Viktor (2014) Reviews

• R U Kidding Me?

  sure_man2014-10-26

  Unbelievably bad is being colorfully generous. Elizabeth Hurley was the only person "alive" in this movie, and she's probably embarrassed about that. No passion or pulse from anyone else. Wooden dialogue delivered in the same, uninspired, deadening way. In several, if not many of the scenes, Depardieu seemed to be reading lines from a teleprompter off to one side of whoever he was supposedly addressing. No elaboration of any back story. And his mysterious friend from a past life, now living in Moscow who let's him drive his Mercedes in Moscow traffic? Come on. This was a ridiculous effort, probably partial payment of Depardieu in his effort to migrate from France for the tax haven of Russia.

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• "Viktor" is a total loser

  karmaswimswami2015-01-22

  Some people shouldn't direct. Gerard Depardieu stars in this claptrap revenge drama set in his new home nation of Russia, a hamfisted dreck movie in which English is spoken badly (as in bad acting) by all except for Elizabeth Hurley, who is lovely and ostensibly the only cast member with a pulse here. It's poorly shot, poorly lit, with some scenes made patently awful by the fact that Depardieu is sightreading lines inanely from cuecards. His English is famously poor and that is on frank display here. People may be drawn to this film because Russia is on our minds now, and may even think it will have some of the intrigue of "Eastern Promises." Be warned and stay away. Scene continuity is lousy and the storyline too generic to trifle with. How about some real editing? How about some DIRECTING to make this seem like something other than an appalling readthrough? Two stars instead of one merely because of Hurley. Serious moviegoers will be deeply offended by "Viktor," the only film I've even seen that seems to have been all shot in a single awful take.

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• A bit of a stinker

  chinalarry-227-3207432015-01-31

  I would give a point to Elizabeth but for the rest, direction; production; styling and last, acting, nothing! He may be a 'huge presence' on screen, but GD is woeful in this outing. Reminiscent of the B pictures of yesteryear, it has nothing to recommend you wasting your your time, even to look for a laugh. Shame on DP to p..s on his audience this time rather than elsewhere. Popular film makers this bunch of Russian; French and the occasional English are not. Maybe they should re-issue as B&W? Add something to the sound? Just joking, if ever a movie was a dead duck this is it. Would bet it will put GD on the last rung of the 'must have a look at the DVD'.

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