To one who lived through the cold war, Archangel does a marvelous job integrating current events with flashbacks - of depicting the complex ways in which the Russian people did and still do react to Stalin a proved mass murderer - with fear, with hatred, with admiration and respect, and even with love. In that respect it is much like the earlier Russia House, which starred Sean Connery as the western visitor enmeshed in a dangerous conspiracy and internal conflict in the former Soviet Union. Although the story line sounds generally similar to "the Da Vinci Code", Archangel more credibly dramatizes a profound conflict in values between traditionalists and progressives in this case, in a society where socialism was once the opiate of the intelligentsia. His life in danger, Kelso teams up with a young Russian woman, Zinaida - brilliantly portrayed by Yekaterina Rednikova to solve the mystery and attempt to foil the plot. As the plot unfolds it relates the tale of a Western historian, Kelso played by Craig who attends a conference in Moscow only to discover a mystery and a conspiracy dating back to Stalin's death in 1953. Filmed under what were obviously frequently challenging conditions of rain, snow and cold, Archangel manages to capture the bitter chill and desolation of the countryside in winter as well as the grit and grandeur of Moscow. The cinematography is impressive, the plot is fascinating, and the acting, by both supporting actors and principals is first rate - including what may be Daniel Craig's finest recent performance. The result is an outstanding motion picture. Unlike many US adaptations of serialized TV shows, the transition between the episodes is seamless and the ensuing two-hour drama stands in good stead as an integrated whole. Archangel, an excellent action/adventure story, was filmed in Moscow and Latvia and originally produced as a two part BBC-TV series.
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