Directed by Jérôme Salle
Starring Gilles Lellouche, Joanna Kulig
Here we have another political-thriller with a core issue that will make your blood boil, particularly as it’s based on an (unfortunately) true story. Kompromat keeps itself assured and somewhat reserved, yet you can’t help but get so angry at the egregious mistreatment of this man.
Mathiu (Gilles Lellouche) is the new head of Siberia’s Alliance Francaise, a cultural arts program, but his provocative play that he introduces to Russia does not sit well with their homophobic attitudes. To put Mathieu in a real compromised situation, he is framed for possession of child pornography and child molestation of his own kid. He is placed in Russian prison, and from there on, must find ways to claim his innocence and prove this set-up, with the help of his friend Svetlana (Joanna Kulig).
There’s certainly thrills to be had along the way, though this film succeeds more in getting you angry, incensed about Mathieu’s situation, and contemplating the horrid new advent of ‘kompromat,’ which in the digital age refers to how easy and convincingly people can be framed of crimes, and how their family can be forced to comply.
A thrilling film that’s not too distracted, even with the love interest, who’s instrumental in helping him escape (even though a love-making moment between them seems like a waste of time when time is very crucial). This is based on what happened to Yoann Barbereau, head of the Alliance Fran, who wrote a book about his imprisonment and his escape, Escape from Siberia. However, this film is only inspired, not based, on that book and seems to contain a handful of moments (particularly in the film’s last third), that seem to be purely cinematic (as in contrived) and make you question whether they actually happened.
Although some of the smaller details of this story seem fudged for this film, Kompromat still works overall as a very engaging and infuriating political-thriller (one that certainly doesn’t help any Russian sympathies). It’s still a film with humanity, and never gets moralising, it just shows you the extent this man went to to clear his name.
DAVID MORGAN-BROWN
