Monday Morning Maybe

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Poster for Russian Ark

Russian Ark

Seen it?

2002 | 99 min | Drama, Fantasy, History

Sunday Safe Bet

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

Critics loved it (89% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for fantasy fans and history buffs. If you loved The Count of Monte Cristo, start here. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Mind-bending.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 39 min.
What might put you off
  • It's in Russian, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

A ghost and a French marquis wander through the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, encountering scenes from many different periods of its history.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsVery strong

    89% on Rotten Tomatoes, 87 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.2 out of 10

  • AwardsWeak

    1 win and 2 nominations from smaller awards and festivals

  • Box office & staying powerBelow par

    $7 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release

  • Buzz & cultural impactSolid

    About 74K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Aleksandr Sokurov

  • Sergey DreydenMarquis de Custine
  • Mariya KuznetsovaCatherine The Great
  • Leonid MozgovoyThe Spy
  • Mikhail PiotrovskyHermitage director
  • Edisher (Davit) GiorgobianiOrbeli
  • Aleksandr ChabanBoris Piotrovsky
  • Lev EliseevSelf
  • Oleg KhmelnitskySelf
  • Alla OsipenkoSelf
  • Artyom Strelnikovtalented boy