The former Soviet Union, 1992: A young turk whisks his high school crush to a clandestine spot and instead of stealing a first kiss, he gifts her with a gun. It’s a formidable shock, but one that never amounts to much as all we’re asked to do for another hour of this sluggishly-paced coming-of-age film, is sit around and wait for someone to die. Filmmakers Nana Ekvtimishvili and Simon Groß’s political and feminist underpinnings tend to focus on the familiar — rebellious teen smokers puff away, in Russia’s queue system only soldiers are allowed to cut in line — placing most of the heavy lifting on the backs of the two terrific non-professional lead actresses (Lika Babluani and Mariam Bokeria). Cinematographer Oleg Mutu and production designer Kote Japaridze conjoin to uncork an unmistakable air of crumbling putridity. (2013) — Scott Marks
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