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Little Odessa

Little Odessa

Drama · Crime · 1994

Long separated from his family, hitman Joshua returns to Brighton Beach for a contract killing for the Russian Mafia. His abusive father, Arkady, banned him from returning after Joshua committed his first murder. He takes up residence in a hotel, and soon everyone knows he has returned. He goes home to visit his dying mother, Irina, and prepares for the assassination, getting drawn back into the criminal community he left behind.

Movie details

Little Odessa

“Brothers in blood. Partners in crime.”

1994 Drama · Crime 1h 38m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.5 / 10

Community rating

Long separated from his family, hitman Joshua returns to Brighton Beach for a contract killing for the Russian Mafia. His abusive father, Arkady, banned him from returning after Joshua committed his first murder. He takes up residence in a hotel, and soon everyone knows he has returned. He goes home to visit his dying mother, Irina, and prepares for the assassination, getting drawn back into the criminal community he left behind.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Little Odessa?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

James Gray

Written by

James Gray

Tim Roth

Tim Roth

Joshua Shapira

Edward Furlong

Edward Furlong

Reuben Shapira

Moira Kelly

Moira Kelly

Alla Shustervich

Vanessa Redgrave

Vanessa Redgrave

Irina Shapira

Paul Guilfoyle

Paul Guilfoyle

Boris Volkoff

Natalya Andreychenko

Natalya Andreychenko

Natasha

Maximilian Schell

Maximilian Schell

Arkady Shapira

Court is in session

Put Little Odessa on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Auteur Devotee

“Form is the argument.”

Every composed frame and deliberate cut is evidence that control can be thrilling in its own right.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“Technique in search of a pulse.”

Immaculate construction is still construction. The film may be too busy proving its craft to feel alive.