No prior knowledge is required to see The Trotsky. However, if you know anything about this Russian revolutionary, this film is worth seeing for an echo of what this man did.
Perhaps with a sense of irony, the world of the historical figure is reflected in modern times and in high school. Before one can say waitaminute, hasn’t this idea been done before? The difference here is that everything starts the morning before and it’s reminiscent of Ferris Brueller’s Day Off. But this movie doesn’t talk to audiences or be silly. It’s quite serious about the subject matter and the shit hasn’t hit the fan yet. When it does, that’s when this film gets interesting.
Audiences see where the life of Leon Bronstein (Jay Baruchel) is heading, and this actor’s performance is spectacular. Baruchel plays the character as though he was the former Marxist, but there are also some unsettling moments that just makes people wonder if he is just a young teen with a neurosis. That’s the part that’s worth paying attention to.
And another aspect to note is the career leap Baruchel is making. From Hollywood style flics like Tropic Thunder, She’s Out of My League and How to Train Your Dragon, this one is a radical departure from this actor’s repertoire of films he likes to appear in. And this can only mean good things for this actor.
Even the supporting cast stood out, and that’s a rarity in any film. There were solid performances through-out and the only weakness is in the film’s flow. It’s slow to start, but once when audiences are caught up in Russian History 101, there is more of a solid direction in the tale. And what audiences see is a young Trotsky as he struggles into young adulthood.
There is a message in this film, and that’s to find meaning in one’s life. For young Leon, that’s to find a destiny in the life he chose to emulate.
