Russian film “Gagarin s Grandson is about two long-lost brothers finding one another and learning how to live together. There s just one little wrinkle: The young one is black and claims to be the son of famous Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, and the other is white with a skinhead best friend.
Big brother Fedya is a good man. Though short on funds from his artistry and with a weak heart and leg, he takes his brother home from the orphanage despite family and friends resistance. The kid, of course, is streetwise and rough around the edges, and ends up causing nothing but trouble though not always of his own making. While Fedya is a positive influence, the film does not turn young Gena into an angel at the end.
In the outside world, Gena deals with a new brother, skinheads, schoolmates, nude models, a sweet rich girl and her disapproving father, all in conceivable ways with interesting dynamics.
Though poignant, the film avoids extremes or easy sentimentality. While the characters can be simply typified, the story and actors manage to engage the viewer in a way which is completely believable. Absence of Hollywoodization makes the movie feel raw and sincere. Even the humor, of which there is plenty, feels natural.
Some bits seem implausible but are forgivable given the overall quality of the filmmaking. The acting is excellent all around, particularly young Done Lema as Gena and Gennadi Nazarov as Fedya.
Russian director Andrei Panin directed a controversial film last year about a group of Soviet boys trained for a suicide attack on Nazis. His claim to fame however was a hit detective television show. “Gagarin s Grandson is his latest work, showing in the Cairo International Film Festival as part of its Festival of Festivals.
“Gagarin s Grandson will be showing on Dec. 4 at Cosmos and Dec. 7 at Normandy Theater.
