Chekhov & Maria (2007/Cinema Epoch DVD)

 

Picture: C     Sound: C+     Extras: C-     Film: B-

 

 

Many artsy types try to hide behind other artists and therefore think by association that they are suddenly artists, artistic or otherwise connected with some from of higher culture that has more to do with their imagination than reality.  Sad as that is, it can be understandable, but is also off-putting, so it is nice to see a film that does well by a major literary figure.  Eric Till’s Chekhov & Maria (2007) is a pleasant surprise.

 

Dealing with writer Anton Chekhov’s final years of life before illness (tuberculosis) killed him, Chekhov (Ron Battilla) lives with his sister Maria (Gillian Brashear) and hopes that his work will make a comeback on the stage.  Some of it is being tampered with, but he struggles to continue to write and hope for the best.  They are close, but long-simmering tensions are about to surface.  He has not told her he is secretly married and she has not told him that she feels like she is not always appreciated.

 

This could have come across as stagy and phony, but Till does some of his best work to date and the actors are absolutely convincing.  Just as well, the screenplay by the late Jovanka Bach is very smart, impressive, rich and well-rounded.  This is just one of those projects where all involved try to do their best and it worked very well for the most part.  At a tight 86 minutes, it never wastes time and is the kind of film that the more people who see it, the more who will talk about it and recommend it.

 

The anamorphically enhanced 1.85 X 1 image is the only real problem here.  For such a nice shoot, the image is just much softer than a new release should be.  Even color is consistent, but the only helps so much.  The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is better with some warmth and fullness.  Though not perfect, the recording is not bad.  The only extra is a set of stills.

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo