Lords of Hearts: Borodina's Film Debut and a New Look at Pinocchio

The creators of the horror "Pinocchio: Liberated" will break the familiar image of a fairy-tale hero, and the director of the animated film "Restless" will explore the inner state of a person experiencing a sense of uncertainty. The characters of the thriller with elements of the black comedy "Ghost in a Cage" will have to answer for their actions before an otherworldly entity, the characters of Ksenia Borodina and Alexei Chadov will try to save a marriage with the help of magic in the romantic comedy "For Love", and a gang of criminals will arrange a daring raid on a bank vault in the film "Rob London". Izvestia has compiled a guide to this weekend's major film premieres.

"Pinocchio: Liberated", 18+

Directed by Rhys Frake-Watrefield. Starring: Evan Lloyd, Richard Brake, Robert Englund, Adrian Burton, Peter DeSouza-Feihoni

In recent years, the horror industry has been rethinking children's classics, turning familiar characters into participants in bloody plots. The list includes violent versions about Winnie-the-Pooh, Peter Pan, and Bambi the fawn, who wants to pay back. And now the creators of the movie Pinocchio: Liberated are presenting a horror version of Carlo Collodi's story, abandoning the themes of growing up and the search for humanity. In the story, the boy James, after the death of his parents, comes to his lonely grandfather, Master Geppeto. He introduces the child to an animated wooden doll named Pinocchio. And if at first James finds his new friend quite harmless, then later the creepy details of his being become clear.

It is based on themes of obsession and violence. Pinocchio, in an effort to regain his human form, begins killing people one by one. He is literally piecing together his new body, mistakenly assuming that it is possible to become a human being only physically. Visually, the very appearance of the "wooden boy" catches the eye. Thanks to the unnatural plastics and terrifying design, Pinocchio turns into a monster that shouldn't exist. The authors of the film clearly relied on outrage and provocation, deciding to destroy the usual fairy-tale image, and hardly sought to compete with other major horror films.

"Rob London", 18+

Directed by David Mackenzie. Starring: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Theo James, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Saffron Hawking, Sam Worthington.

Films about robberies have their own well-established techniques, so it's not easy to surprise the viewer in this genre. The British thriller "Rob London" relies not on spectacular action, but on an unusual idea, which becomes its advantage. The starting point of the plot is a dangerous find: an unexploded bomb from the Second World War. To keep the residents of London safe, the police and emergency services begin evacuating and taking public safety measures. A gang of criminals decides to take advantage of the chaos on the streets and prepares a daring raid on a bank vault. However, the plan is not as perfect as it seems at first glance.

In the picture, London is represented by an unusual tourist city. Blocked—off neighborhoods, the work of emergency services - all this helps to recreate documentary authenticity. The camerawork makes the film not just another entertainment attraction, but a report from the scene.

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"The Ghost in the cage", 18+

Directed by Joko Anwar. Starring: Abimana Aryasatya, Amin Sugandhi, Arsvendi Benin Swara, Bront Palarae, Andy Arfian

The Indonesian-South Korean film had its world premiere at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival. The film appeals to several genres at once — horror, thriller and black comedy, where fear is juxtaposed with social satire. In the center of the story is a prison, in which there is clearly no friendly relations between either prisoners or guards. With the appearance of journalist Dimas in a penal colony, who was wrongfully convicted of murdering an editor, mystical reprisals begin to occur. The heroes have to face the cruel consequences of their actions and unite against the otherworldly entity.

The prison in the film becomes a miniature model of a society where corruption and violence have long been perceived as part of the usual order. And the ghost projects problems that have accumulated over the years, which remained hidden behind concrete walls. The visual image of the correctional facility — narrow corridors and metal bars — creates a situation of hopelessness for the characters. The characters find themselves trapped not only inside the building, but also inside their past.

"Nepokoy", 18+

Directed by Leonid Shmelkov. Starring: Vera Kuznetsova, Leonid Shmelkov, Ivan Bondarenko, Anna Kadykova, Alexander Sharapanovsky

Leonid Shmelkov's project is an example of animation that goes beyond entertainment and becomes an independent way of artistic expression. The director explores the inner state of a person who finds himself in a situation of uncertainty. In the center of the plot are two friends Yasha and Bernard, who go on the road and decide to spend the night at the peripheral Rosa Hotel along the way. In the morning it becomes clear that it is impossible to leave the hotel, and the guests mysteriously begin to disappear.

The picture combines fiction and thriller, and what is happening on the screen is more like surrealism, where the line between dream and reality is blurred. The characters not only can't get out of the hotel, they can't deal with the surrounding reality. The cartoon does not give unambiguous answers, offering the viewer to make sense of the story in his own way.

"For love", 16+

Directed by Andrey Malai. Starring: Ksenia Borodina, Alexey Chadov, Theona Borodina, Leia Samoilova, Victoria Klinkova

The romantic comedy with fantasy elements has assembled a stellar cast. The film became a film debut not only for Ksenia Borodina, but also for her youngest daughter Theona and for the middle daughter of Oksana Samoilova and Dzhigan — Leia.
This is a story about a married couple, Vova and Margot, who are raising two daughters. Behind the facade of external well—being is a marriage that is bursting at the seams: caring has been replaced by indifference, and love has become a habit. Everything changes when Vova receives an unusual gift from an old lady — a bottle with a magical drink. Soon the characters find out that all their toasts said at the table are beginning to come true. The couple begin to use magic for their own purposes, but the chain of events that follow will force them to face what they have been hiding from for a long time.