SIMPLE THINGS

A missed change of traffic lights sets the scene: Sergej Maslov (Sergej Puskepalis) is behind the wheel, on his lips his usual quiet smile, and all around him the bustle of St. Petersburg. His daughter Lena (Dinara Kuteva) has fl own the cramped parental apartment to live with her boyfriend, and Sergej’s wife Katja (Svetlana Kamynina) has surprised them both by falling pregnant again. The anaesthetist’s salary Sergej receives from a municipal hospital barely covers the couple’s modest lifestyle, and he doesn’t welcome the idea of a second child. But Sergej’s life revolves around simple things: loyalty from his friends, honesty in his marriage, concern for his patients.
The prospect of additional income unexpectedly arrives from a dubious nursing service that offers medical care to old people in return for a share in their estate after they die. Sergej reluctantly accepts, although not even the prospect of giving the new baby a more affluent home can allay his misgivings. An even faster solution to the doctor’s financial worries is promised by a proposal put to him by a domineering and conceited patient: the actor Vladimir Žuravljov (Leonid Bronevoj). If Sergej renders him a dubious service, he can expect a handsome reward. The anaesthetist is forced to take a decision.
The tone of Aleksej Popogrebskij’s film is calm and laconic, the camerawork of Pavel Kostamarov stays close to the characters – always at eye-level, rarely straying from their side. SIMPLE THINGS is a fi lm of muted tones and small gestures – although (and not because) it is about the seemingly simple things in life.