Direction: Philipp Yuryev
Country: Russia
Skating between wry social drama and coming-of-age delirium, this drama, set in the small whaling village of Chukotka (Russian Far East) and fleshed out by idyllic landscapes, depicts a tough reality with a few ultimate brushes of surrealism.
It tells the story of Leshka (Vladimir Onokhov), a 15-year-old whale hunter who gets hooked on an adult webcam site, developing an obsession with a model from Detroit with the nickname HolySweet999 (Kristina Asmus). To be with her, he can go against his teasing best friend, Kolyan (Vladimir Lyubimtsev), and even attempt a dangerous solo journey to Alaska. By the time he arrives on a deserted island, the improbable happens and the film weakens considerably from then on.
What makes The Whaler Boy work comes in part from the tension of the plot as well as from the information brought to us from a place we've never been. It plays both with the stoicism of the people living in this forgotten part of the world and the traps of the Internet.
The first feature by Philipp Yuryev is not devoid of flaws or impediments, but left me curious about what will be the next move for this Russian filmmaker. The non-professional actors did a modest yet acceptable job, and there are some mesmerizing images captured and framed in a square 4:3 format that are something to thank for.
