2015 Sep 16
Child 44 is a mystery and suspense movie with a politically charged plot directed by Daniel Espinosa and is based on a bestselling novel written by Tom Rob Smith. It is set in Stalin’s 1952 Soviet Russia and highlights the political manipulation and blind obedience that took place during that time.
Secret police agent Leo Demidov (Tom Hardy) faces a series of crises of true conscience when he is asked to choose between denouncing his own wife, Raisa (Noomi Rapace), who has been allegedly accused of being a traitor, and securing his power and status in Moscow. He also rebelliously hunts down a serial killer who preys on young boys and is ignored by the law and state as they refuse to accept that there actually is murder taking place in ‘paradise’.
Child 44 has an interesting and provoking storyline. However, it lacked consistency in relation to the pace of the movie and wasn’t true to the core plot in which more significance should’ve been applied to the maddened serial killer and Demidov’s fight for justice. The captivating storyline of the corruption that takes place among the officials, how carelessly lives are taken and the thrill and risk of fighting the law itself for true justice lacked that certain oomph that would keep you glued to the screen.
Nevertheless, the performance was brilliant. With actors from all parts of the world, and none from Russia itself, the execution of the Russian accent and stature by them is commendable; which is not surprising as the cast was enriched with excellent actors such as Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman and Joel Kinnaman.
Child 44 did not live up to the expectations that the trailer created for it by portraying it as a gruesome and sadistic thriller. It was more of a dramatic thriller which emphasised on the commitment made to one and other through marriage, as the Demidov’s were a couple that did not enjoy true romance, the disastrous control that the people in power had over the common man and how blind obedience can sickeningly pull humanity apart. As I said before, maybe if the movie had more hair standing up and goose bumps on your arms moments then the few boring scenes that brought the standard of the movie down would’ve be non-existent.
All in all it was a good movie with a good storyline and good actors. It just lacked that consistency in grabbing the audience’s attention throughout as it failed to fully highlight the core and most intense plot. I don’t regret watching it and would recommend watching it because even with its shortcoming the performance and the message that was given to the audience through the movie was impressive. But you can check out the trailer for yourself and be the real judge… but know that the trailer seems to give a slightly overrated and intense idea compared to the actual movie itself. Enjoy!
by Yasonil Piyatissa
