Valentyn Vasyanovytch's films about the conflict that broke out in Ukraine in 2014 are bleak. With his previous film Atlantis (2019) Vasyanovytch gained international acclaim by balancing the bleakness with scenes of great visual poetry. On account of that film's quality I had high expectations for Vidblysk (Reflection).
Sadly, that visual poetry is almost entirely lacking. All that remains is bleakness. Vasyanovytch is known for his long, static shots. Here such shots linger on torture scenes, which will make many viewers uncomfortable.
Morgues are a common feature in Vasyanovytch's films, but his cold, clinical style makes every indoor location resemble one, including living rooms, which are invariably drab gray.
The film's biggest flaw is that the protagonists are nearly always filmed with long shots, This, combined with a very superficial characterization, make it impossible for the viewer to engage with them emotionally. So no matter how bleak the film became, the result left me rather cold.
There are one or two scenes where an attempt is made to provide meaningful depth, but the film's overall lack of inspiration makes them fall flat.
Sadly, that visual poetry is almost entirely lacking. All that remains is bleakness. Vasyanovytch is known for his long, static shots. Here such shots linger on torture scenes, which will make many viewers uncomfortable.
Morgues are a common feature in Vasyanovytch's films, but his cold, clinical style makes every indoor location resemble one, including living rooms, which are invariably drab gray.
The film's biggest flaw is that the protagonists are nearly always filmed with long shots, This, combined with a very superficial characterization, make it impossible for the viewer to engage with them emotionally. So no matter how bleak the film became, the result left me rather cold.
There are one or two scenes where an attempt is made to provide meaningful depth, but the film's overall lack of inspiration makes them fall flat.