The residents of a Russian mental institution become unwittingly involved in the Chechen War in this darkly romantic film by Andrei Konchalovsky (TANGO AND CASH). Janna (Julia Vysotsky) is a romantically delusional inmate who thinks she's engaged to pop star Bryan Adams. When the war comes, the medical staff flees the hospital, leaving her more or less in charge. Chechen soldiers soon invade the grounds and one of them proposes to her as a joke. She thinks he's sincere though, and finds her affections torn between the soldier and her fantasies of Adams. Through this odd love story, Konchalovsky effectively explores the parallels between the insanity of war and the insanity of the inmates, and he does so without being obvious or didactic. Also effective is the film's grainy, bleached-out look, which, combined with the realistic lunacy on display, recalls the work of Dogme '95 directors like Lars Von Trier. What sets HOUSE OF FOOLS apart from that pack, however, is the kindness and warmth of its characters, particularly Janna, who soothes the nerves of soldiers and patients alike with her compassion and accordion playing. Vysotksky gives a remarkable performance in the role, couching her character's raw vulnerability in a protective bed of delusion. As the object of her fantasies, Adams gamely appears as himself, strolling through the bomb-blasted corridors as he lip-syncs "Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman." HOUSE OF FOOLS was filmed largely at an actual Russian mental institution, with many of the inmates appearing as themselves.

DVD Features:

Region 1
Keep Case
Anamorphic Widescreen
Audio:
Dolby Digital 5.1 - Russian
Dolby Surround - Russian
Interactive Features:
Scene Access
Interactive Menus

Julia Vysotsky: Actress, HOUSE OF FOOLS (2003)
A. Kalyagin: Actor, HOUSE OF FOOLS (2003)
Sultan Islamov: Actor, HOUSE OF FOOLS (2003)
Evgeni Mironov: Actor, HOUSE OF FOOLS (2003)
Stanislav Varkki: Actor, HOUSE OF FOOLS (2003)
Elena Fomina: Actor, HOUSE OF FOOLS (2003)
Vladas Bagdonas: Actor, HOUSE OF FOOLS (2003)
Ruslan Naurbiev: Actor, HOUSE OF FOOLS (2003)
Cecilia Thomson: Actor, HOUSE OF FOOLS (2003)

Andrei Konchalovsky: Russian Director/Writer

Rene Cleitman: 
Jean Labadie: Producer, HOUSE OF FOOLS (2003)

Andrei Konchalovsky: Russian Director/Writer

Edward Atemiev: Composer, HOUSE OF FOOLS (2003)

"...Exuberant and harrowing....A superbly shot film of emotional extravagance, sentimentality and even humor, HOUSE OF FOOLS is a film that is ultimately quite moving..."
"[F]unny, but eventually it becomes more than that."