Zoology

Director Ivan I Tverdovsky insists this tale of a tail has universal significance and is not simply an allegory of Vladimir Putin's Russia. Nevertheless, the gloomy interiors, photographed in numbing blues and greys by Alexander Mikeladze, very much suggest the oppressive system that a middle-aged zoo administrator (Natalia Pavlenkova) seeks to kick against after she suddenly sprouts a magnificent tail. Initially, she hides it from her superstitious mother and her bitchy workmates. Yet, even though her priest bars her from communion amid rumours of a demon roaming the parish, Pavlenkova begins to accept her newfound appendage. She treats herself to a makeover and even goes on a date with a younger radiologist (Dmitriy Groshev). However, it becomes clear while copulating in a cage that Groshev's motives are not purely romantic. Marbled with melancholy, this is an intelligent meditation on gender, age and body image. But, while Pavlenkova is exceptional, Tverdovsky often seems more preoccupied with superficial symbolism than his potent satirical message.