[yasr_overall_rating]
When an American diamond trader’s Russian partner goes missing, he journeys to Siberia in search of him but instead begins a love affair.
I have to give kudos to Keanu Reeves. In between his blockbuster “John Wick” movies, he takes time out of his schedule to star in more independent fare, films like “Destination Wedding” and “Siberia,” and while these are not very good movies, at least he took the time to elevate their status by starring in them.
In “Siberia,” Reeves stars as Lucas Hill, a black market diamond trader who travels to Russia to sell diamonds to a big-time Russian mobster, Boris Volkov (Pasha D. Lychnikoff). When he arrives in Siberia, he is scheduled to meet with his partner, Pyotr (Boris Gulyarin), to pick up the diamonds but he does not respond to Lucas’ phone calls so Lucas must meet with Boris alone, apologizing for the slight delay, stating that within three days, he will have the diamonds for him. Boris, naturally, is not happy about the mix-up but agrees to see Lucas again in three days.
Lucas travels to the small town where Pyotr lives but nobody has seen him in some time. He decides to wait for Pyotr and while there, meets Christa (Ashley St. George), a small restaurant owner, and in a small, desolate town with very little to offer, the two fall for each other. As the days go by and Lucas still can’t reach Pyotr, he is contacted by the Russian authorities who know what he does for a living and they inform him that if he goes through with a deal to help capture Boris, they will let him leave the country with his life.
He states that he does not have the diamonds since his partner mysteriously disappeared and the only alternative is to make fake diamonds but he knows that if Boris even suspects they’re counterfeit, he will not only kill him but Christa too. The authorities tell him that they will look after Christa but that in order for them to do so, Boris must accept the diamonds, then, and only then, will the operation be a success. With time running out for both Lucas and Christa, he sets out to make the best imitation diamonds possible as both his and Christa’s lives depend upon it.
“Siberia” starts out as a thriller but then acquiesces into a love story and while both these elements work, they do not work together. “Siberia” should have either been a straight-up thriller, or love story, combining the two drags out an already long narrative and leaves you feeling empty when the final credits roll. Director Matthew Ross and cinematographer Eric Koretz lend authenticity to the film by shooting many of the scenes in Russia and because of this, you can literally feel the brutal cold. Reeves does fine in his role but does not have much to work with, other than looking concerned, perplexed, or afflicted. Kind of how I felt after watching the movie.
Now available on Blu-ray™ (plus Digital), DVD & Digital HD
