Movie Review - The Iris Effect (Surreal and Complex)

This movie is based on a script entitled "Brown Moscow", by Yuri Kamenetsky et al. The movie is professionally done but extremely hard to follow. There really needed to be a "Directors Comments" segment on this DVD. The movie is Surreal and Complex: My 4 star rating is based on this genre.

Here is my description of the plot: Sarah laments her missing son Thomas, who ran away years before. She finds a clue of his whereabouts in a catalog of a painting exhibition in Russia, and she goes there. In Russia, a young boy keeps watching her at at distance and she is confused. Eventually we get to the main mystery, where a woman (Katya) is cared for by her husband, who protects her from memories of the death of her past lover (Thomas) for the last 10-years with gentle care, and drugs when she needs them. Katya has occasional episodes where she goes to Thomas' drowning-site and is puzzled.

The movie's mystery is finally revealed, when at this drowning-site, the husband once-and-for-all convinces Katya that Thomas was long dead - and she jumps into the water. Sarah and the boy (revealed as Thomas re-incarnated) are late arriving on the scene. Thomas jumps in and saves her. (In the water his shape shifts to adult form for dramatic effect).

Katya (her hair flowing) and her rescuer are cast in quite striking imagery, floating slowly down into the deep. The movie ends with Katya evidently going her own way (back to caring husband), and Sarah joins with Thomas the boy. He is painting a picture of Katya and Sarah says "You really miss her ... don't feel bad ... maybe you'll be with her next time"