90
Village Voice by Alan Scherstuhl
Bykov's moral tale is clear-eyed and callused over, worrying not over individual lives but over a nation's soul.
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What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
100
The Hollywood Reporter by Boyd van Hoeij
An explosive combination of highly personal moral drama and a wider, scathing portrait of a country in which corruption and greed seem to be the only shared values left, this well-oiled narrative machine is further aided by a clever ticking-clock mechanism that actually ratchets up the tension the longer the characters’ vodka-soaked, blame-game speeches are allowed to go on.
75
It takes place entirely at night, and the dingy color palette, washed-out and intentionally drab, presents Russia as an almost alien landscape.
63
New York Post by Farran Smith Nehme
He may be saddled with an overly ironic title role, but Bystrov is terrific. His cowboy squint and dogged intelligence are enough to give you hope for Russia, although the movie certainly won’t.
80
The helmer shows exquisite control of the world he has created.
90
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
The Fool is a hard movie to shake.
83
Yuri Bykov’s third feature is in the same vein as a slew of recent Russian films sounding a strident alarm.