The Half Life of Timofey Berezin

I am unfortunately disappointed with the film, and so some scenes, especially the one where the main character comes to the market with a sign saying "Selling plutonium cheaply," seemed like a very far-fetched comedy to me, and throughout the whole story, I could clearly feel that the screenwriter has a superficial understanding of the industry and has the ideas of an ordinary layman. Anyone who had access to pure plutonium and managed to smuggle it out would damn well know who to turn to and, above all, ensure that the material is not missing anywhere. In reality, plutonium is not stolen or smuggled because it has specific properties that can easily identify and detect it. What ends up on the black market is enriched uranium, which does not emit as much radiation and is harder to detect. However, a large amount of it would be needed for weapons production. In the film, there seemed to be an imbalance between an attempt to convey a certain message on one hand and an attempt to create an entertaining film with colorful characters from the underworld, as Guy Ritchie does. As a purely entertaining film, it works to some extent, and I would give it 3 stars, but in general, I dislike the attempt to ride on the wave of fear of the nuclear industry and demonize it. If there are problems with nuclear material, they mostly occur in the medical field, where carelessness allows radiation devices from X-rays to end up in landfills and endanger people's lives. This story is purely fabricated, and if a similar accident were to occur - which happens very rarely - the affected person and their family would receive generous compensation. The biggest problem for the authorities would be the disclosure of any negative information because the media and the public are highly critical of our industry and are always tuned to hysteria. Overall impression: 45%. (03/06/2011)

I will kick the hornets’ nest a little; we all know about it but not just anybody can adapt it to the big screen. As for me, definitely, a thumbs up, but it’s not just the script that’s worthy of being talked about. The key point is also the acting performances and especially that of Paddy Considine who plays Timofey Berezin, a man exposed to radiation, absolutely brilliantly. The premise is then more than clear, and the Americans present it in a way the regular American would not. That surprised me a bit. Almost as if the whole movie was being supervised by a Society of lovers of European cinema that dictates what the result should look like. A small, independent film from the USA that should be appreciated by every European who was affected by the communist rabble. There is nothing better than when somebody wants to fuck with the system when it’s the last thing they ever do. (06/26/2017)