A long, grim drama that comes at you head-on, set in Stalin's Russia and based on a true story. Tom Hulce is earnest but rather annoying as Ivan, a young cinema projectionist who is taken from his home one night by the KGB, and whisked to the inner sanctum of Society power where, thanks to Stalin's love of films, he becomes the Kremlin's private projectionist. Torn between his love for his hero, addiction to his new-found power, loyalty to his wife (Lolita Davidovich) and fear for his life, Ivan eventually has some terrible decisions to make. On-location filming here helps produce some spectacular individual scenes, but the acting lacks subtlety, with Bob Hoskins going spectacularly over the top as Beria.


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