The Thief (1997)

[Stealing] the show is the eight-year-old Philipchuk, whose wide eyes register awe, puzzlement and misery with a conviction not seen since Salvatore Cascio in Cinema Paradiso.

The powerful persona that is evoked by Mashkov, a Russian stage actor and romantic star of cinema, makes the melodramatics more convincing.

The Thief, Russian director Pavel Chukhrai's new film, is both a simple story simply told and an uneasy political fable.

Beautifully photographed by Vladimir Klimov and utilizing Victor Petrov's strikingly authentic set to resemble a railway car of the 1950s, The Thief provides us with a broad sweep of Russian everymen as well as its principal performers.

As mentioned, the payoff to this isn't exactly surprising, but the scenes that precede it are very good, thanks to Chukhrai's suspenseful plotting and convincing dialogue, as well as the terrific cast.

...The Thief is also a reminder of just how exhilarating and satisfying a good tragedy can be...

...every bit as brilliant as its reputation suggests and is the feel-bad movie of the month, to boot.