Rent War (2002)
3.7 of 5 from 61 ratings
1h 57min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Whilst on tour in Georgia, a British actor and his girlfriend are captured by Chechen rebels. Along with several Russian prisoners they are taken to a remote village, where the atrocities of war are horrifyingly apparent. Thrown into a hole that already contains several Russian conscripts, the actors are then held to ransom. When the ransom doesn’t materialise one of the actors is released to raise the cash in Britain. Upon his return, he meets up with a conscript who is also desperate to save a colleague still held captive. Together they return to the Chechen village, waging a two man assault that will soon become an all-out war involving the might of the Russian military.
- Actors:
- Aleksey Chadov, Ian Kelly, Ingeborga Dapkunaite, Sergey Bodrov Jr., Evklid Kyurdzidis, Giorgi Gurgulia, Vladimir Gostyukhin, Ben Foster, Yuriy Stepanov, David McAlister, Andrei Kormunin, Steve Jamieson, Lev Erenburg, Peter Wickham, Stanislav Stotsky, Tatyana Pestova, Aleksey Alekseev, Viktoriya Smirnova, Olga Pastukhova, Aleksei Usoltsev
- Directors:
- Aleksey Balabanov
- Writers:
- Aleksey Balabanov
- Aka:
- Voyna
- Studio:
- Tartan
- Genres:
- Action & Adventure, Drama
- Countries:
- Russia
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Reviews (1) of War
Excellent and Timely war film about Russia and Chechnya. - War review by PV
I expected nothing of this film but was hooked - it is a fascinating film about Chechens taking hostages in the 1990s. The film was made in 2002. Putin was in charge of Russia then too and his photo and terrorist policy features.
The real star here is the actor Aleksey Chadov - who is brilliant in this and perfectly cast. It's an action role but way more than that about a highly complex military situation in Chechnya, part of Russia. He relates the story.
As one Chechen says to the main Russian character: "you gave away your country in Kazakstan and Ukraine". Putin would no doubt agree...
The most irritating thing is the bumbling cartoon character Englishman and his oh-so-irritating girlfriend., Not the actor;s fault - Ian Kelly does well. The script to blame.
Watch the half hour MAKING OF extra - it is fascinating.
Quite violent at times and with random Russian rock music.
But a great film all in all - and fascinating to see a war film set in Chechnya.
4 stars. Would be 5 but a star deducted for the cartoon character Englishman stereotype and the random soundtrack.
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