Page 14 - aruba-today-20220413

a14 people & arts
Wednesday 13 april 2022
Review: A portrait of a Putin opposition leader in 'Navalny'

By LINDSEY BAHR to Russia (Navalny says at
AP Film Writer the outset that he's not in
" Navalny " is so taut and Berlin by choice), it's there
suspenseful you'd think that he is able to team up
John le Carré had left be- with investigative journal-
hind a secret manuscript ists Christo Grozev and
that's only just coming to Maria Pevchikh, who help
light now. track down his suspect-
This spellbinding portrait of ed poisoners. In one jaw-
a Russian opposition leader dropping scene, Navalny
following an attempt on his calls the suspects one by
life has all the makings of one on speakerphone. It's
a Hollywood thriller. It has a testament to Roher and
shadowy operatives, truth- his editors just how exciting
seeking journalists, con- this is on screen. And it all
spiracy theories, Soviet-era culminates with Navalny's
poisons and, at its center, a January 2021 flight back to
handsome, altruistic family Russia where he knows that
man risking his life to fight a he will be immediately ar-
would-be despot. rested and imprisoned.
But "Navalny" is not fiction. The film captures these epi-
And it's somehow even sodes and this unbelievable
more chilling and prescient saga extraordinarily well.
now than it was just three Roher maintains a delicate
months ago when it pre- balance of amplifying Na-
miered at the Sundance valny's story, including mov-
Film Festival hours after ing testimonies from his wife
Russian authorities officially Alexei Navalny appears in a scene from the documentary "Navalny." and daughter, while also
added Alexei Navalny to Associated Press resisting full hero worship.
their registry of terrorists. Navalny is also a politician,
Thanks to Fathom Events, and the Putin administra- Roher says off camera. landing in Omsk where he after all, and Roehr does
audiences can see it in the- tion and become a popular "Yes, I was wrong," Navalny was immediately hospital- not hold back in interrogat-
aters starting Tuesday. It'll and rallying figure among says. ized. His wife and support- ing what he stands for out-
be broadcast on CNN and like-minded Russians. The Roher was able to sit down ers helped make the case side of his opposition to Pu-
streamed on HBO Max later media has called him the with Navalny during his brief for him to be treated else- tin. Blame history, but "Na-
this year. Kremlin's fiercest critic. And stay in Berlin in 2020 and where and he was soon valny" feels somehow unfin-
For the uninitiated, Alexei he is seemingly undaunted early 2021, while recover- transported to Berlin for ished despite many, many
Navalny is a media sav- by the intimidation and the ing from being poisoned care. After emerging from title cards and newsreels
vy, anti-corruption cam- arrests he's endured. and seeking the truth be- a coma, the German gov- that precede the credits.
paigner in his mid-40s who The fame, he thought, hind the unsuccessful mur- ernment determined that With everything that has
has for many years been a might even make it more der attempt. he'd been poisoned by transpired in the past few
headache for Russian Presi- problematic for him to be In August 2020, he'd fallen a lethal, Soviet-era nerve months with Russia's inva-
dent Vladimir Putin. He's killed, he tells director Dan- violently ill on flight from agent. The Kremlin denied sion of Ukraine, perhaps its
released numerous reports iel Roher in the documen- Siberia to Moscow. The pi- the allegation. biggest flaw is that it has an
about corruption in Russia tary. "Boy, were you wrong," lot staged an emergency Though eager to get back ending at all.q

Rachel Maddow returns to MSNBC, will switch to once a week

show only once a week. book "Bag Man." She said The plan leaves MSNBC
After working her custom- the weekly schedule will executives in an awkward
ary five nights a week for give her "more time to work spot. While it has been re-
the rest of April, Maddow on some of this other stuff ported that MSNBC signed
said, she will work on Mon- I've got cooking for MSNBC a new contract with Mad-
day nights only starting in and NBC." dow that gives her ad-
May. The network said it will She heaped praise on Ali ditional flexibility, execu-
rotate guest hosts the other Velshi, who had filled in tives have not publicly
four weeknights on a show frequently for her while she addressed that deal, or
called "MSNBC Prime." was away, calling him a Maddow's announcement
"For big news events, for "prince among men." Monday. It seems, at least
things like the leadup to the Yet MSNBC's ratings in her for the time being, the net-
election, I will of course be time slot tumbled in her ab- work will be happy to get as
here more than that, but sence, even with coverage much as it can from Mad-
that is the general plan," of a gripping news event, dow and leave the light on
MSNBC television anchor Rachel Maddow, host of the Rachel
Maddow Show, moderates the "Perspectives on National Secu- Maddow said on her show the Ukraine war. MSNBC if she someday decides to
rity" panel on Oct. 16, 2017, in Cambridge, Mass. Monday. is not alone in questions do more.
Associated Press The cable news network's about its 9 p.m. Eastern Maddow said she had
most popular personality hour: CNN hasn't named a originally thought she
By DAVID BAUDER to the air Monday with had been on hiatus for the full-time replacement for its might need another hiatus
AP Media Writer some bad news for her fans: past two months, working former ratings leader, Chris from her show this year but
NEW YORK (AP) — MSNBC's Starting next month, she will on a new podcast and a Cuomo, since he was fired has determined that she
Rachel Maddow returned be doing her prime-time movie adaptation of her in December. won't.q