Search - PU-239 on DVD

Steven Berkoff
Jordan Long

PU-239, is sad tragedy set in the early days of post-Soviet era Russia. The doe-eyed Paddy Considine stars as Timofey Berezin, a loving husband and father who works in a decaying Russian nuclear facility. Contaminated with radioactive material after an accident, he is scapegoatd and fired, After compulsively stealing a quantity of weapons-grade plutonium (PU-239) to sell on the black market. A decent man acting impulsively, Berezin, realizing he will die soon of radiation poison, trying to provide a nest egg for his wife and young son’s future, takes a vial of PU-239 to Moscow.

Moscow is a corrupt world where petty criminals, powerful crime bosses and whores run the city. Everything is for sale, from sex and drugs to weapons of all sorts - including nuclear ones. Considine does an excellent job as poor, doomed Berezin staggering the cruel streets of Moscow as his radiation poisoning slowly takes its toll. Unfortunately, the role is a tad too reminiscent of the character of the luckless Irish immigrant father Considine played in Jim Sheridan’s 'In America.' Written and directed by Scott Z. Burns, best known as one of the producers of Al Gore’s Oscar-winning documentary 'An Inconvenient Truth,' and the screenwriter of 'The Bourne Ultimatum.'

A bit to heavy-handed for this viewer, the film gives a good lesson to those out there who haven't quite realized how easy it is out there in a corrupt universe for a terrorist or a ruthless criminal to obtain weapons-grade plutonium enough to create a 'dirty bomb.' It’s a bleak but fascinating and unforgettable 90 minutes of TV from HBO. It’s just a shame however that HBO is now one of the few homes for intelligent dramas on television, which are too smart and serious for the increasingly dumbed-down broadcast networks.

Radha Mitchell stars as his wife Marina. The Australian actress is a radiant and convincing on-screen presence as the supportive spouse. Russians never have an easy life, whether it's been under the czars, Soviets or the organized criminals who run things now. When Timofey finally dies, Marina characteristically suffers this life-changing tragedy with a sad sense of acceptance and a stoicism. A morbid but worthwhile film.