Alexey Tabakin’s “7/9” follows a strange story that opens a few doors and struggles to close them until the end. The story begins in a classic way, and through the narrative, we find out that there are many sides of it. The overall vibe of “7/9” is one of ‘what if’ and that is proven through the different results to simple everyday acts. Paulina is a young woman, happily married, and living in a big city. One day she receives a phone call that proves to be life-changing. As she proceeds to answer, we get to see the two sides of a story that not many of us will consider abnormal. Then the narrative gets perspective and starts to grow, offering more details and introducing new characters along the way. The long-awaited conclusive ending, however, came as a surprise for us as it did not happen, and we were left with more unanswered questions.

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We’ve done some further research to see if there is an inside-joke we are not getting regarding the book that is left on the bench, or if the story is an all-time classic we failed to remember. Unfortunately, our search was in vain, as we could not find more information. Based on the director’s statement, the film is supposed to be “based on a really good story…”, so having nothing else to add or explain here, we believe the story is just for the chosen ones to understand it.

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In terms of acting, “7/9” has a good cast, with two particular actors that caught our eye. Julia Dobrovolskaya’s portrayal of Paulina, a woman who faces great decisions without being aware is outstanding. Her indecision is almost poetic, and it is hard not to care for her. Artem Gladkov’s Val is always on edge without knowing it. The fall is imminent, but every time there is someone there to stop him right before the fall. Two perfectly blended characters that are hard to forget!

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“7/9” is confusing, yet spectacular at times with its highs and lows. We enjoyed it nonetheless.

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Written by Vlad A. G