An unengaging and irritating script/acting but some relatively beautiful visuals. I really needed more than a half-assed allegory about fatherhood and a whiny brat's "chicken" arc to get interested. Colossally disappointed in this one.

Incredible debut. At once poetic and creepy nervous energy. A mythical journey worthy of Tarkovsky is spiced with hitchcockian, or perhaps more precisely, chabrolian suspense. The acting, especially by the children, is excellent.

Growing up fast.

Gorgeous photography and pretty astonishing performances by the two young actors highlight an otherwise frustrating film. Ambiguity takes the better half of what seems to be an almost mythical journey by a broken family. Still, the intrigue and great filmmaking caught by interest.

I cannot understand why tiers are so high for a simple story. Watching second time may increase my note a little bit but i really hardly watched it in the first time.

Gorgeous, but too heavily reliant on increasingly obvious symbolism to have any lasting impact. Fades in the memory.

taking lots of picturesque shots that don't work well together isn't my idea of good cinematography.

I'm still trying to understand why this is so highly rated. Even the cinematography didn't blow me away or anything.

Intriguing for sure, the haunting images and the mysterious actions of the characters inspire curiosity for what is in essence a pretty mundane story. The effect doesn't really last beyond the film, though.

Russian films are very different beasts from "Hollywood" films ... "Story" is secondary to character, explanation gives way to allegory, excitement replaced by (often unresolved) tension, pacing discarded in favor of imagery (waving reeds, leaves rustling, rain falling). However much I loved watching this film, not least for the brilliant performances of the two young leads, unless one can appreciate, or "GET" the allegorical content, you risk feeling you have "missed the point" .... as I did.