Aleksandra

If the premise is somewhat hard to swallow it at least provides a unique perspective on war, without being blatantly anti-war. Vishnevskaya provides a commanding performance, projecting a kind of dignified befuddlement. The film's washed-out sepia tones are stunning, elegantly conveying the dry heat of the area, or the stillness of late dusk. There isn't much meat on these bones, and it's not as captivating as Mother and Son, but it does draw you in and makes some worthwhile observations.

Sokurov, more than any other director, understands the heavy spiritual toll brought on by prolonged military service. Like Spiritual Voices, or even Confession, Alexandra focuses not on conflict but on the still moments in between battles, which seem to last an eternity. It's the gaps and silences that interest him, and Vishnevskaya is our compassionate but tough guide into this drab and harsh world; she is exceptional in the title role. It's subtle, sensitive, tender and gritty.

This feels sort of like Sokurov self-consciously trying to be a bit more "accessible". Ultimately it's like a bite-sized Spiritual Voices with some visual allusions to Mother and Son thrown in, but either way it comes off as sort of redundant and there really just isn't much here.

I felt as if I should like this more, but I didn't believe in the central relationship or the idea of a grandma in an army camp - so the film seemed to drag, apart from the scenes focusing on the connection between Alexandra and the Chechen lady.

What a great film, Galina Vishnevskaya is fantastic, this is a must see.

"Disappointingly uncharacteristic of Sokurov, the humanist moments that pass between them lean toward token sentiment, and the moments that pass between Alexandra and the grandson she traveled so far to see feel inconsequential." - Kevin B. Lee

A beautiful film, particularly in its use of color, light, and close-ups. As with other Sokurov films I've seen, there's a dreamlike quality to the proceedings, a sense of the unreal to the whole thing, even as the film seeks to portray the base and surrounding locale as they actually are. I like the emphasis on the effects of war on people over a long period of time, something that seems ever more significant in our war-happy world.

Sokurov's sentimental poetry embroiders a nation's personal connections to the military; he shows the ineffable grace that contemporary American filmmakers are too pent up to grant us -- truths about fealty that our movies neglect.

Sokurov express a pleasant and vigorous benignity in this graceful, meditative film

15 Nisan 08, 16:00, atlas1 sira8 koltuk9, yonetmenin izledigim ilk filmi, 27.ist. film fest. & neredeyse olmayan bir olay orgusu ve begenmedigim bir minimal stil.yonetmen, ruslarin ve cecenlerin arasindaki iliskilere degil, iyiligin ve kotulugun dogasina dair incelikli bir kesif yolculugu sunuyor.

A heartwarming story from Sokurov.