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A very dark black comedy that plays off of America’s fear of loose nuclear materials

A movie about a dying man selling stolen plutonium in mid-90’s Russia might not sound like an uplifting experience and you would be right.  However, it does make for an interesting black comedy.  PU-239 isn’t a film that everyone will enjoy but those willing to give it a chance will find a dark, funny complex movie.

Timofey Berezin (Paddy Considine) is a devoted family man and dedicated worker.  When he receives a fatal dose of radiation from a work accident, he is denied compensation from his employer.  With days left to live, Timofey does what any man would do in his situation, he steals some weapons grade PU-239 plutonium front his job and runs off to Moscow to sell it on the black market to provide for his family after he dies.  Like most of who suddenly come into a small batch of weapons grade plutonium, he doesn’t know where to start.  Fortunately, Timofey meets Shiv (Oscar Issac), a low level gangster who’s in trouble with his higher ups due to a botched caper.  Shiv must find $6000 in 24 hours or end up in a shallow grave.  One is dying and one will die if he can’t come up with the scratch, who comes out the worst will involve seeing the movie.

PU-239 plays into the caricature of ’90’s Russian stereotypes.  The world is filled with street thugs, hot hookers and tough bodyguards.  While the world is crumbling around them due to parastroyka and glousnov, the corrupt got rich while the just suffered.  The film takes these moments filters them though an extremely dark filter.  Shiv’s life is a bigger mess than Timofey’s.  As far as Timofey has fallen from the righteous path, Shiv drags him down even further.  That doesn’t mean the PU-239 is bleak. Far from it, the film takes an absurdist turn and keeps things moving in a fun and interesting way.

Writer/director Scott Z. Burns and executive producer Peter Burg provide a commentary.  Burns does his best to present a coherent commentary with facts and faults of the film while Berg does his best to mess Burns up at every chance.  Basically Berg is a real douche and derails what could have been a decent commentary track.

PU-239 is a very dark black comedy that plays off of America’s fear of loose nuclear materials. The faux-Russian accents are a bit of a put off and unnecessary to an otherwise interesting and funny film.  HBO once again puts out a quality product that is well worth a rental.

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