Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: ASSAULT [International Film Festival Rotterdam 2022 - Virtual]
The construct of "Assault" [Big Screen Competition] is a specific approach because the concept has a soundness to it but because it is set in an outying part of Russia, seems to have a different societal and responsive structure. The basis of the story is that terrorists in masks take over a school in the middle of a tundra, a teacher escapes without saving his students (including his son) but then must comes to bear with the other parents to find a way to save them. A tactical team from the bigger government is on the way to help but will take some time to arrive. This small troupe decides to take matters into its own hands despite their lack of possibility to actually accomplish what needs to be done. What needed to be a little clearer was any kind of reasoning or intent with the assailants. Using masks is an interesting if overused cliché although there is an undeniable irony in the final moments in the film as to the bigger meaning.
The overall structure though is more about these group of misfits (or, in reality, just regular people), training to take back their children when they have no experience whatsoever to do so except parental instinct. Add to this the fact that the teacher (a nerdy math guy) is trying to come up with strategy with a group that are not good at being taught. His soon-to-be ex-wife who was waiting to leave with their son becomes an unlikely but reticent ally in what her eventual role needs to be in the operation. Every single person for the most part in this team (a drunk, a slow assistant, his lazy boss, the school principal and a soft per se counselor) brings a different fear or lack of strength. It is that aspect that makes their build up though to their eventual storming of the castle even more authentic to themselves. Visually the film keeps it simple with some vaudevillian textures while the irony being when the authorities do show up, it makes the whole resolution reflexive in the most banal way. B-
By Tim Wassberg
