I recently watched Brother (BRAT) and was intrigued enough by it to want to see other movies directed by Bodrov Sr (they both also star Bodrov Jr.)These movies are quirky--this one showed the decadent disintegration of a gangster and his family. Having a cockroach exterminator get rid of the gangster was kind of nice touch--these highly personal quirky odd movies are fun if well done. This one is well done. I especially liked the sound track of falsettos it is hauntingly beautiful. The music is by Tiger Lillies a sound and group that is very distinctive.To me like Brother or Brat this movie lacks of a clear story line so you assume what is going on is basic gangster betraying gangster stuff. This movie shows an ensemble of family problems nympho wives absent mothers sibling rivalry--in fact there is a little too much going on. You get taken up with the visuals and subplots so it is not that boring even without a detailed story. The visuals in this movie were not nearly as unique and interesting as BRAT so that movie worked a lot better--everything is shot in a Malibu hilltop house from the 70s--this is not different enough to be visually interesting--maybe to a Russian it was.Again if you like quirky personal movies this one will do for you. I found this one drags about 30 minutes from the end when the cockroach woman arrives--overall I gave it a 6. Brat was a better movie....in this one the writers/directors may have dipped into the coke a little too much.Bodrov Jr. was killed in 2002 in an avalanche (he is main protagonist in BRAT)-- To be honest his death was not a big loss to future movies--he is a bad actor too self conscious--maybe thinks also he is hotter looking than he is--helps that Dad is the director too.RECOMMEND

This is not a bad movie. Actually it is magnificent. I was searching for it for 4 years I guess and I finally got it. This movie, of course, can't be understood by Americans :)). So, dear potential viewer, don't believe comments made from US :). Don't watch the mob boss. Watch a guy (Russian guy, if you wish) who was gambling big. That is what the movie is about. About beauty and gambling for choices of the great thing called life. Mob factor is just an additional detail... just like in Godfather. That is not the main point of the movie. I agree that direction and actors (not the things they were supposed to do, but actors themselves) could be different (except Mashkov, he did well as always), but it doesn't shadow the whole movie.

"The Quickie" tells of a decadent Russian mob family who lives in Malibu and...well, frankly, this awful attempt at drama isn't worthy of commentary.Jason Leigh introduces herself to Mr. Mob-guy as being from "Pacific Exterminators" with huge letters in plain sight on her back which say "West Coast Exterminators". Eventually the mob-guys get suspicious because she was exterminating in a bedroom. (duh).In another scene Mr. Mobguy plays Russian roulette giving a hooker $4000 to bet whether he'll live or die. She has 5 chances out of 6 of keeping the money if she bets "live". Well, she bets "die". (double duh) Later she complains it wasn't fair and wants to play again. (Triple duh). The list of flaws just goes on and on while this intelligence insulting film stinks and sinks in a quagmire of lousy music, mediocre camera work, poor direction, boring story, etc. Pass on this loser. (D)Note - The barebones DVD which I rented had no English same language subtitles or closed captions.

This movie came very close to being a good flick. The direction needs to be a bit smoother to progress from one piece to the next to make it more plausible. In particular: The main character's need to escape is not explicit enough. Is he trying to kill himself? Is he trying to escape? His life does not seem to be that bad, so it makes it more difficult to swallow that he wants to leave his life so much. Also, it is not very clear how much "in love" he has fallen with Jennifer Jason L. If the movie was reworked with some more attention to these details, it would have been Great. On the other hand, for an indy flick, it's pretty good! Maybe if you have a couple of drinks, to dull the logical thinking, it would be more fun...