‘Loveless’ Film Review: Russia’s Oscar Entry Features a Missing Boy, Negligent Parents, and a Fractured Nation
“Leviathan” director Andrey Zvyagintsev’s elegantly bleak domestic drama examines the aftereffects of a bitter marriage
Robert Abele | February 15, 2018 @ 12:39 PM
Last Updated: February 15, 2018 @ 12:44 PM
Sony Pictures Classics
Over five haunting films set in his splintered, morality-challenged Russian homeland, Andrey Zvyagintsev has become a die-hard master at capturing spaces both beautiful and desolate, images of the recognizable world — nature, buildings, people — that also teem with a sense of something absent. That feeling is given explicit purpose in his latest breath-taker, “Loveless,” a quietly harrowing drama about a shattered marriage that finds itself under the spotlight again due to the most awful of circumstances: the sudden disappearance of the couple’s young son.
After his last two dissections of modern Russia — the class-divide tale “Elena” and the corruption saga “Leviathan” — Zvyagintsev takes a more people-focused than system-exposing approach this time to laying bare his country’s psychological fault lines.
Marriages have been used before as prisms of a wider critique. But “Loveless” has a careful alchemy of psychological acuity and societal insight that imbues nearly every shot (a close-up of a face, an epic vista, a tension-filled pan) with a gathering insight into the ripple effects of turning private miseries into petty wars.
A wintry tableau of snow-covered woods opens the film before it imperceptibly shifts to autumn as we shadow 12-year-old Alexey (Matvey Novikov) as he makes his way home from school along a tree-lined river. Moviegoers familiar with Zvyagintsev’s oeuvre might be reminded of the director’s debut film, “The Return,” which chronicled a boy’s coming of age across a variety of unforgiving landscapes.
The eerie calm is interrupted, though, by what awaits Alexey in the high-rise apartment where he lives: coarse sniping between his viper-tongued mother Zhenya (a glamorously unpleasant Maryana Spivak) and exasperated father Boris (Aleksey Rozin, exquisitely forlorn). The divorcing pair’s corrosive insults are a poisonous cloud of hate, one that doesn’t spare the son they consider as much of a burden as each other.
In a devastating camera reveal, Zhenya flings a door shut behind her after a bathroom break like a fighter returning to battle, only to show Alexey hidden behind it in darkness, silently weeping over all he’s heard.
We then get extended glimpses into Zhenya’s and Boris’s separate lives, which makes it painfully clear how their need to escape their marriage conveniently leaves out any consideration of Alexey. Boris, employed in sales at a large business, lives in fear the breakup will get him canned by his ultra-Christian boss. His new girlfriend Masha (a perfectly cast Marina Vasilyeva) is his ex’s opposite: devoted, insecure, affectionate. She’s also pregnant and ready for domestic bliss, a sign that Boris sees the rapid starting of a new family as the most convenient way of erasing a broken earlier model.
Zhenya, meanwhile, a phone-addicted salon manager who cherishes her well-maintained sexiness away from home, treasures the cosmopolitan life that comes with her wealthy, older, divorced new beau Anton (Andris Keishs). He lets her complain about her life, and she feels protected instead of challenged.
But one day, arriving home after an overnight with Anton, Zhenya realizes she hasn’t seen Alexey in over a day. He’s declared missing, triggering a succession of law enforcement types and volunteer searchers, who turn Zhenya’s and Boris’s post-split bliss avoiding each other into the worst kind of reunion: a real-time, dread-filled reminder of their self-consumed negligence.
The search’s main coordinator (Alexey Fateev) has little time for the pair’s bickering, his full-throttle dedication to finding a boy he’s never met — organizing teams, making flyers, scouring buildings both inhabited and abandoned — like a gift neither parent deserves.
Sure, it’s allegorical, the themes of dereliction and venality in Zvyagintsev’s and co-screenwriter Oleg Negin’s scenario squaring nicely with a sense that Russia is hopelessly splintered and tolerant of moral rot. Even the moment in which we’re most sympathetic to the brittle woman Zhenya has become requires sitting through a scene of emotional awfulness with her own terrible, estranged mother. A recluse who distrusts everyone, her own invective — knowing her grandson is missing — illuminates the cycle of psychological abuse and recriminations that led Zhenya into a doomed marriage/motherhood to begin with.
Elsewhere in the film, snatches of news reports can be heard, about media-driven apocalyptic paranoia and war in the Ukraine, and these aural details point to a society ill-equipped to handle crises, but perhaps okay with conflict as a constant so long as it’s elsewhere.
But as bleak as Zvyagintsev’s compositionally powerful imagery can get — decrepit edifices, dark rooms steeped in misery, and lonely, colorless expanses — the sheer force of the search that dominates the second half, even when Zhenya and Boris are at their most vulnerable, suggests a persistent humanity in even the most hardened of worlds.
As “Loveless” lets its pitiful protagonists ebb as marital drama figures snatched from their self-serving personal freedom narrative (in their respective last scenes, both flash-forwards, they look hollowed-out), what lingers is the cumulative might of an all-out quest to find a lost (runaway? kidnapped?) kid. For a movie about a nightmare, that unadorned depiction of a collective good in others seems like, perhaps, a tinge of hope.
35 Stars Who Need Only an Oscar to EGOT, From Hugh Jackman to Cynthia Erivo (Photos)
The EGOT -- an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony -- is the greatest honor in entertainment. These stars are (or were) close to achieving it.
Cynthia Nixon (1966 - )
Emmys (2): Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, "Sex and the City" (2004); Guest Actress in a Drama Series, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2008)
Grammy: Spoken Word Album, "An Inconvenient Truth" (2008)
Tonys (2): Actress in a Play, "Rabbit Hole" (2006); Featured Actress in a Play, "Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes" (2017)
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Lin-Manuel Miranda (1980 - )
Emmy: Original Music and Lyrics, "67th Annual Tony Awards" (2014)
Grammys (2): Best Musical Theater Album, "In the Heights" (2008) and "Hamilton" (2017)
Tonys (3): Score, "In the Heights" (2008) and "Hamilton" (2016); Musical, "Hamilton" (2016)
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Hugh Jackman (1968 - )
Emmy: Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, "58th Annual Tony Awards" (2004)
Grammy: Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, "The Greatest Showman" (2018)
Tony: Actor in a Musical, "The Boy From Oz" (2004)
Harry Belafonte (1927 - )
Emmy: Performance in a Variety or Musical Program or Series, "The Revlon Revue" (1960)
Grammys (2): Folk Performance, "Swing Dat Hammer" (1960); Folk Recording, "An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba" (1965)
Tony: Supporting Actor in a Musical, "John Murray Anderson's Almanac" (1954)
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Cynthia Erivo (1987 - )
Daytime Emmy: On-Camera Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Today" (2017)
Grammy: Musical Theater Album, "The Color Purple" (2016)
Tony: Actress in a Musical, "The Color Purple" (2016)
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Bette Midler (1945 - )
Emmys (3): Special - Comedy, Variety or Music, "Bette Midler Ol' Red Hair Is Back" (1978); Performance in a Variety or Music Program, "Bette Midler: Diva Las Vegas" (1997) and "The Tonight Show" (1992)
Grammy (3): Best New Artist (1973); Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, "The Rose" (1980); Record of the Year, "Wind Beneath My Wings" (1989)
Tony: Actress in a Musical, "Hello, Dolly!" (2017)
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Audra McDonald (1970 - )
Emmy: Special Class Program, "Live From Lincoln Center" (2015)
Grammys (2): Classical Album and Opera Recording, "Weill: Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny" (2008)
Tonys (6): Featured Actress in a Musical, "Carousel" (1994); Featured Actress in a Play, "Master Class" (1996); Featured Actress in a Musical, "Ragtime" (1998); Featured Actress in a Play, "A Raisin in the Sun" (2004); Actress in a Musical, "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" (2012); Actress in a Play, "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill" (2014)
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Cyndi Lauper (1953 - )
Emmy: Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, "Mad About You" (2005)
Grammys (2): Best New Artist (1984); Musical Theater Album, "Kinky Boots" (2013)
Tony: Score, "Kinky Boots" (2013)
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Marc Shaiman (1959 - )
Emmy: Writing in a Variety or Music Program, "The 64th Annual Academy Awards" (1992)
Grammy: Musical Show Album, "Hairspray" (2002)
Tony: Score, "Hairspray" (2003)
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Lily Tomlin (1939 - )
Emmys (6): Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special, "Lily" (1974) and The Lily Tomlin Special (1976) and "The Paul Simon Special" (1978); Variety, Music or Comedy Program, "Lily" (1974) and "Lily: Sold Out" (1981); Voiceover Performance, "An Apology to Elephants" (2013)
Grammy: Comedy Recording, "This Is a Recording" (1971)
Tony: Actress in a Play, "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" (1986)
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Billy Porter (1969 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, "Pose" (2019)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Kinky Boots" (2013)
Tony: Lead Actor in a Musical, "Kinky Boots" (2013)
Dick Van Dyke (1925 -)
Emmys (4): Actor in a Comedy Series, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1964, 1965 and 1966); Comedy-Variety or Music Series, "Van Dyke and Company" (1977)
Grammy: Recording for Children, "Mary Poppins" (1964)
Tony: Featured Actor in a Musical, "Bye, Bye Birdie" (1961)
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James Earl Jones (1931 - )
Emmys (2): Actor in a Drama Series, "Gabriel's Fire" (1991); Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special, "Heat Wave" (1991)
Grammy: Spoken Word Recording, "Great American Documents" (1976)
Tonys (2): Actor in a Play, "The Great White Hope" (1969) and "Fences" (1987)
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David Yazbek (1961 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, "Late Night With David Letterman" (1984)
Grammy: Musical Theater Album, "The Band's Visit" (2018)
Tony: Original Musical Score, "The Band's Visit (2018)
Grammy: Musical Theater Album, "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
Tony (2): Score and Book, "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
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Ben Platt (1993 - )
Daytime Emmy (1): Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Dear Evan Hansen" on "Today" (2018)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2018)
Tony: Best Actor in a Musical, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2017)
Rachel Bay Jones (1969 - )
Daytime Emmy (1): Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Dear Evan Hansen" on "Today" (2018)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2018)
Tony: Best Featured Actress in a Musical, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2017)
André De Shields (1946 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, "Ain't Misbehavin'" (1982)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Hadestown" (2020)
Tony: Best Featured Actor in a Musical, "Hadestown" (2019)
Quincy Jones (1933 - )
Emmy: Music Composition for a Series Original Dramatic Score, "Roots" (1977)
Grammy:27 wins, including Record of the Year, "Beat It" (1983) and "We Are the World" (1985); Album of the Year, "Back on the Block" (1990)
Tony: Musical Revival (producing), "The Color Purple" (2016)
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Katrina Lenk
Emmy: Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Today" (2019)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "The Band's Visit" (2019)
Tony: Best Actress in a Musical, "The Band's Visit" (2018)
Ari'el Stachel (1991 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Today" (2019)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "The Band's Visit" (2019)
Tony: Best Featured Actor in a Musical, "The Band's Visit" (2018)
Fred Ebb (1928-2004) and John Kander (1927 - )
Emmy: Original Music and Lyrics, "Liza With a Z" (1973) and "Liza Minnelli Live from Radio City Music Hall" (1993); Ebb also won for "Gypsy in My Soul" (1976) and producing "Liza With a Z"
Grammy: Best Score From an Original Cast Show Album, "Cabaret" (1967)
Tonys (4): Musical and Composer/Lyricist, "Cabaret" (1967); Score, "Woman of the Year" (1981); Score, "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1993)
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Bill Sherman (1981 - )
Daytime Emmys (2): Original Song - Children's and Animation, "Sesame Street" (2011); Original Song, "Sesame Street" (2015)
Grammys (2): Best Musical Theater Album, "In the Heights" (2008) and "Hamilton" (2017)
Tonys (2): Orchestrations, "In the Heights" (2008); Musical (producing), "Kinky Boots" (2013)
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Anne Garefino (1959 - )
Emmys (5): Animated Program (producing), "South Park" (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2013)
Grammy: Musical Theater Album, "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
Tony: Musical (producing), "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
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Martin Charnin (1934 - )
Emmys (3): Variety or Musical Program, "Annie, the Women in the Life of a Man" (1970); Variety or Musical Program and Directorial Achievement in Comedy or Variety, "'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin" (1972)
Grammy: Cast Show Album, "Annie" (1977)
Tony: Score, "Annie" (1977)
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Alex Lacamoire (1975 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Music Direction, "Fosse/Verdon" (2019)
Grammy (3): Best Musical Theater Album, "In the Heights" (2009), "Hamilton" (2016), "Dear Evan Hansen" (2018); Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, "The Greatest Showman" (2019)
Tony (3): Best Orchestrations, "In the Heights" (2008); "Hamilton" (2016); "Dear Evan Hansen" (2017)
Jerry Bock (1928–2010)
Daytime Emmy: Original Song - Children's and Animation, "Wonder Pets!" (2010)
Grammy: Score From an Original Cast Show Album, "She Loves Me" (1963)
Tonys (4): Musical, "Fiorello!" (1960), "Hello, Dolly!" (1964) and "Fiddler on the Roof" (1965); plus Score, "Fiddler on the Roof" (1965)
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Julie Harris (1925–2013)
Emmys (3): Single Performance by an Actress, "Little Moon of Alban" (1959); Single Performance by an Actress, "Victoria Regina" (1962); Voiceover Performance, "Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony" (2000)
Grammy: Spoken Word Recording, "The Belle Of Amherst" (1977)
Tonys (5): Actress in a Play, "I Am a Camera" (1952), "The Lark" (1956), "Forty Carats" (1969), "The Last of Mrs. Lincoln" (1973) and "The Belle of Amherst" (1977)
Courtesy: Bill Doll and Company
Cy Coleman (1929-2004)
Emmys (2): Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special, "Shirley MacLaine: If They Could See Me Now" (1975); Comedy-Variety or Music Special, "Gypsy in My Soul" (1976)
Grammy: Musical Show Album, "The Will Rogers Follies" (1991)
Tonys (3): Score, "On the Twentieth Century" (1978), "City of Angels" (1990) and "The Will Rogers Follies" (1991)
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James Whitmore (1921–2009)
Emmy: Guest Actor in a Drama Series, "The Practice" (2000)
Grammy: Spoken Word Recording, "Give 'Em Hell Harry" (1975)
Tony: Performance by Newcomers, "For Love or Money" (1948)
Emmy: 7 individual wins, including for "Omnibus" (1957 and 1958); "Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic" (1961); "New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts" (1965); "Beethoven's Birthday" (1972); and "Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening" (1987)