Mommy issues, daddy issues, and Russian roulette — literally.
A young accountant from a provincial settlement suffers from the tyranny of his mother and is looking for an answer to the reasons for his father's suicide. The desire to change the direction of his life pushes him to flee to Moscow, where by the will of fate he finds himself in the life of an underground casino.
Acting
Savelyev's wounded silence speaks entire monologues.
Cinematography
Moscow's neon underbelly vs. gray provinces.
Direction
Mistyukov lets dread accumulate like cigarette smoke.
Director
Vladimir Mistyukov
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Post-Soviet 'provincial escape' films exploded in 2010s Russia; this one's unusually unsentimental about Moscow's false promises.
The title 'Rake' refers to casino commission, but also evokes 'rakehell' — a reckless, ruined man, which Andrey becomes by design.
RU
