The residents of a Russian mental institution become unwittingly involved in the Chechen War in this darkly romantic film by Andrei Konchalovsky (TANGO AND CASH). Janna (Julia Vysotsky) is a romantically delusional inmate who thinks she's engaged to pop star Bryan Adams. When the war comes, the medical staff flees the hospital, .. Read more
| Starring | Julia Vysotsky, Sultan Islamov, Bryan Adams |
|---|---|
| Director | Andrei Konchalovsky |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, World Cinema |
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The residents of a Russian mental institution become unwittingly involved in the Chechen War in this darkly romantic film by Andrei Konchalovsky (TANGO AND CASH). Janna (Julia Vysotsky) is a romantically delusional inmate who thinks she's engaged to pop star Bryan Adams. When the war comes, the medical staff flees the hospital, leaving her more or less in charge. Chechen soldiers soon invade the grounds and one of them proposes to her as a joke. She thinks he's sincere though, and finds her affections torn between the soldier and her fantasies of Adams. Through this odd love story, Konchalovsky effectively explores the parallels between the insanity of war and the insanity of the inmates, and he does so without being obvious or didactic. Also effective is the film's grainy, bleached-out look, which, combined with the realistic lunacy on display, recalls the work of Dogme '95 directors like Lars Von Trier. What sets HOUSE OF FOOLS apart from that pack, however, is the kindness and warmth of its characters, particularly Janna, who soothes the nerves of soldiers and patients alike with her compassion and accordion playing. Vysotksky gives a remarkable performance in the role, couching her character's raw vulnerability in a protective bed of delusion. As the object of her fantasies, Adams gamely appears as himself, strolling through the bomb-blasted corridors as he lip-syncs "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman." HOUSE OF FOOLS was filmed largely at an actual Russian mental institution, with many of the inmates appearing as themselves.
| Starring | Julia Vysotsky, Sultan Islamov, Bryan Adams |
|---|---|
| Director | Andrei Konchalovsky |
| Studio | AMAZON WEB |
| Run time | DVD: 1 hr 44 mins |
| Certificate |  |
| Genres | Comedy, Drama, World Cinema |
| Language | DVD: English |
| Released | Production year: 2002 To Rent: DVD: not available To Buy: DVD: 08 Mar 2004 |
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Give this move a chance and you'll be rewarded
A surprisingly easy to watch, well paced Russian film that is based on true events. Set in an asylum on the Chechnyan border as the war commences, this film ... read more »
[Highly rated reviewer]
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Very funny and at times very emotional
Fascinating story set inside a mental institution during the Chechen War. The trailer on here does not do it justice, really a very funny and sometimes very ... read more »
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God film with reservations
I liked this film when it became transparent that the fools in the title were the invading soldiers and not the inmates of the asylum (who became saner the ... read more »
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Not great, not awful either.
From the director of Tango and Cash comes this clanging satire of the 'madness' of war and the relative 'sanity' of the mentally ill, with Bryan... read more »
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