Last week, the long-awaited comedy “The Oligarch Driver” with the irresistible Pavel Priluchny in the main role was released in Russian cinemas. The film immediately collected impressive box office receipts, becoming one of the best starts among all releases with Priluchny.
Again and again, it can be stated that Priluchny fits perfectly into the role of a rich and spoiled major. Many viewers immediately drew a parallel with “Kholop”, where the spoiled hero also has to go through a path of re-education.
But here’s the question: is “The Driver-Oligarch” as good as “Kholop”?
We went to the premiere to personally check whether this is really a new version of “Kholop” or something more fresh and original. And the answer is yes and no. But first things first and without spoilers.
Briefly
Familiar faces in familiar roles
There was no romance
There is adequate humor here, but nothing more.
Is the film similar to “Kholop”? Yes, no, probably
Just a summer movie, no ambitions
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Familiar faces in familiar roles
What is the movie about: the story tells of Timur Baburin (Pavel Priluchny), a young oligarch who has never worked.
His life changes when, after his father’s death, he receives a controlling stake in a large bank. Timur makes a bet: he must work as a driver for a capricious actress for a month or sell his shares for half price. Timur agrees, not suspecting how this will change his life.
Pavel Priluchny, an actor who has long established himself in the role of spoiled rich kids, once again demonstrates the success of a rich but frivolous heir. His character loves extreme sports and making unusual bets. His life is a series of parties, helicopter jumps and other extravagant actions.
As in “Major”, in “The Driver-Oligarch” Priluchny’s character goes through a developmental process. Timur Baburin initially seems frivolous and selfish, but as the plot develops and he fulfills his leadership duties, he begins to realize his mistakes and change his priorities.
In contrast to the blockhead Priluchny, actor Alexei Chadov creates an impressive image of an ambitious and cunning antagonist who is ready to do anything to achieve his goals.
Together they chose an interesting and contrasting duet.
This is probably it. the only positive aspect of the film.
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There was no romance
Unfortunately, Priluchny’s romantic line with Olga Pogodina looks like a set of cardboard dialogues. There is not even a rudiment of chemistry between the characters.
Initially, their acceptance begins with doubts and misunderstandings. Alexandra is a capricious and demanding actress who does not tolerate lateness, objections and any deviations from her rules.
Timur, accustomed to luxury and idleness, is forced to submit to her demands in order to fulfill the terms of the bet. These comedic moments are taken from a textbook for first-year screenwriters.
But here everything goes wrong: Pogodina creates the image of a reserved and refined actress, as if she came from another film, while Priluchny plays a more emotional character.
This difference in approach to the videos creates the impression that they exist on parallel planets. The interaction between the politicians seems tenseIt’s hard to believe in the sincerity of their feelings, because the moments when passion and intimacy should be taken into account seem so ill-considered that you want to move forward.
Whether the actors are so incompatible, or the scriptwriter is so poor, the fact remains that the romance in this film is as dead as any hopes for a compelling plot.
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There is adequate humor here, but nothing more.
“The Driver-Oligarch” tries to combine different types of comedy humor, to create a light and cheerful atmosphere. There is practically no vulgarity, and the comic elements are built on places, in dialogues and characters, and not on low-grade or class jokes.
The humor is mainly represented by the characters of Stanislav Duzhnikov and Dmitry Khrustalev, who play Timur’s assistants. Du Yihet brings a few comic scenes to the picture, but good jokes can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
They also address the main character with a sphinx cat, the respected heroine of Olga Pogodina. These moments are really funny in places, but they are clearly not enough to maintain the overall humorous background of the film.
Overall, the film is humorous. light and unobtrusive. True, it makes you smile more than laugh louder. The film can be called pleasant, but it is far from a real comedy.
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Is the film similar to “Kholop”? Yes, no, probably
The plot of “The Driver-Oligarch” is reminiscent of “Kholop”, which also deals with the re-education of a rich and spoiled hero. However, unlike “Kholop”, the new release will most likely be a multi-layered film, combining elements of comedy, melodrama and even a thriller.
But here’s the problem: the change in the main character seems cardboard and unconvincing. The scriptwriter’s idea becomes clear in the first minutes of the film, which makes the development of events boring and accessible.
“Kholop” focuses on comedy and social satire, while “The Driver-Oligarch” deals with deeper themes of loneliness and personal change. However, despite its ambitious plans, the film has the advantage of dynamics and spectacle, as the emotionality revealed that the main characters look too superficial and stereotypical.
While the goal is to win with more complex characters, this is not always the case. Characters tend to be underdeveloped and their development is advantageous and boring.
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Just a summer movie, no frills
“The Driver-Oligarch” tries to be a decent Russian comedy with elements of melodrama, but it is far from a truly funny comedy. It turned out to be a mess. It is distinguished by the plot line with the bank. There are banal constant jumps from genre to genre.
In the end, those who were expecting a comedy, it didn’t work out. There are few jokes, and they are not always successful. Those who wanted a smart film about the transformation of the main character will not believe in what is happening, everything seems too unconvincing, extremely expected and simple. For a melodrama for girls, there is too little love story here. But there is something from a thriller, but did anyone expect this in the film? An hour and a half of the chronometer shows criminally little in 2024 for a normal film. The ending generally raises questions – what was that? And how did the story end. Think for yourself.
The acting is a bit lacking in places, which further increases the level of review.
Although the film and its side of visual creativity – many picturesque views of Moscow, drone shots and colorful panoramas – it is not enough to compensate for the weak points. In essence, Priluchny still plays a major, albeit with introductory introductory words, and you do not believe in his changed character.
In the end, the film leaves a pleasant impression thanks to its picture, but does not reach the level of a truly funny and profound comedy. It is worth seeing what kind of fans Pavel Priluchny are.
Source: Iphones RU
I am a professional journalist and content creator with extensive experience writing for news websites. I currently work as an author at Gadget Onus, where I specialize in covering hot news topics. My written pieces have been published on some of the biggest media outlets around the world, including The Guardian and BBC News.
