Review of Child 44 (2015) by Jeffrey M — 29 Feb 2016

Ambitious, but utterly effective and insightful, Child 44 is a slow-burn thriller that serves as an equally effective historical piece. Set in post-world War II Soviet Russia and based on the novel of the same name, Child 44 follows the exploits of a mid-level Soviet secret police agent, Leo Demidov, who finds himself mired in two controversies-one involving the suspected treason by his wife, and the other regarding a string of child murders the State refuses to acknowledge for, as Stalin would say, "There are no murders in paradise".

Of all the things Child 44 does right, I found the greatest to be the accurate and devastating picture it painted of Stalin-era Soviet Russia. It was a brutal time, a time of poverty, paranoia, secrecy, and self-delusion. Stalin was a monster, and his regime monstrous. For what are likely a number of reasons, Hollywood has shied away from depicting its injustices. Child 44, however, captured all of this, and did so with skillful nuance and through the eyes of one of the regime's brighter men-who must contend with his own better judgement every day. This historical backdrop amplified the other plots at hand, and makes for enthralling viewing.

The direction is methodical and does a strong job with pacing what is otherwise a very large plot, a plot that encompasses a litany of subplots and inter-character dynamics. What perhaps anchor this the most are the performances, with a masterful cast. For his part, Tom Hardy stole the show, inhibiting every scene with an undeniable presence. This, combined with sharp cinematography, make for a film that is compelling from start to finish.

Is the film perfect? No, it can rightfully be described as "overstuffed" and a bit bloated with its running time. There are moments, to be sure, when one thinks-I bet this worked better as a novel. There were a couple of points where the film could've ended, but didn't-and that is to its detriment. With that granted, I still felt it did quite a strong job staying coherent and indeed, poignant, despite a hefty script.

Excellent.

4/5 Stars.