Something truly hideous is being hidden under snowy graves, and from where it came, from who put it there, and why sustains this mystery set in communist Moscow. For militia officer William Hurt, the discovery of three dead bodies with the faces removed is a horrific sight, and hoping that the KGB will take the case off of his hands proves false. The presence of two Americans (Lee Marvin and Brian Dennehy) adds more mystery to the case, with Dennehy blaming Hurt for killing his brother and Marvin somehow connected in ways that Hurt can only guess.Every time he seems closer to solving the case, a key witness or partner is brutally murdered, leaving only a beautiful Russian girl (Joanna Pacula) as a key witness.
This intriguing but convoluted thriller keeps your attention but can get rather frustrating as it twists until it really begins to get painful. The Russian location shooting is beautiful (everything there seems huge!), and even in just speaking English with slight accents, the American actors playing Russians are believable. Marvin, playing a rather perverted character, is commanding, especially when discussing his love of sable, Hurt is understandably perplexed and disgusted, and Dennehy shows how to non-act and maintain your attention even when not saying a word. Pacula, as well, is interesting, and its obvious that everyone under Michael Apted's direction was challenged by the material. However, it has an ugly premise and the convoluted motivations just don't gel when all is revealed. This is the type of film that you might view once, but afterwards file it away to never pick up again.
This intriguing but convoluted thriller keeps your attention but can get rather frustrating as it twists until it really begins to get painful. The Russian location shooting is beautiful (everything there seems huge!), and even in just speaking English with slight accents, the American actors playing Russians are believable. Marvin, playing a rather perverted character, is commanding, especially when discussing his love of sable, Hurt is understandably perplexed and disgusted, and Dennehy shows how to non-act and maintain your attention even when not saying a word. Pacula, as well, is interesting, and its obvious that everyone under Michael Apted's direction was challenged by the material. However, it has an ugly premise and the convoluted motivations just don't gel when all is revealed. This is the type of film that you might view once, but afterwards file it away to never pick up again.