Review of the movie Felix and Me

In the novel Who Are You? writer Artem Chekh mixes autobiographical episodes with philosophical reflections and artistic images in an attempt to rethink his own childhood in 1990s Ukraine. These attempts are largely doomed to failure from the outset, since most events in life do not hide any great plan.

The film Me and Felix, based on the novel, tries to translate these thoughts into a feature-length film of an hour and a half. And even though the adaptation lost some elements of the original source material along the way, it captivates with a sense of nostalgia, familiar images, and a surprisingly good premiere date, thanks to which some elements of the story take on interesting interpretations.

The movie revolves around a little boy named Timofey. He lives in a small apartment with his mother and neighbor Lida. Timofey rarely sees his father, as he is always working at some dubious job. At one point, a fourth tenant appears in the apartment – a former military man, Felix, who spent several years in Afghanistan. The war left a mark on Felix’s personality, and unhealthy doses of alcohol help him forget. However, Timofey will still have to learn to live with his new neighbor, while simultaneously facing the difficulties of growing up and other prose of life.

Stories about the relationship between radically different people are common in popular culture. Perhaps the demand for such films can be linked to our irrational subconscious belief that we are all capable of getting along with each other, or at least trying to. Cinema also actively uses this plot device. Most recently, we can mention The Lighthouse with Willem Dafoe and Robert Pattinson, and in general, this trope can be traced back to classics like Beauty and the Beast.

In local history, the “monster” is Felix, played by Ukrainian writer and cultural critic Yuriy Izdryk. And he played the role perfectly. Felix causes a numbness, almost physical rejection by his mere presence on the screen. He has a harsh manner of speech, and his actions are on the verge of being outrageous. But it is precisely this ambiguous character who becomes Timofey’s mentor and begins to directly influence the boy’s views and ideals.

Timofey and Felix develop a strange bond that cannot be described in words, but is perfectly manifested through the language of cinema. But here’s the interesting thing: for a movie called Felix and Me, there is not much of Felix himself in the story. Yes, the key moments are related to him, but let’s not forget that the movie is based on a partially autobiographical book. Real life does not obey the script structure and division into acts; it just goes on, sometimes without a resolution or climax.

Felix and Me perfectly captures this feeling. To some extent, this has led to a situation where, from a cinematic point of view, the film has quite a few weaknesses. They are connected with secondary storylines, which often do not lead to anything important. Even the central love story doesn’t end up having much of an impact on the plot. So some viewers will definitely have questions after watching the movie.

However, the fact is that in real life, this is often exactly what happens. Even situations that are important to us at some point in time eventually disappear without a trace, turning into a background for physical and moral maturation. It is the maturation of the individual that has become the central theme of Felix and Me. It is manifested here in the small victories and defeats of the protagonist, in somewhat ridiculous and even somewhat extended moments. But the overall atmosphere is so energizing that it’s impossible to take everything too negatively.

The movie perfectly takes us back to the 90s with all the nuances and problems of that time, but it doesn’t put much pressure on them and doesn’t throw them into the eye. Again, a teenager does not really understand the geopolitical and social difficulties of life, so they only come to him in the background, as objects in the frame or as conversations in high pitched tones behind the wall. The directing here is generally excellent: it’s not too intrusive or overloaded with unconventional solutions, but it’s able to reach the hearts of the audience.

In addition, Felix and Me is memorable for its sound. And it’s not even the music, which, by the way, is very well chosen and composed, and is also used to good effect. First of all, ordinary sounds captivate. Every knock and scrape is located exactly where it is needed. So the movie also works very well at the level of hearing.

Like any worthy work of art and literature, the original book Who Are You? works on several levels at once. In it, the Czech also reflects on the beginning of the Russian invasion in 2014. “In this respect, Felix and Me resonates with the theme of the full-scale Russian invasion of 2022. The story especially touches upon the problems of the mental state of veterans and their attempts to integrate into society after returning from the front.

Again, this is not the central issue of the movie, and the average viewer may even miss it, focusing more on the nostalgic landscapes of panel houses and playgrounds. You are free to perceive Felix and Me as a reflection on various topics close to the authors. But the film copes with such emotional and intellectual journeys with a bang.

In the end, it turns out that the disparity of many elements and entire movie storylines also works for the main theses of the story. After all, it is highly likely that you have also forgotten some details of your childhood and teenage life.

And it is somewhat embarrassing to criticize Me and Felix because of its very personal nature for the creators. The director of the film, Iryna Tsilyk, is the wife of Artem Chekh. And the protagonist Timothy is played by their son in one of the chapters of the story. However, this fact also proves that the process of adapting the book into a movie was of the highest quality. After all, the author of the adaptation could always consult the writer directly.