Shooting of Valery Todorovsky's multi-part film "In Two" is nearing completion in Moscow.
The main roles in the film are played by Danila Kozlovsky and Alexander Petrov.
They play two friends, middle managers.
The life of the heroes changes dramatically after a trip to St. Petersburg, in which they meet girls.
Two love stories unfold and intertwine on the screen.
Valery Todorovsky characterizes his project as "a drama, maybe a little melodrama, as well as a love story of two couples."
According to the director, this series is primarily about love.
It is she who serves as a "provocateur" who pushes the heroes to change.
Also in the feed, the topics of global values are raised.
The idea of the project came to Valery Todorovsky, then the director invited Vsevolod Bennigsen ("Judas", "BAGI") to work on the script.
“Initially, I was not sure that I could handle it. It all started as a melodrama, and melodrama, frankly, is not my genre, '' said the screenwriter in an interview with RT. “But over time, it became clear that Todorovsky needed something more than just a story about“ loves - dislikes ”. We need access to the existential drama, to what is archetypal in our life: the conflict of feeling and reason, the problem of choice, the crisis of relationships. Moreover, the relationship is not only love, but also friendly, family, working ... This is deeper than just a romantic story. "
Over time, it became clear that Todorovsky showed not so much a producer's interest in the project as a director's interest.
According to Bennigsen, Todorovsky "delved into every aspect of the script - from structure and concept to characters and their development, suggested plot moves, followed the liveliness (and vitality) of intonation", and also brought the scriptwriter "out of the creative stupor."
“At the same time, there was never a question - write like this, that's all.
Todorovsky always acts through argumentation, ”Bennigsen stressed.
He also said that, despite minor disagreements, the authors always managed to come to an understanding on key issues.
“Well, of course, there were some disputes, but this is our inner kitchen.
And by and large, we have never had any global disagreements over structure or concept.
More often it is just little things - a sequence of scenes, details of character development, individual remarks ... ”, - explains the scriptwriter.
The plot of the tape is largely based on the personal experience of the script authors.
“It's natural,” says Bennigsen.
“After all, we’re not writing science fiction here.
Of course, Todorovsky and I constantly exchanged both personal stories and stories from the lives of our friends and acquaintances.
But again, these are not episodes from life literally transferred into the script.
The point is in the archetypal nature of these situations.
The series is distinguished by a special narrative structure.
The first and last episodes are devoted to both heroes, while in the rest, the focus of attention is one by one.
In part, this decision explains the name of the series, which in fact has many meanings.
“It may not be very bright - not something that is immediately remembered.
But it is too precise and capacious both in form and in content.
We have two main characters, a relationship with two women unfolds, the lives of each of the characters are also divided in two - before and after falling in love.
This “duality” somehow soars invisibly all the time, ”explains Vsevolod Bennigsen.
According to the actors, the plot of the tape is revealed mainly through dialogues, and the story itself is simple and very recognizable - therefore, most likely, it will be understandable and close to many viewers.
"One could easily write:" This story is based on the lives of millions. "
This, in fact, made it interesting to me - it really is, if not about everyone, then almost everyone, ”says Danila Kozlovsky.
He notes that in this case, the angle of the narrative that Todorovsky chose is also of interest - usually such plots are revealed from the perspective of women, while here the focus is on two men.
Alexander Petrov was attracted by the brevity of the narrative.
According to the actor, Valery Todorovsky does not try to surprise the viewer with candid scenes, unusual, fresh themes or conceptual shots and images.
Instead, he tells a sincere and life-like story about ordinary people.
© Press service of the production company Valery Todorovsky
“A cool script that you read in one gulp and realize that there are very few such stories now - simple, about people, no action, no super blockbuster.
About the relationship between people, which can be a much greater attraction for the viewer, ”says the actor.
Another advantage of the script for him was the lack of obvious assessments of the actions of the heroes.
“There is no clear example that, here, do this, do not do this, this bad, this good one.
There is life in its full manifestation, ”says Petrov.
Actor's "fusion" and female roles
According to Todorovsky, the script was written specifically for two popular young Russian actors.
“Because, firstly, they most accurately fall into these heroes, and secondly, they are big stars ... I am convinced that they don’t become big stars by accident, this does not happen.
They are stars because they are very cool.
They are serious artists, great personalities, and you can feel it on the screen.
And I wanted this pair from the very beginning, ”says the director.
He emphasizes that already on the set he was convinced of the correctness of his choice.
“I didn’t think that such a connection or merger would take place,” recalls Alexander Petrov.
“Sanya has such a hero, mine is different.
Each has its own full-fledged line.
You can take Sasha's story and mine, and it will be two full-fledged series of several episodes, or two full-fledged films, ”says Danila Kozlovsky.
One of the key female roles was played by Irina Starshenbaum ("T-34", "Attraction"), who, according to Todorovsky, appears in the project "in a completely new capacity."
Vsevolod Bennigsen believes that the actress is perfect for this role.
“The fact is that Todorovsky decided on male performers quite early, and we can say that starting from the second or third episode we wrote, already with Kozlovsky and Petrov in mind, but with female performers until the last there was ambiguity.
And Irina Starshenbaum is the perfect fit into the image, she is like some kind of silhouette that you transfer to paper, and it coincides with the contour.
In my mind, it was so transferred and matched in all respects, ”said Bennigsen.
He stressed that, first of all, we are talking about getting "into the nerve, into the essence of the character."
Other central female roles went to the theatrical actress Anna Sinyakina and debutante, a student of GITIS Elizaveta Bazykina.
The latter, for the sake of the project, had to master the cello played by her heroine.
“It is impossible to learn to play the cello in such a period of time, but you can master some basics, at least to make it look believable on the screen - how to hold an instrument, a bow ... She very persistently and conscientiously reacted to this and at some point even I began to slowly play something to us, ”recalls Todorovsky.
Filming began on April 1 and took place in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Filmmakers have worked in offices, apartments, restaurants, a gym, and a planetarium.
Also, a number of scenes were filmed in "Sapsan", and the ending of the story - during a river walk along the Neva.
According to the director, the composer of the series can be Anna Drubich, with whom Todorovsky has already worked on the projects "Bomb", "Hypnosis", "Odessa" and "Bolshoi".
Also, the director does not exclude that other compositions will be performed on the screen, "which will simply give a sense of time and epoch."
The series will be released on the more.tv video service in the originals line and on the Russia 1 TV channel.
The premiere date has not yet been announced.