Ostrov 2006

Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: An aggravating combination of piousness, arty self-pity, and knowing silliness meant to speak to higher spiritual truths. Read more

Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com: The Island is visually stunning in its bleak, blue-hued austerity, but its storytelling is simplistic. Read more

Derek Adams, Time Out: Both heartfelt and ultimately optimistic. Read more

Time Out: A contemplative fable, not without its wry wit, which effectively ponders the workings of faith, specifically the connection between gnawing guilt and a desire to do good. Read more

Deborah Young, Variety: Almost a sinful pleasure is Andrey Zhegalov's striking widescreen cinematography. Read more

Variety: Screenplay by young Dmitry Sobolev, a student at Moscow's VGIK film school, has a familiar, almost folksy structure, making for satisfying storytelling but leaving viewers with less to ponder after the story's final, largely foreseeable twist. Read more