"Show me one person in Russia who doesn't have a criminal record," a subject rhetorically challenges in Alexander Gentelev's “Thieves by Law,” a smart and fascinating peek inside the Russian mafia via three middle-aged "businessmen" old and wise enough to have both survived, and to be able to explain without bombast, the inner workings of the post-Perestroika underworld. And in a country that allows convicted criminals to run for government office, the guy's got a point. Like Matteo Garrone's “Gomorrah,” which would make a great narrative companion piece to this doc, “Thieves by Law” forgoes broad sensationalism for the riveting details of the matter-of-fact mafioso life.
To read the rest visit The House Next Door at Slant Magazine.
No comments:
Post a Comment