Pu-239 (2006) User Reviews

Movie shown on HBO as "PU-239"

[fmadams · 8/10 · 18 December 2007]

This is what Indie films are all about. An excellent flick, acting, plot, script, and all else very well done. On HBO this movie is billed as PU-239 so keep an eye out for it, but be careful what you inhale while watching it!

Having been a physics major I can state that as far as the science goes the movie is loyal. Science, however, is just background. This movie is really about the human spirit continually battling against despair; the human condition and the lengths we will go to kill one another and to love one another; human ignorance and human intelligence, but without humility, and the trouble it will get us all into; and "in the end, everything decays into lead", like bullets, and the fact that no one gets out alive.

Silkwood Meets Eastern Promises

[jzappa · 7/10 · 24 February 2008]

PU-239 is one of those movies where you find yourself without much to say about it. Paddy Considine, Oscar Isaac, Stephen Berkoff, and Radha Mitchell give decent performances and the film is not badly directed, but what cinema should do that PU-239 does not is leave you with a passionate reaction. I found that after having watched it, it was more like it was something on a list that I could check off and move on rather than an experience or an entertainment. It isn't even boring. It just doesn't reach. That's the reason why one feels so indifferent towards it. The plot is interesting:

Considine plays a family man who works at a top-secret, worryingly shabby plutonium plant in a Russian town after the fall of the Soviet Union, and he's exposed to radiation while trying to stop a malfunction. The facility's managers try to convince Considine and also themselves that his exposure was a survivable 100 REMs, while accusing him of sabotage and suspending him without pay, but his colleagues help him discover the truth, which is that he was exposed to ten times the amount of radiation that the managers maintained he had. It's stated by one character in the movie that people in Hiroshima were exposed to less.

So, with only days to live, and not letting his wife, played by Mitchell, know of his fate, Considine goes to Moscow. He hooks up with a small-time gangster, played by Isaac, who is in a great predicament himself, in hopes of finding someone to whom he can sell a vial of weapons-grade plutonium he has stolen from his plant so that he can send money back to his family to secure their future, though he states various times that his town is not on the map, which makes it unfeasible to send his letter home, much less any money. What's interesting about the dynamic between Considine and Isaac is that they never really form a bond, one being earnestly cooperative in his final days of life and one being frantic for his own interests to survive an almost as likely fate. Yet, they both have the interests of a wife and child in mind and have the same drive under those circumstances.

But the Russian mobsters are too cinematic for a story as real and historical as this one. They do things only Guy Ritchie, Quentin Tarantino, and David Mamet characters do, especially Isaac's boss, who delivers a silly, unrealistic monologue when he first appears that in reality would have his listeners lost.

This is not a bad film. It just minimizes the effect it could've had.

Recurring themes and great films

[lastliberal · 7/10 · 18 November 2007]

I don't know what it is this weekend, but I have tasted films from France (La Haine), Korea (Boksuneun naui geot), Canada (Eve and the Fire Horse), and now, Romania, albeit a US film. Three have revenge themes, two have multicultural themes, two deal with needed kidney transplants, and they all deal with family. There are many things in these films that make you want to think and think hard. Sure, there is also a lot of humor, but it never gets in the way of the themes.

Paddy Considine (The Bourne Ultimatum, Hot Fuzz) gets screwed big-time at work. He is exposed to 1000 rems of plutonium. He knows he only has days to live and his bosses are not interested in doing anything but covering their butts. Sound familiar? Anyway, he steals 100 grams of PU-236 to help his family.

At the same time, there are three low-level thugs who are also dying. They have 72 hours to pay off the big boss for their mistake. One of them, Shiv (Oscar Isaac) comes in contact with Timofey, and stumbles through a plan to solve both their problems.

A comedy of errors ensues with Shiv's partners, Jason Flemyng (The Red Violin, Transporter 2) and Jordan Long. These two are just about the dumbest thieves in the business and they get a fantastic high at the end that will have you rolling on the floor.

Comedy and tragedy mix well in Scott Z. Burns's (The Bourne Ultimatum, An Inconvenient Truth) film. It is a shame that it probably won't get a theatrical release.

And, it's a real treat to see Radha Mitchell (Silent Hill, Man on Fire).

Dark and Depressive Story

[claudio_carvalho · 7/10 · 29 August 2011]

In Russia, the technician and family man Timofey (Paddy Considine) is exposed to 1,000 REMS (Radiation Exposure Monitoring Systems) of radiation in the nuclear facility where he works. The facility director hides the level of exposure from Timofey and tries to force him to assume the blame for the accident and puts Timofey in unpaid leave.

Aware that the exposure is lethal and feeling the sickness of radiation, Timofey steals 100 mg of plutonium and heads to Moscow expecting to sell it in the black market per US$ 30,000.00 to give to his wife Marina (Radha Mitchell) and his seven year-old son Tolya (Danya Baryshnikov).

Meanwhile, the smalltime criminal Shiv (Oscar Isaac) and the gangsters Vlad (Jason Flemyng) and Yegor (Jordan Long) need to pay US$ 6,000.00 to the powerful mobster Starkov (Steven Berkoff) in 72 hours. When Shiv meets Timofey trying to sell the PU-239, he sees the chance to pay his debts and make some money. But he is incompetent and gets in trouble with powerful mobsters.

"PU-239" is a dark and depressive story about a family man that is exposed to lethal doses of radiation. His desperation with his situation leads him to try to raise money to improve the lives of his wife and his son selling plutonium that he has stolen from the nuclear plant. But his useless associate is unable to sell the good. The result is tragic and ironic, with a questionable black humor, in a weird combination of drama and comedy. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "PU-239"

A very true film, with the right doze of sarcasm

[elena-kuyumdjian · 7/10 · 29 November 2009]

I really liked the film. I am not sure if it is a Hollywood production or not, but it is giving the feeling of an European, even Russian film product. As a Bulgarian, and near to the type of living it is so true. there is no exaggeration, no overacting, no fake. The plot and the tone and the right high doze of sarcasm make you wait to see the next scene and the next and the next. I did feel the film very deeply. It is a film that will be somehow hard to be grasped by non-soviet block person. In fact this was and still is the reality - very well and interestingly depicted. It brings out the essence that we are humans, that we are weak and strong, that the system can crush you a lot, but still you are human. I would strongly to recommend this film to be watched

Excellent, compelling drama, great acting, solid script. What else is there to ask for? Watch it!

[mnscout2002 · 10/10 · 17 November 2007]

AKA PU-239. A gem of a movie that deserves much more attention than (unfortunately) it's going to get. Honestly, I can't find any faults in this movie. OK, maybe, the mobster characters are a little bit over the top, but just a little, and it's a good thing. More entertaining. The script has obviously been written by someone who knows what he's talking about. Writing, acting, directing are all superb. It's the first intelligent "Russian" movie coming from Hollywood in ages. Too bad, not many people will see it due to the total lack of marketing from HBO. I got to watch it by accident while doing thoughtless channel flipping. Glad, I did.

Good movie..thoughtful..different

[rdambroso · 7/10 · 31 December 2007]

I didn't have high expectations here. It was on cable, and relatively unknown. This wasn't a great movie, but it was good. I thought the character development was done well, the acting was good, and the plot was well, er, OK. I guess this was based on a short story, so it must have been troubling to develop this into a full length (almost) feature film. We used the familyometer on this one. My wife gave it a pass within 5 minutes, but my daughter and I gave it a shot. She really liked it, I liked it, and it didn't grab my wife at all. There was a very funny scene which I won't give details on which involved a scene where a Russian was commenting on all things American. He made obscure connections between several recognizable names in our culture, and really did a hack job of it, but it was one of the lighter moments. The heavier moments were dark, and sad. I would recommend seeing it. If you make it past the first 10 minutes, you will probably enjoy it as I did.

Great Film

[sbthomas-2 · 10/10 · 24 November 2007]

Based on a short story by Ken Kalfus, PU-239 is about a man who worked all of his adult life in a nuclear processing facility, only to find himself contaminated beyond hope of survival because the plant is literally falling apart. Faced with precious little time to look out for his family's future, a good man does a bad thing, by stealing a small quantity of weapons grade plutonium to sell on the black market. His journey takes him to Moscow,where he must deal with Russian mobsters and street thugs while trying to survive long enough to make a transaction.

The film is filled with little facts about the power and dangers of radiation, and examples of the affect that perestroika has had on Russian society. The plot takes many turns as the main characters find themselves in one ironic situation after another. While the details may be contrived (hey - it's a movie), the basic plot is very plausible and the scary thing is how much enriched plutonium is actually unaccounted for in the former USSR.

I feel sure this film will be made available on DVD someday. But if you have access to HBO, watch it now. If you like dark satire and science, this films for you.

Somber and decent.

[Vic_max · 6/10 · 22 November 2007]

This movie was OK. It was not quite great, but interesting enough to be a bit above average. It starts out great, but then settles into a kind of blandness for the rest of the film.

Basically, the movie is about a man who is exposed to a lethal dose of radiation in a nuclear power plant in Russia. Knowing he is going to die soon, he absconds with a small amount of plutonium and attempts to sell it on the black market ... all to help provide for his family.

If the plot sounds interesting, the movie somehow drains the intensity out of it. The middle 90% of the movie is basically uneventful and focused on a slightly deranged mob-related fellow that the main character meets. More than anything, the movie depicts the degenerating state of affairs of two very different individuals who get linked up.

The movie is somewhat interesting and unusual, but I can't find a good reason to recommend it. If you end up watching it for a little while, just keep in mind, it won't get any better.

Great potential - disappointing outcome

[info-43610 · 4/10 · 12 December 2019]

I had great expectations for this movie. The story was promising and I thought that the great Paddy Considine as the protagonist would mean a compelling execution.

This is basically two different movies edited together. One part is great, the other not so much.

There are some great scenes in the first half of the movie. But the script is honestly a terrible mashup. It starts as a heartfelt dramatic depiction of a family cast into great troubles but then out of nowhere appears a bunch of thugs that even Guy Richie cut out for being too ridiculous. Considine together with parts of the cast are great, doing the best of the disjointed and sometimes plain stupid script. However, not even he can save this movie.

The writer/director very much would have needed a producer that could tell him to get his stuff together. Trying to combine drama and stupid dark comedy doesn't work unless the director is a genius. Scott Z Burns is not a genius.

Also, please lose the stupid "russian" accents.

Triumphant Success

[muaddibjsk · 9/10 · 6 April 2008]

"Pu-239", or "The Half Life of Timofey Berezin" is a film set in post cold war Russia. A land ruled by competing Russian Mafia factions and run by aging, failing nuclear power plants. Timofey Berezin, a nuclear power plant technician finds himself exposed to an excessive amount of radiation caused from a near failure at the plant he works at. Eventually he learns that his company has lied to him about the extent of the exposure and he only has a matter of days to live before being overcome from radiation sickness and poisoning. His one mission is to secure a safe and healthy future for his wife and son that he will be leaving behind. His solution, steal a small amount of weapons grade plutonium (Pu-239) with the intent to sell it on the black market in Moscow, and give the money to his family. Timofey is played by actor Paddy Considine, most recently known for his role as the reporter Simon Ross in "The Bourne Ultimatum". Considine's portrayal of Timofey has similarities to that of Simon Ross. However, where Ross seemed to be the naive innocent victim of circumstances way beyond his expectations, he plays Timofey as a humble innocent man trying to serve his duty to his country, people and family, yet when faced with a horrific situation, he meets it head on with unswerving determination and resolve. The humanity and innocence mixed with cold steely tenacity that Considine brings to this character is haunting and brilliant. A truly beautiful and powerful performance. Timofey's wife, Marina is played by Radha Mitchell, an actress I have always found to have tremendous depth and power. Though many of her roles in the past seem to me to be beneath her potential (i.e. "Pitch Black", "Silent Hill") she always seems to shine through with grit and an immense presence. Pu-239 is no exception to this. Though the role is fairly minor, her abilities make it shine out bright and true in this film. Also featured prominently is the character of Shiv, played by relative newcomer Oscar Isaac. Though initially, Shiv's character seems like an obvious comic relief spot in what is otherwise a haunting and depressing world we eventually see a much greater depth to him. On the surface he seems like a two bit punk playing at being a big time Russian gangster. Yet we see in numerous instances a much more troubled and torn soul. Shiv is a man forced into his role of hustler/strongman who seems to be yearning to understand how to be a strong provider for his son and girlfriend. Though he does everything he can to hide this emotional "weakness" from those around him we see it time and time again play out in his desperation and hope for a life beyond what he has found. The clash of Shiv and Timofey's characters is a profound one. One is a man that has become an educated yet unappreciated (and eventually abandoned) scientist, who has given his life for his loved ones. The other, a criminal dealing in extortion and prostitution, desperately trying to save his hopeless life. Yet when sitting side by side, one can't ignore the similarities between them. Both in hopeless struggles for their own lives, and both yearning to provide something better for those they care for. Two starkly different paths, converged to a single moment and place in time. The shining star in this film though, are the poetic monologues placed throughout. Read by Considine, these profound thoughts on a nuclear world, a world where utter annihilation rests in a silent, invisible force that "rewrites your very DNA", resonate in an eerie, forbidding and ominous tone. They flow through this film so subtly you almost miss the power and potency of them until, like aftershocks, their ghostly beauty crashes upon the listeners consciousness. First time director, Scott Burns (co-writer of "The Bourne Ultimatum") artistically contrasts, in both music and color, the bleak hopeless life of Timofey with the flashy, colorful, yet hollow and meaningless life of Shiv. Beautiful imagery, awe inspiring monologues, and powerfully acted characters fill the screen of "Pu-239". For a team of relative newcomers, "Pu-239" is a triumphant success.

The Nuclear Genie in the Hands of Oafs

[Jaybird248 · 23 November 2007]

I also came across this movie as I channel surfed. Didn't even know the name of it, but was fascinated by it's authenticity, being filmed behind the former Iron Curtain.

Russia has always been a paradox, in many ways a 3rd world nation, yet a military superpower. The themes it dealt with, the worthlessness of the individual, the carelessness of dealing with unbelievably dangerous substances in such an offhand way, the ass-covering behavior of bureaucrats, the stupidity of the Russian mafia, all are classic and well developed in the film. All are characteristic of Russia, yet this story could have happened anywhere. Really scares you to think that, given the bell curve of any group of humans, the nuclear genie is actually in the hands of such oafs.

Worth watching, worth talking and thinking about.

Funny and so Serious

[patigerjet · 6/10 · 21 May 2008]

From most of the prior comments the movie definitely has some positive elements about it including 100 grams of snort-able weapons grade Plutonium. Personally I expected little from a movie named after an atomic element but was surprised to find it a bit engrossing. Some found the dual story lines of the sickened nuclear factory worker and the Russian mobsters to be a bit too much. I found the narrative switches to be entertaining. With Timofey, the "glowing" and disgruntled plant worker, there is the heavy but poetic monologues of particles and light waves, a rather clever analogy of his crumbling life and his love for his family with basic nuclear physics. While most of the bungling Russian mafia characters and scenes were rather entertaining. Shiv, a fast talking bottom feeding street mobster, is a pathetic character that you almost can almost sympathize with. Shiv's attempt on teaching life's lessons to his young son while riding down a mall escalator was a funny nuance moment that starts with a Jesse James story and morphs into a confused connection with Jesse Jackson, Micheal Jackson, the Jackson 5, and finally Andrew Jackson. That somewhat hilarious scene itself is enough to lighten up the movie but then there also the comical street address confusion of "7" with "1" incident. Top that of with character Tusk's amusing little mafia business lecture to Shiv and his cohorts, which feels like a cheap late night infomercial testimony, and the movie could be considered a dark comedy with heavy elements...literally.

Disappointing blend of tragedy & slapstick

[wcf2302 · 3/10 · 23 June 2008]

There were 2 possibly-good movies in there, but the filmmakers unwisely chose to combine them into a whole that is much less than the sum of its parts. The tragic plight of the nuclear worker and his family should have been in a different movie from the hilarious criminal enterprises of the Russian thugs. And poor Shiv-- bouncing between them-- I didn't know whether to laugh or cry during his scenes. I half-expected the gun at the end to fire a BANG sign. 3 stars for the acting of the nuclear worker, his wife, and the Mutt and Jeff thugs, but minus 7 stars for putting them in the same film. What a disappointment. Shame on HBO.

Hang in there

[jamerkk · 7/10 · 16 August 2019]

If you read the reviews you will see that not everybody liked this movie but if you hang in there, close to the end you will see a scene that makes it all worthwhile.

Sad story with many funny moments

[Indyrod · 7/10 · 24 September 2008]

Interesting movie, taking place in a secret city in Russia with a nuclear facility, and an accident which inflicts a worker (Paddy Considine) with a massive dose of radiation. After he gets fired without pay, he manages to steal some plutonium and sets out to sell it on Moscow's black market with the help of an incompetent criminal. His plan goes very wrong as his body gets worse and worse, and the deal he was trying to make to send the money home to his Wife (Radha Mitchell) ends up with a rather humorous note as some thugs think it's coke and snort it. The movie is in no way a comedy, but the incompetent Russian mob guys give it some rather funny moments.

This film filled my expectations

[cranberry_dude · 8/10 · 18 November 2007]

This film filled my expectations; when i saw that kind of title i thought this movie was going to be different-and it was. A semi-foreign style to it, PU-239 try to tells us the story of this guy that gets radiation poisoning in this secret facility, with plutonium, and how it affects his relation to his family. The only thing i actually didn't like(because the movie tells some interesting facts about the chemical elements among other things and that's a plus to the movie) was the addition to a gang-like story to collide with this guy's(Timofey)search for justice and money to sustain his family due to being fired from the facility; it wasn't necessary that addition, i would've liked it better if it were more concentrated on Timofey. But overall is a must-see movie, not a great one but a worthy watching at home.

special

[Kirpianuscus · 13 February 2018]

Irony near sarcasm. precise portrait of a sort of Est who, at first sigh, could seems only a sketch. remember of a gray reality . slices from Kusturica and mobsters. and a moving pledge for basic values, almost magic, bitter and strange, dramatic and out of ordinaries expectations. because , against many common points with so many films about the post - Sovietic Russia, "Pu-239" has the virtue to be , first, a honest story. that defines it . and it is the great motif to see it.

Very well done. Very depressing too. Pointless maybe?

[davidtraversa-1 · 7/10 · 30 May 2011]

Dark and grim. Excellent performances. I didn't know any of the actors, so that made the experience more intense. They were to me the real characters of a very dismal film, almost as if I was watching a documentary.

I think the only two redeemable characters are the husband and wife --with their little boy-- while all the rest of the coterie are as awful as they come.

What horrible people! and the richer they were the more disgusting and vulgar they seemed to be! I think nobody accomplishes anything in this story, and if some of them did before we get to know them, living in supernatural riches and comfort --easy money-- it didn't last too long...

Interesting movie, although I don't really get the point of watching the ups and downs of such depressing characters.

One thing bothered me throughout the whole film: Why do they insist --English spoken films-- in having "foreigners" speaking English (as if it was the native tongue) with an accent of the real "native" language (whichever country they represent in a movie)??

That makes the whole movie phony, because no "native" of any country speaks his mother tongue with an accent.

Elemental Watson.

excellent

[dawin45 · 10/10 · 28 November 2007]

It fills my heart to see such great drama... especially of man that steals for his own family's safety and wealth...and there's another guy that has to pay back the dept of his stupidity to a big gangster pimp... but in all that drama there was a comic glitch in it when the thugs of that Indian guy...started inhaling plutonium because they where thinking it was cocaine...I can't believe this was made in Romania...Well all the structures look kind of Romanian but the skyscrapers that where borrowed from Moscow where fake because Bucharest doesn't have skyscrapers...

This Movie should have won some awards if you ask me...

What's The Point?

[AudioFileZ · 5/10 · 23 June 2019]

Well, I guess entertainment is the point because at first I thought it would attempt to be a near reality story of espionage. Instead it's a good story about a worker in the Soviet nuclear power industry who was wrongly blamed for a atomic energy plant accident (i.e. he was doing a heroic deed to avert the worst outcome actually). As one who has researched, and seen Chernobyl, this rings true as no one takes blame - or responsibility for things like this in Russia. It's always some other comrades fault. Well, this particular comrade shouldn't have been treated like a used piece of tissue because he has access to weapons grade plutonium. Since he's been summarily excused without pay from his job as well as shamed he must do the unthinkable and sell the plutonium so his family will have a living after his death. This is a good story that may actually be possible. Now things take a turn I personally didn't like.

That turn is lets make it a gangster comedy/drama. We'll have a thug thresome who really hasn't made the grade with their overlords due to their bungling things. Is this a comedy? It's simply not funny so I hope not. I hated all three of the thugs that were Russian Mafio wannabes. I hated the two Godfather types (one young, one old) and the whole thing involving these character never went anywhere that served the first story of the guy attempting to sell the atomic dust.

This is one of those flicks some will still find just fine I think. I can't be so generous no matter if it did have some occasional good. I think you should watch something which actually seems like it knows where it's going like the spy drama ( no thriller ) The Catcher Was A Spy. It's at least focused and I'd say 90% real unlike this mess.

Hard and Harsh portrayal

[sergepesic · 9/10 · 26 May 2009]

Russia in the early 1990's was a scary place, maybe even scarier than during communism. The whole system broke down completely, and the ruthless thugs ran the country without any scruples. This is a story about a decent man exposed to lethal dose of radiation, who doesn't have anybody to turn to in his predicament. So in order to provide some future for his family, he steals 100 grams of plutonium to sell on a black market. Needless to say nothing goes as planned. This is a hard and harsh portrayal of Russia under Boris Yeltcin( the sweetheart of the West). His corrupt regime enabled his cronies to still Russia blind. Excellent acting in-spite of exaggerating accents. Another winner from HBO.

Trash fantasy filled with cheap cliches

[elena-217-661651 · 3/10 · 1 August 2018]

Non-science fantasy, preposterous, weak plot, amateur acting, but may be that was the intent? Cheap trash. Completely disappointing! Perfect for trash fiction lovers though.

Remarkable and astounding movie

[wildaly14 · 8/10 · 20 November 2007]

Saw this film by chance on HBO, mostly just to see what it was about and not really planning to see it all the way and I found myself watching the whole thing as it turned out to be a truly remarkable film. As written in the plot outline, the story is about a worker at a nuclear facility who gets contaminated with plutonium.

Though the actual movie is about what happens after the man is exposed, since the scene where he gets infected is actually only the first 5 minutes of the movie. The film goes back and forth between the story of this man, Timofey, and a seemingly unimportant situation that arises between a group of three incompetent thugs. Soon enough, we witness one of these thugs, Shiv, as his own story is revealed, create some depth into a character one might think was utterly unimportant. The plot of the movie revolves around the fact that Timofey, after being laid off from his work without pay and no compensation even after his exposure to the plutonium, specifically PU-236 after which the film is named, decides to steal 100 grams of plutonium from the same facility he works at.

As for the acting, I say that the entire cast does a quite good job at giving us a glimpse into this underworld at the other side of the world that really isn't that different from our own. Timofey's narration, though it seemed strange at first, as the story developed gave us insight not only into his mind but to some very true in the facts of life. As for Radha Mitchell, who was the only actress I recognized in the ensemble, though that does not make the film any weaker by obscurity of the rest, turns in a subtle and shrewd performance that in my opinion really brings a lot of emotional depth into the film to add to Timofey's story. The film is not without its funny moments which are delivered by the incompetent thugs as well as Shiv.

I will also take note of the score of the film for its subtlety since it is truly barely noticeable though at the same time truly brilliant.

One cannot really say what this movie will say to you or if you will get anything from it at all. In my case, it moved me incredibly and brought about a whole new outlook on some issues that I'm sure many know absolutely nothing about. As mentioned before, Timothy's narration brings about some very memorable quotes and I'm surprised none have been added yet to the Plot & Quotes section.

I'm not sure if this movie is currently available anywhere else other than HBO, but if you do manage to come by it, I HIGHLY recommend it and I'm sure that the ending alone makes it worth the watch.

A compelling film

[JayPatton88 · 8/10 · 6 August 2020]

The main character, by tragedy, is forced to look after his family in a criminal way. The topic very real and super scary.