‘Red Penguins’ Film Review: Remember That Time When American Hustlers Invaded Russian Hockey?
You probably don’t remember it, but director Gabe Polsky spins a wild true story that includes Russian mobsters, Disney, strippers and the very weird collision of Russian and American hockey
Steve Pond | September 5, 2019 @ 5:00 PM
Last Updated: July 28, 2020 @ 6:17 PM
AWARDS BEAT
Courtesy of TIFF
Director Gabe Polsky’s “Red Penguins,” a wild documentary about the collision of Russian and North American hockey, readily invites comparison with “Red Army,” Polsky’s last wild documentary about a different aspect of that same collision. That’s a comparison that could increase interest in “Red Penguins,” which premiered at last year’s Toronto International Film Festival and is being released by Universal on August 4, though it also sets an awfully high bar for the new film.
And in fact, “Red Penguins” is a dramatically different film in spite of the surface similarities. “Red Army,” one of the most acclaimed nonfiction films of 2014, was a deep, wide-ranging look at the dominance of the Soviet hockey team in the 1970s and ’80s, and of the recruitment of five players from that team to the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League after the breakup of the Soviet Union. It told a big story, and it told it well.
“Red Penguins” continues that story from a different angle, but in some ways it plays more like a “WTF!” sidebar than a true successor to the first film. What gives it an extra kick, though, is that a “WTF!” sidebar about the intersection of Russian and American interests happens to be awfully timely these days.
Polsky is again examining international relations though ice hockey – but unlike his story of how Russian athletes had a huge impact on the NHL, this version tells a story that even most hockey fans don’t know about.
That’s because it took place entirely in Russia, where the fall of the Soviet Union left its fabled hockey team in a shambles. Playing in a rundown arena with a strip club in the basement (I’m not making this up, and neither is Polsky), the once-dominant team is pretty much a mess in an era in which Russia was trying to figure out this capitalism thing.
So while some Russian stars were headed to the U.S., some American businessmen saw an opportunity in Russia. The Russian national team, they figured, needed an influx of American cash and American marketing savvy – so a group of investors that included hockey fanatic Michael J. Fox sent over a hyperkinetic sales whiz named Steve Warshaw to transform Russian hockey.
The result was very entertaining, with new sponsorships and a new logo and lots of fun and games in the old hockey arena – in fact, Warshaw even found a way to put those strippers in the basement to good use on the ice.
He also found a partner in Disney’s Michael Eisner – at least, he thought he did, or he says he thought he did. (Though Eisner did not consent to an interview, he denied that Disney ever considered investing in the Russian hockey team, despite the film’s pretty significant evidence that the company did indeed consider it.)
Whatever really happened – and honestly, it’s hard to completely trust anybody in this film, which is part of the fun – Disney did not buy in, and Russian oligarchs and Russian mobsters got involved because that’s apparently what they do, and everything went to hell. Which, I suppose, is why we didn’t know this story until Polsky decided to tell it, and why “Red Penguins” feels sillier and slighter than its predecessor.
But it’s also a kick to watch Warshaw, affectionately (?) nicknamed “weird little bastard” by his Russian partners, wheel and deal with a batch of Russians who seem a little more menacing every time Polsky gets them on camera. And in an era in which the collision of Russian and American interests is never far from the headlines, a weird little story about one crazy time those interests collided might even teach us a thing or two.
14 Buzziest Movies for Sale at This Year's Toronto Film Festival (Photos)
The Toronto International Film Festival is better known as a launching pad for films about to hit theaters than as a sales market, but the packed slate of projects includes quite a few that will be vying for the attention of studios, indie distributors and streaming services.
"Bad Education"
Perhaps one of the biggest titles for sale, "Bad Education" stars Hugh Jackman, Allison Janney, Ray Romano and Alex Wolff and is based on the real-life events that took place at writer Mike Makowsky's high school.
Getty Images
"Citizen K"
Following his critically lauded "The Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley," Alex Gibney is back with "Citizen K," a documentary about Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who went from communist to political prisoner in a 20-year battle with Putin.
TIFF
"Dads"
Bryce Dallas Howard’s debut feature documentary is about dads -- including her own, Ron Howard. It includes insight from Patton Oswalt on becoming a single parent after the death of his wife, and Hasan Minhaj reflection on his immigrant father's sacrifices. “Dads” is also the first film under Imagine Entertainment’s new documentary division, which has already released “Pavarotti” and has plans for films about Louis Armstrong, Dwyane Wade and last year’s wildfires in California.
Getty Images
"The Friend"
Based on the award-winning Esquire article of the same name, the film follows a man (Jason Segel) who puts his life on hold to help his friends through a terminal cancer diagnosis. Dakota Johnson and Casey Affleck also star in director Gabriela Cowperthwaite's ("Blackfish") film.
TIFF
"How to Build a Girl"
Everyone is obsessed with Beanie Feldstein following her performance in "Booksmart," so this film has become a buzzy title for TIFF buyers. She stars as a teenager trying to reinvent herself as a hip London music critic. Chris O'Dowd and Emma Thompson also star.
TIFF
"There’s Something in the Water"
Canadian Ellen Page turned her eyes homeward for her documentary about toxic fallout from industrial development. But as she explores her native Nova Scotia and visits families who have contracted cancer and other side effects from the toxins, she discovers these incidents have all been localized in poor income neighborhoods often home to indigenous or black communities. Page and Ian Daniel, who directs the documentary-series “Gaycation” with Page, call out the “environmental racism” taking place as native women fight for their land.
TIFF
"The Vigil"
Keith Thomas' horror film follows a young man who has to fulfill his Jewish practice of watching over a deceased family member of the Orthodox community. Of course, he is soon confronted with a malevolent entity.
TIFF
"Wasp Network"
“Wasp Network” will be the 17th narrative feature from the prolific French auteur Olivier Assayas, but this his first political thriller since 2010’s “Carlos.” Edgar Ramírez stars in the spy drama, based on the true story of five Cuban dissidents who were imprisoned by the U.S. in the 1990s on charges of espionage and murder. Penélope Cruz, Ana de Armas and Gael García Bernal also star.
RT Features
"Blackbird"
Susan Sarandon, Sam Neill, Kate Winslet and Mia Wasikowska star in “Notting Hill” director Roger Michell’s remake of the 2014 Danish film “Silent Heart." Sarandon plays a mother who learns she’s dying and chooses to end her life on her own terms. But when her family gathers for one last goodbye, tensions between sisters Winslet and Wasikowska boil back up to the surface.
TIFF
"Red Penguins"
"Red Penguins," the latest documentary from Gabe Polsky ("Red Army," "In Search of Greatness"), follows Steve Warshaw's attempts to change post-Soviet Russian hockey into a sporting event for everyone, with the help of Hollywood executives and advertisers, forever transforming Russian-American relations.
TIFF
"And We Go Green"
Leonardo DiCaprio produces this film about the international Formula E circuit, which is similar to Formula One but with eco-friendly electric cars. On brand for the actor, who even has a foundation dedicated to the environment and Earth's inhabitants.
TIFF
"Rocks"
After "Suffragette," Sarah Gavron is back with "Rocks," which is picking up major word of mouth ahead of the festival. The movie follows a young girl who finds herself struggling to take care of herself and her younger brother.
TIFF
"Guns Akimbo"
This one is for the Daniel Radcliffe fans out there -- a dark sci-fi thriller in which the actor plays the next contestant in an illegal livestreamed death match. Samara Weaving, fresh off "Ready Or Not," also stars.
TIFF
"The Other Lamb"
This sounds like one for fans of Ari Aster's "Midsommar." Michiel Huisman plays a cult leader who is questioned by a young woman born into the cult. Plus, it was featured on the 2017 BloodList for best (then-)unproduced horror scripts.
BloodList
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Toronto 2019: Environmental docs, spy dramas and films with big names will be all the rage at this year’s festival
The Toronto International Film Festival is better known as a launching pad for films about to hit theaters than as a sales market, but the packed slate of projects includes quite a few that will be vying for the attention of studios, indie distributors and streaming services.