A spiral into darkness, irresistible to watch

I think this is an outstanding film, not just in the Russian hard-boiled category but on its own, in contrast to the usual action fare in Europe and US. In fact, it does not really matter that it is an action film, and the violence is not too gruesome. If you want to see a snapshot of the Russian underworld in the late 90s (even today, I believe, and now technology is in the picture too), this is realistic. It probably helps if you understand the Russian dialogue because it gets you closer to the characters, but even with relying on (good) subtitles you may be captivated by the strange humour and inverse charm of this gritty tale. Superb acting, camera and direction.