Tgrain Balabanov's Brother 1 and 2 were hailed as one of the most innovative Russian thrillers ever. Unfortunately, "Zhmurki" (Blind Man's Bluff) fails to live up to that same level of achievement despite its talented, visible cast and some colorful characters - always a Balabanov strength.The two main leads are interesting, with Dyuzhev's character being an effective blend of Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver and Dim from Clockwork Orange, while Panin is the classical Balabanov thriller hero (Bodrov, Chadov), here in a more sinister incarnation. The first half of the film moves effectively and is interesting, with Mikhailkov providing some good laughs. The second half gets heavily bogged down in one scenario where we begin to see certain thematic and character nods to Pulp Fiction and Reservoir Dogs (i.e. psychopathic behavior set to a pop soundtrack, the lodged bullet, the 'wolf'/accidental medic, and the suitcase belonging to the big boss), with Balabanov's stylistic spin on them. Unlike Tarantino or Scorsese, Balabanov's static use of the camera adds to the boredom in the second half, and it's only thanks to the music that we get some movement. As with other Balabanov films, there is social commentary, esp. the way Stalin's figure is tied into the criminal world. However, it is not as effective as with some of his other films, e.g. Brother 2, War, It Doesn't Hurt Me, and Stoker. Overall, when compared to the Brother films, this is a disappointment, though it will entertain if you don't come to it with the same elevated expectations.

jherr This is one of the best Russian comedies I have seen in a while. Russian comedy can be a bit too subtle or sappy sometimes and as a result not very accessible to the foreign viewer. This movie doesn't have that problem, although it is obvious that a lot of the humor is still lost in the translation, even more so if the movie is dubbed. The comedy is brutal and unapologetic. In fact, there were times that I thought the violence was a bit too much, even for a dark comedy. If you don't have a stomach for violence, you will likely not be able to enjoy this film.Loved Nikita Mikhalkov's performance in this film. I think this is the first comedy I have seen him in and he makes a great comedic actor. The scene between him and the architect was probably the funniest for me. The poor, poor Russian middle class, they have always gotten the short end of the stick.

dicorp This is one of those hate it or love it movies. I personally love this film.For one the dialogue is witty, moronic and amazing at the same time. The acting is nicely done, the soundtrack is amazing as usual. All in all, the life of crime during the 90's in provincial Russia is accurately portrayed.The action scenes are great and plentiful so its easy to pay attention. Not like its trying to deliver a philosophical message. The plot is very simple and the characters are memorable.If however,you are a sensitive viewer, stay away. There is a generous amount of graphic violence, torture, politically incorrect ideas and mild language. If you are a cynic or a Russian angry at the government of the time and this kind of material brings back bad memories, the black humour in this film will not be to your liking, so pass this one up. But if your are looking for a fun way to spend a little less than two hours, don't mind some blood and have an open mind, give this a try.

Anatoly Shashkin Well, the movie is very well done technically... Looks exactly like all these "bandits/gangs" Russian movies from perestroika times. Definitely inspired by "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" movie takes another direction and shows us the REAL world of early 90s violent gang wars. Actors are great and atmosphere is superb. I have never enjoyed a Russian mafia movie (Except for Balabanov's "Brother"), but this one got me. The movie takes place in Nizhny Novgorod (Gorky at the time), not Moscow! This is my first complain about the movie. Driving scenes are poorly cut, and I used to live in this city and I notice that in one shot the car is going one direction, but in the next shot it's going the opposite way! You have to pay more attention to things like that (I know that other people who are unfamiliar with this city are not gonna notice that). Another thing is WHY somebody came up with this movie? It shows you the real life as we all know it? If you live in Russia, just get out on a street and look around, very little have changed!