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Based on the first of a trilogy by Tom Rob Smith and set in the Stalin era of the Soviet Union. During Stalin';;;s rule of the Soviet Union in the early 1950s, disgraced Ministry of State Security Agent Leo Demidov uncovers a strange and brutal series of child murders by a serial killer who everyone claims does not exist because it is Soviet doctrine that it is capitalism, not communism which creates serial killers. The state would not hear of the existence of a child murderer let alone a serial killer. He gets demoted and exiled but decides, with just the help of his wife, to continue pursuing the case.
It's rare that a movie more than two hours long is criticized for being too short, but there's just so much crammed in, and the speedy clip of events doesn't permit the audience to gain a deep empathy for anyone involved.
Child 44 is bland in every aspect, which is a shame as the source novel could have been turned into an exciting movie if it had the right directorial hands to guide it (as well as a more eye catching title, Child 44 sounds pretty boring in name alone).
Given these actors and the ravishing decrepitude of the locations and costumes and the lustrous cinematography of Oliver Wood, I found it more than watchable the whole way through.
Anchored by two strong lead performances, this film is nothing like the serial killer thriller the trailer suggests. In fact, it is nothing like what you think you are going to get.
Once in a while comes that star-studded film to remind that even the best assemblage of thespians isn't enough to save the most underwhelming of films.