Keanu Reeves movie reviews & film summaries

Keanu Reeves in Siberia: explaining what's wrong with the film "Professional"

A hopelessly boring, sluggish thriller about the misadventures of an American in Russia, who, in his "cranberry" is able to compete with the "Red Sparrow"

US diamond dealer Lucas Hill is rushing to complete a major deal to sell unique blue diamonds. The transfer of the stones should take place in St. Petersburg, but Lucas' partner Peter suddenly disappears, framing his partner. After knocking out a few days of respite from an angry client, Hill goes to the Yakut city of Mirny, where Peter's brother got the stones, but there he encounters strong opposition from the locals. In addition, it turns out that not all the diamonds that Peter put up for sale were genuine - this is how Lucas finds himself in the grip of the mafia and the secret services, who turned the American into a pawn in their game.

Keanu Reeves, The Russian mafia and special services

The Russian mafia and special services are back at the peak of fashion again. Over the past few years, our country has become the setting for many very remarkable films - from "The Fast and the Furious " to " Red Sparrow " - and series - from " Motherland " to "The Americans ". This could be considered a success if the quality of the demonstration by Russia or the USSR was at an acceptable level. But in this aspect, the vast majority of such works are kept at a very low level: Cary Matheson storms the FSB building with a Hungarian flag on the facade, and Dominika Egorova learns about sex espionage at a suicide school near Kazan. Yes, these are no longer bears and balalaikas, but still far from the truth. However, we are ready to give Hollywood one more try - let Keanu Reeves show himself., who starred in the thriller "Siberia", which was called "Professional" at the domestic box office.

Special relationship with Reeves

The audience has always had a special relationship with Reeves. He was forgiven for many flaws and was not always a good choice of projects because for millions of viewers he remains the invincible Neo and the equally invincible John Wick. However, the role of Lucas Hill will have to be ranked among those for which we are forced to forgive the actor. The Professional is an extremely superficial, loose, and vague film that hides helplessness behind a strained breakdown of characters and digs into the strange whims of not the most sympathetic characters. Of course, such films, which were only covered by the “crime thriller” label, but in reality turned out to be Shakespearean tragedies, happened, and some even received cult status. But it was far from being a professional who took on the production of The Professional, but the artisan Matthew Ross, who knows how to arrange actors, build a mise-en-scene, and direct the camera, but is not able to breathe soul into the frame.

Even if we take out the place of action and the nationality of the secondary characters and imagine that the plot takes place, not in Russia, but, say, in the Congo, The Professional will not get any better. The protagonist of the tape not only does not cause sympathy, but he is also completely uninteresting because there is no story behind him. And even after a couple of memories that Lucas shares with his new Russian lover Katya, sympathy for him will not wake up. Before us is fiction and not a person, someone hiding under the guise of a specialist in resolving any issues, but having nothing inside. In contrast with the same John Wick, Lucas Hill looks especially depressing - as if he is not a leading character, but just a random third-rate hero who will be killed in another shootout.

Not particularly exciting and the plot of the tape. Yes, references to Russia give a certain flavor, but watching how Lucas rides from St. is especially exciting. It was not possible to make an exciting feint either with fake jewelry or with the involvement of special services in the deal, the “Professional” is completely lacking in action. On the other hand, the authors of the film hammer the missing sexuality into Reeves's character with a heavy hammer – his character is much more passionate about the new Russian girlfriend than the inevitable problems with the mafia boss. Bed exploits Lucas, however, also looks forced.

As for the Russian entourage, fortunately, there is no cult of black caviar or matryoshkas in Professional. One of the scriptwriters' consultants even persuaded them to weave the expression "It's a pity for the bird!" from Gaidai's comedy. That's just Russia here and does not smell. Modest workers from Mirny drink vodka from their throats in a suburban cafe, go hunting for a bear, and cook dumplings, but it looks like Yakutia just like the streets of Riga around Baker Street. An attentive viewer will notice, of course, the Mirny stele, the Lion's Bridge, and St. Isaac's Square, but this movie does not bring us closer to our country. Rather, on the contrary, Hollywood again turned towards cranberries and blackening. But such is the time.

Therefore, you should not count on the fact that a bad movie can be saved by your favorite actor, or that recognizable landscapes will add charm to the tape - this is not about the "Professional". Ross's picture has nothing to offer the viewer, except for a well-known name in the credits and the facade of a Moscow skyscraper on the poster. And if somewhere in the West it can work, then our audience will definitely be bored. We already know what it is - the real Siberia is wide!