Viktor (film)

Viktor (Russian: Виктор) is a 2014 Franco/Russian film written and directed by Philippe Martinez. Starring Gérard Depardieu and Elizabeth Hurley, the film premiered 2 September 2014, in Moscow and debuted in New York City on 24 October 2014. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] The project was filmed entirely in Russia and,[8] being set in Moscow,[9] it was filmed in locations in both Moscow and the Chechen capital of Grozny.[10][11]

Viktor
Viktor film poster
Виктор
Directed byPhilippe Martinez
Produced by
  • Arnaud Frilley
  • Blanche Neumann
  • Alain Monne
Written byPhilippe Martinez
Starring
Music by
  • Frédéric Dunis
  • Arnaud Frilley
CinematographyJean-François Hensgens
Edited byThomas Fernandez
Production
company
  • B-Tween
  • Baboushka Film
  • Kapara Pictures
Distributed by
  • Inception Media Group
  • Saradan Media
Release date
  • 2 September 2014 (2014-09-02)
  • 24 October 2014 (2014-10-24)
Running time
134 miniutes
Country
  • Russia
  • France
Language
  • English
  • Russian

Production

London-based production company Saradan Media announced 15 May 2013, that Liz Hurley and Gérard Depardieu were about to begin filming an action film project in Russia under a working title of Turquoise and directed by Philippe Martinez.[12] On 22 May Saradan Media revealed that "Tourquoise" and Viktor were the same project.[13] Filming began in Grozny on Saturday 18 May 2013, with expectations that the film would be released in late 2013.[14] The film actually released in Russia in September 2014.[15]

Synopsis

The plot revolves around the story of a former gangster Victor Lambert (Gérard Depardieu), a professional thief specializing in the theft of works of art. After serving prison time in France for an art heist, he returns to his Russian home to investigate the circumstances surrounding the brutal murder of his son Jeremy (Jean Baptiste Fillon) three months earlier. He enlists the assistance of his former accomplice Alexandra Ivanov (Elizabeth Hurley).

Cast
  • Gérard Depardieu as Victor Lambert
  • Elizabeth Hurley as Alexandra Ivanov
  • Eli Danker as Souliman
  • Polina Kuzminskaya as Katerina
  • Evgeniya Akhremenko as Inspector Plutova
  • Igor Yatsko as Police Officer Vadim
  • Frédéric Ducastel as shooter, bad guy
  • Jean Baptiste Fillon as Jeremy
  • Pavel Klimov as Egor
  • Marika Gvilava as Tatiana
  • Marcello Mazzarella as Claudio Martelli
  • Denis Karasyov as Anton Belinskiy
  • Kait Tenison as Herself
  • Alexei Petrenko as Vetrov

Critical response

Rotten Tomatoes gave the film a metascore rating of 27, based upon generally poor reviews.[16] The film was very not well received in France,[17][18] and generally considered a flop in its US release, with many US sources describing Depardieu's girth as making him unbelievable as an action hero.

The Detroit News wrote "In his younger days, Depardieu had a burly charm, but the dude is 65 now and has to weigh 300 pounds. He looks ludicrous in action sequences". The Hollywood Reporter wrote "Depardieu, age 65 and looking like he can barely move due to his massive girth..."[5] continuing "the film is relentlessly tedious when it's not being laughable", sharing that the "latter aspect is exemplified by the supposed romantic relationship between the morbidly obese Depardieu and the gorgeous Hurley, whose adoring gazes toward her co-star demonstrate that her acting abilities have perhaps been underestimated".[5] San Francisco Weekly wrote "The 66-year-old Depardieu was no action hero even in his prime, and as his girth now rivals Paul Masson-era Orson Welles, we're meant to believe he strikes fear into his enemies".[6] Film Journal International writes of the film's weak points, stating "...sadly, the problem is Depardieu, who lumbers through the film looking as though he's tormented by indigestion rather than a lust for vengeance",[7] and toward the film, "Viktor is surprisingly dull".[7] They did, however, speak well toward the film's cinematography, expressing pleasure at the director's "delivering the genre staples – car chases, gun battles, a little torture (a reluctant informer), female flesh and endless dark alleys and mean streets – and Moscow is wall-to-wall with photo ops, from the winding Neva River to the Cathedral of St. Basil, which has made so many movie appearances it should be getting above-the-title billing".[7] And The Los Angeles Times wrote that seeing "the film's corpulent, 65-year-old star, Gérard Depardieu, play a brash killing machine who beds the likes of the gorgeous Elizabeth Hurley is truly like entering some cinematic Bizarro world. Think Charles Durning as Dirty Harry".[8] The reviewer wrote the film was a "hackneyed jumble ... a fiery car chase, a couple of shootouts and an eyes-averting torture scene fill this competently shot movie's action quota. But a tone-switching epilogue proves hokey — and a little spooky".[8] CBS News noted that while film was "beautifully shot" and director of photography Jean-Francois Hensgens brought out "the stunning Russian landscape"; however, the film's beauty was "brought down by the clunky dialogue and the slow, plodding plot".[9]

References
  1. Long, Tom (22 October 2014). "Gerard Depardieu flops as an action hero in 'Viktor'". The Detroit News. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  2. King, Danny (22 October 2014). "With Viktor, Gérard Depardieu Gets His Own Taken". The Village Voice. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  3. staff (24 October 2014). "Gerard Depardieu is out for blood in 'Viktor'". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  4. Neumaier, Joe (24 October 2014). "'Viktor,' movie review". New York Daily News. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  5. Scheck, Frank (23 October 2014). "'Viktor': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  6. Connelly, Sherilyn (21 October 2014). ""Viktor": Gerard Depardieu Makes for a Hilarious Action Star". San Francisco Weekly. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  7. staff (23 October 2013). "Film Review: Viktor". Film Journal International. Retrieved 23 March 2014.
  8. Goldstein, Gary (23 October 2014). "Review: 'Viktor' a hackneyed avenging-dad action flick". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 22 March 2014.
  9. McKinney, Mike (23 October 2014). ""Viktor" Movie Review". CBS News. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  10. Rapold, Nicolas (23 October 2014). "How Do You Say 'Rough Customers' in Russian?". The New York Times. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  11. Herszenhorn, David M. (21 May 2013). "Depardieu, Newly a Russian, Will Play Frenchman in Chechnya". The New York Times. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  12. Hawksley, Rupert (15 May 2013). "Gérard Depardieu set to star alongside Liz Hurley in new Russian thriller". The Telegraph. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  13. staff. "VIKTOR (a.k.a. Turquoise) in the News: The Moscow Times". Saradan Media. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  14. staff (22 May 2013). "Depardieu Defends Chechnya After Boston Bombing". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  15. Porter, Sergei (4 September 2014). "New Film Starring French Actor Gerard Depardieu Hits Russian Theaters". The Moscow Times. Retrieved 23 March 2015.
  16. staff. "VIKTOR (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved 26 March 2015.
  17. Andersen, Odd (5 November 2014). "Le bide de l'année ? Le dernier film de Gérard Depardieu fait... 77 entrées". Sud-Ouest (in French). Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  18. staff (11 November 2014). "Gérard Depardieu se prend un râteau aux Etats-Unis En galère au pays de l'Oncle Sam". Voici (in French). Retrieved 22 March 2015.
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