeper
meaning - but at the same time voyeuristic, especially in scenes
involving (apparently genuine) Siamese twins. Does more to justify
the director's reputation as "Russia's David Lynch" than
his previous outing.
