REVIEW - A LONG AND HAPPY LIFE

A short and unhappy film, which at least acknowledges the banality of its unhappiness and the prosaicness with which it approaches its story in being so short. Boris Khlebnikov's film is, narratively and thematically, ever on the verge of expanding into something of considerable depth, passion and significance, though tonally, Khlebnikov's admirable and possibly appropriate detachment restrains any of said passion from breaking through. Maybe he was alert to the triviality of the plot. Maybe he intentionally tried to create a film of startlingly low impact. How futile it is to search this film for answers, since its vague social awareness is the closest it gets to ever implying anything beyond the strict details of what occurs before the camera lens. Khlebnikov has, however, mastered that cool, enigmatic style of filmmaking favoured by a number of contemporary Russian filmmakers, in response to the more lavish styles of many of their colleagues and predecessors. It's just a shame to see him apply it to a screenplay so spare it has the air of a skeleton draft, a blueprint upon which to build, a short film devoid of all context and much content. In its brevity, A Long and Happy Life is at least able to sustain some sense of tension and importance, as one awaits impending developments that might give purpose or prestige to what material we have witnessed. And then the film reaches a curious climax, absurdly positioned as the culmination of all that has so far come to pass - a more intelligently thought-out reason behind this event may have served as a sturdy springboard off of which to launch a more compelling story. Quite literally, this was the verge of expansion into a film of considerable depth, passion and significance. A Long and Happy Life is simply none of those things.