Review: Siberia

The opening moments of Siberia may lead viewers into believing that they are about to experience a John Wick-type film unfold. After all, it stars Keanu Reeves, this time as a man named Lucas Hill, an American diamond merchant who has clearly had experience in combat training, some shady dealings, and can speak Russian. The latter comes in handy since he finds himself beckoned to St. Petersburg by his Russian partner Pyotr (Boris Gulyarin) for their latest black market deal.

Except neither Pyotr nor their product of blue diamonds are anywhere to be found and Lucas is left holding the proverbial bag when their buyer, a local crime boss named Boris (Pasha D. Lychnikoff), expresses his displeasure and believes that Pyotr might have double-crossed him and sold the diamonds to some South Africans. Lucas manages to broker a two-day extension to deliver the product for which Boris paid a cool $50 million, and heads to the Eastern Siberian mining town of Mirny to track down his missing partner. With Russian and possibly South African gangsters in the mix, one might be forgiven for thinking that there would be fighting, bone-cracking, and bloodletting a-plenty, but it becomes evident that this is not the type of film that Siberia is aiming to be.

Unfortunately, it also becomes clear that neither screenwriter Scott B. Smith (A Simple Plan) nor director Matthew Ross (Frank and Lola) have any clue what their product is or, if they do, no knowledge of how to shape it into the intended end result. There are enough elements here to fashion a throwback to the type of Cold War dramatic thrillers that were popular during the Eighties. The filmmakers introduce Katya (Ana Ularu), a local bartender with whom the married Lucas begins a hot and heavy affair. They develop enough feelings for one another that Boris can threaten her life to keep Lucas motivated to meet the two-day deadline. In fact, one of the more compelling moments involves Boris "sweet-talking" Katya into convincing a reluctant Lucas to tell her to degrade herself, a scene which combines luridness with moral complexity that pushes Siberia into a dirtiness that would have made it a far better film, but which the filmmakers are ill-equipped to pursue. In many respects, Siberia is a weak companion piece to this year's Red Sparrow, the Jennifer Lawrence spy thriller that is an imperfect but masterful example of pulpy perversion.

Ross' glacial pacing does not help matters, though one can at least credit him for the tersely staged climactic shootout that ends on a remarkably abrupt note. Ularu makes for a believably world-weary woman who has lived a hardscrabble life. Reeves, despite being left adrift by both script and director, manages to offset the film's failings with his ever watchable presence.

Siberia

Directed by: Matthew Ross

Written by: Scott B. Smith

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Ana Ularu, Pasha D. Lychnikoff, Boris Gulyarin, Veronica Ferres, Molly Ringwald