Synopsis
Khodorkovsky, the richest Russian, challenges President Putin. A fight of the titans begins. Putin warns him. But Khodorkovsky comes back to Russia knowing that he will be imprisoned, once he returns. When I heard about it, I asked myself: why didn't he stay in exile with a couple of billions? Why did he do that? A personal journey to Khodorkovsky.
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Cast
- Mikhail KhodorkovskySelf
- Joschka FischerSelf
- Vladimir PutinSelf (archive footage)
- George W. BushSelf (archive footage)
- Anatoly ChubaisSelf
- Grigoriy YavlinskiySelf
- Leonid NevzlinSelf
- Boris NemtsovSelf
- Ilya YashinSelf
- Boris YeltsinSelf (archive footage) (uncredited)
Recommendations
- 90
NPR
Tuschi has made a docu-thriller of enormous narrative flair and visual smarts. It's a perfect fit for the blend of Greek tragedy, spaghetti Western and judicial farce that defines business and politics in the New Russia. - 83
IndieWire
With its subject still behind bars and the Russian government on the brink of reelecting Kremlin's United Russia party, the biggest triumph of Khodorkovsky is the case it makes for a sequel. - 83
The A.V. Club
It's unlikely to enflame American audiences with less of a stake in Russia's political goings-on, but works as a persuasive portrait of a politically toxic situation. As one of Khodorkovsky's advocates admits to the camera, even capitalists are entitled to human rights. - 75
New York Post
The political intrigue behind the documentary would make for a great movie of its own. - 75
San Francisco Chronicle
The documentary is not always fascinating, but Tuschi's ultimate thesis - that Khodorkovsky, who started out a shady businessman, ultimately emerged as a hero, willing to go to jail for his convictions - is a persuasive one. Clearly, the man is a political prisoner. - 70
The New York Times
The prisoner rather eloquently portrays himself as a victim of human rights abuse. - 70
Village Voice
Though the PR bit is right on, Khodorkovsky goes some way toward questioning the guilt. - 60
Time Out
Tuschi leans too far into an admiring position, and you thirst for some commonsense critique. It's all a bit rich.
