Some things don't need to be said or shown, such as the ending to the otherwise solid Russian drama "The Thief."
In fact, the final five-minute sequence tries to explain something that writer-director Pavel Chukhrai has already revealed throughout the earlier 85 minutes. And the somewhat heavy-handed end sequence actually robs the story of some of its power.Still, the film does remain compelling, thanks to an astonishing debut performance by child actor Misha Philipchuk and a charming turn by Vladimir Mashkov as the title character, a common crook named Tolyan, who pretends to be a soldier in post-World War II Russia.
Dressed impeccably in full officer's uniform, Tolyan finds the perfect (unwitting) accomplices while traveling by train: impoverished young war widow Katya (Ekaterina Rednikova) and her precocious 6-year-old son, Sanya (Philipchuk).
Tolyan quickly seduces Katya and tries to befriend the boy, who is haunted by fantasy images of his biological father - a soldier he never knew. Posing as a family, the three rent a room in a crowded communal flat.
There, Sanya befriends an injured girl (Ania Shtukaturova) and comes to respect, if not love, his stern father figure. This happens, even as he and his mother discover Tolyan's horrible secret - that he plans to rob the other residents and repeat the scheme elsewhere.
As mentioned, the payoff to this isn't exactly surprising, but the scenes that precede it are very good, thanks to Chukhrai's suspenseful plotting and convincing dialogue, as well as the terrific cast.
Mashkov, a star in his home country, is appropriately charismatic, while talented newcomer Rednikova gives a very natural performance. But they pale in comparison to the youngster, whose multi-layered performance is amazing, given his age. Effective narration by Yuri Belyaev (voicing the grown-up Sanya, who tells the tale) also helps.
"The Thief" is rated R for violent fist-fighting and slapping, female and full male nudity, profanity, simulated sex and use of some vulgar slang.