ONE SOUL FOR TWO BY GEORGIY SMIRNOV
Directed by Georgiy Smirnov / Reviewed by Adva Reichman
What happens when one cannot remember his own actions? When you see pieces of yourself, but feel as if you’re living someone else’s events? How far will you go to find the truth? And are you even ready for what happens when you learn it?
These questions and more build the enigma One Soul for Two revolves around. With sophistication and compassion, the creators built a world that cannot stop turning, but the never-ending spins can keep you dizzier than you anticipated.
It begin when Danila, a young sculptor, pushes his mother in front of a moving train but cannot remember doing so. When memory fragments resurface, he wants to admit his guilt, but to his surprise discovers he has a solid alibi. The mystery grows bigger and bigger as his attitude shifts and a mysterious radical behavior emerges.
What starts as a simple mystery soon becomes dark and surprising. One Soul for Two is a riveting short filledwith countless twists and turns, heartfelt artistic scenes and capturing performances. It will keep you wondering, suspecting and continually trying to solve the riddle,while hoping for the best in a very twisted world.
At first we’re led to believes possible mental condition is the answer, and that an untreated illness led to an unfortunate murder.But as we go down the rabbit hole the film ends up revealing a harsher truth about a fateful day that took place years ago in Russia. As new characters are introduced we learn the sad facts and see how an egotistical decision ruined the life of a young baby, and ended up taking the lives of more.
The acting's strong and raw.The cast -Alexander Nosik, Vadim Kuvitsin, Vladislav Kuvitsin, Olga Bakulina, Sergey Kuznetsov and Zhanna Epple,did a marvelous job portraying the ruptured souls of those who faced cruelty and suffering. With love being the only answer, will our characters manage to find it and save one another before it’s too late?
The music and effects helped enhance the drama, and the editing kept the film going. The tension ran high and the overall feel was scary, but in a fun way. The writer&director, Georgiy Smirnov, did a beautiful job capturing the jealousy, confusion and horror the characters go through.The camera work is unique, and the artistic style shines through every scene. This distinctive combination shapes the reality the film is set in, and gives it a life of its own.
At the end of the day, One Soul for Two asks people to remember compassion and the meaning of family and real love. Although it takes us on high highs, and very low lows, the core remains the answer. And through a highly entertaining film, the director succeeds in delivering a powerful reminder.
