Protraph Lack of good storyline.

YouHeart I gave it a 7.5 out of 10

Orla Zuniga It is interesting even when nothing much happens, which is for most of its 3-hour running time. Read full review

Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Becky Alfaro Set in the early twentieth century Of Freaks and Men makes an indisputable impact with its seemingly controversial intro including pornographic pictures. Following the impact that pornographers, Johan and Victor Ivanovich have on two family's the film raises awareness of the dark industry early in Russia's history. The themes that are explored include sexuality, psychological issues and the decline of lifestyle which may be seen as an allegory to Russia at at the time. These topics are not taboo for popular director Alexei Balabanovs who delves into a myriad of dark subject matters. The film is not made for everyone's taste and it does include sensitive scenes that may be alarming to some. Despite this the film is entertaining and manages to make this satire into something thought provoking and even humorous at times. There is a large amount of irony which goes into the development of the characters such as the Siamese twins and the blind mother Ekaterina. The twins are held as juxtapositions of each other and differ mainly in their actions and reactions with one of them being more corrupt while the other remains untainted for the most part until the very end despite having to experience all of his brother's courses. Liza the main target of the other family is of doubtful virtue to begin with and becomes even more corrupt once she is exposed to the two immoral pornographers. The film is arguably a portrayal of the human condition and the underlying unconscious desires that are there to begin with. Very reminiscent to Freud's psychoanalysis, the film was interesting to watch.

kril10 Alexei's Balabanov's Of Freaks of Men was a quite strange yet interesting viewing experience. The film mechanics and overall setting seemed to contradict the content that was being portrayed, perhaps to construct a novel "Balabanov" perspective. For instance, the use of pre- Revolutionary Tsarist Russia as a setting, complete with bourgeois colonnade backdrops and 19th century luxuries and proprieties, to display an underground pornography business that slowly takes over the lives of the main characters was quite an unexpected juxtaposition. The use of "brown-screen" (black and white?), intertitles, and classical music further strengthened this divide, almost making it seem like the organized crime of Balabanov's Brother 2 existed and was captured on film in the early days of cinema!There are several ways one can interpret this artistic leap. One interesting perspective is to view the decline of the doctor's and engineer's Bourgeois families at the hands of the exploiting Johann as yet another example of the failure of Capitalism in the eyes of a Communist. The fathers of the two families made their money in a hog- eat-hog Capitalistic world, and their children (Tolya/Kolya and Liza respectively) ended up being used by a bigger Capitalist hog, Johann the pornographer. An alternative view would be a demonstration of how post- Soviet Russian organized crime was not an artifact of that particular era, and that it existed underground since before even Communism. That would have turned the movie into a nationalistic excuse for the deterioration that occurred in Russia after Gorbachev. Although other views can be constructed, I feel like this movie was nevertheless a very successful and creative experiment on Balabanov's part. He has captured the new in the style of the very old to create a unique movie.

rakovsky On the outside, Of Freaks and Men is about the Mafia and Hitting Porn. Yet the Message is deeper than found in many hollywood movies. Of Freaks and Men is telling you something where it is not telling you something. It doesn't say what the relationship between Johan and "nanny" is. Why does Johan cry so much when she dies? She is unawares of her surroundings except when she is beating someone. In tsarist russia, these beatings were common until the Bolshevik Revolution outlawed beatings in 1917. Schools ended all forms of punishment. This film is easier to understand for Russians who commonly see erotica on TV, than for Americans for whom erotica signifies a porno flick. For aristocratic cultures, like Britain, the "english nanny" plays the twisted role portrayed in the film. They are not parents. An erotic element usually underlies relationships. Lisa's nanny is Johan's sister who was probably raised by the same nanny in turn. Grunya does not react any more than Johan does when she sees Lisa beaten. How does Lisa get a fascination with beatings? The film raises these questions but does not answer them. Despite all the pornography, the song of the cab-driver in the movie has a meaning deeper than found in American movies, and one that is not understood in the US. School beatings are a "way of life" in the South, says a Texas youth. Corporal punishment causes crime and sexual problems because it is both.

przgzr I haven't seen a (before mentioned) child-porn, but neither a (also mentioned) good art film. In fact, this movie has something excellent and something terrible as well. Unfortunately, worse dominates. Photography is far the best component. It's the only thing that prevented me from fast-forward watching the tape. Outdoor sepia-colored pictures are incredibly wonderful, especially when nothing is happening. This movie could have been great if it had no plot, and if the director of photography was just let to do all the job. Watching 90 minutes of brilliant photo is definitively a bigger pleasure than 90 movies of a rather bad movie. ** a few spoilers **Except photography one more good (but not that good) thing to notice is acting of Sergei Makovetsky, playing Yohan. No smile, no change on his face, no matter if he is leading a successful job, killing a man, talking to friends or trying to arrange a marriage. Victor Sokhorukov, playing Victor, as wicked as Yohan (or even more), is always smiling, no matter if he is selling porn pictures to girls, kidnapping Siamese twins or seducing their stepmother just to use her in porn movies, and this contrast emphasizes lack of expression on Yohan's face. Other actors didn't make impressions on me.Trains leaving the station sometimes show time passing by, sometimes just connect scenes, and I think they have some meaning as traffic lights in Twin Peaks. But trains/traffic lights and beautiful photography can't be enough for a movie. (Comparing it to Twin Peaks is a huge blasphemy!) Also, don't expect much from the fact that most characters are producing porn movies, unless you are a flagellation fetishist.** no spoilers any more **I believe there is no movie that nobody would like. This one has its audience, too. That's why I won't suggest avoiding this movie, but better read some reviews before watching: it will last 5 or 10 minutes and might save you one and a half hour if you find out it's not the movie you like (as you probably will).