Are you saying I’m an old man?
No, probably not.
You’re not old, but you have old man’s eyes.
So? Are you going to venerate the icon?
Not today. I have to go.
OK. God bless you.
STAR MEDIA PRESENTS
Sergey Makovetsky
Mikhail Porechenkov
Maria Shukshina
Daria Mikhailova
Yulia Peresild
Yevgenia Simonova
Vladimir Simonov, Igor Chernevich, Vladimir Afanasiev
In Trouble in Store
Script by Vladislav Romanov and Yevgenii Latii
With the participation of Sergey Ashkenazi Production Director: Sergey Ashkenazi
Director of Photography: Vladimir Klimov R.G.C.
Music by Aleksey Ashkenazi Production Designer: Iraida Shultz
Costume Designer: Regina Khomskaya Makeup Artist: Olga Matveichuk
Editing Directors: Olga Grinshpun and Ekaterna Kirillova
Sound Producer: Pavel Podlesny Casting Director: Tatiana Statzman
Executive Producer: Andrey Anokhin
Producers: Vitalii Bordachev and Vlad Ryashin
I’m so tired of you, Georgy. Don’t you understand?
We can count on their support only for regular fee.
Do you think they will protect us for friendship’s sake?
For them friendship is what Soviet Union has with Cuba.
Do you doubt it?
I wish I could.
So forget it. When are the restaurants’ receipts due?
Today.
So pass it to Kostikov today. Don’t look at me like this!
Do what I say. They need to be humored.
OK, go! They are going to stick needles in me.
Under your fingernails?
Right. I’ll be in the office by 3 PM.
Maybe this is better. I don’t want to keep this money.
Good for you. Chins up!
Bye.
My greetings to bribe takers and marauders.
He says it’s the devil’s work.
That’s right.
My judgment was clouded. This goddamned money…
It seemed to worm its way into my pocket.
I’m ready to answer for this. I don’t belong to KGB anymore.
My wife knows everything. She’s also prepared.
He told his wife everything! Idiot.
That’s what she says.
What does she say?
That I’m an idiot.
That I’ll have to pay for my idiotic dream.
I’m not asking for allowances. I don’t deserve it.
I mean… Obviously…
What do you mean? What is obvious?
Who taught you to talk like this, Shirshov?
My mother-in-law.
So now it’s all your mother-in-law’s fault!
Honestly… You should throw me out of here.
What can I say?
So, Shirshov.
You either give the money back to this student or the car.
You’re on probation for 6 months.
If you break the rules again, you go to court martial.
Is that clear? Dismissed.
Are you saying…
I’ve already said it. Comrade Captain has no objections.
I do object, but…
Comrade Captain…
…but passively. Go.
Yes sir! I serve the Soviet Union.
That’s right.
In Sweden nobody would let him near intelligence.
But Comrade Captain and I are humanists. Get out of here.
I’ll wash my mistake out with my blood!
Nobody needs your blood. Nor your suitcase!
Yes. I swear… with my blood!
Come here.
Come on.
Hey, student! Come down for a minute.
What happened? They let me go!
Don’t be scared. I’m not going to hurt you. Come on.
Hello.
Come here. Don’t be afraid.
Here’s your car.
You asked me, I found it for you. Here.
I asked you?
Who else? Have you lost your memory? Here.
I didn’t ask for anything.
Come on! Who gave me those 4,000?
You wanted a blue one. It wasn’t easy. Here.
Here are the papers.
We’ll change the registration later. I’ll call you.
I don’t get it!
That’s it.
Georgy Petrovich, people are waiting.
Let them wait some more.
Yes.
These comrades are from the store managers’ workshop.
They have an appointment at 12 PM.
Thank you, Liusia, I remember. Hello, Comrades.
Galichin, nice to meet you.
Berkutov.
Kurkudenko, Les Nikolayevich.
Berkutov, nice to meet you.
Layma Radzinia. Just Layma.
Hello. I don’t think you’re interested in my office.
So let’s go to the main room.
The Yeliseyev Brothers Partnership was founded in 1857.
At first they sold only wine, then added exotic fruits.
This store was rebuilt by Kazakov and Baranovsky
from Beloselsky-Belosersky princes’ palace.
The owners were especially proud of this fact,
since they had once been Count Sheremetiev’s serfs.
Here you can see Grigory Yeliseyev…
Georgy Petrovich, can I have a minute?
Yes, Zoya.
It was painted after Tsar Alexander II made him a nobleman.
This is really urgent.
Excuse me, Comrades. Notice the rich decoration
of the walls and ceiling of our store.
That’s fantastic!
Listen to me, leave at once! Run! Disappear!
They have made up their minds, I can feel it.
I don’t know how to explain, but I do feel it.
Stop this fit. In an hour everything will be clean.
Everything is under control.
What control? I’m begging you, forget everything!
Do you want me to beg on my knees?
Hush! OK, OK, go. Stop shaking!
I’ve made a deal with Starshinov. Go!
Excuse me, Comrades.
It was a great publicity move.
The secret construction intrigued the Muscovites.
There were various rumors around it.
Some said it was to be a secret Bacchus temple.
The police would arrest gapers
who would try to look inside this huge box through broken planks.
Citizen Berkutov, Georgy Petrovich?
Yes, that’s me.
You’re under arrest.
Follow us.
Oh God.
Here’s a search warrant.
Please give me the keys for your desk drawers.
Give me a hand.
Citizen Berkutov, 18,580 rubles was found inside your desk.
Where does this money come from?
It’s my personal savings.
Why was the money packed in separate envelopes?
It’s convenient for me.
Can you explain the origin of these sums?
Yes, but only in the presence of my attorney.
The law gives me this right.
So you refuse to give statements on the spot?
I didn’t say that.
That’s how your answer can be interpreted.
Interpret it the way you like.
Walk the suspect to the car.
Through the service entrance?
Through the main entrance.
‒ Put it back. ‒ Mom.
I said leave it alone!
Lidia, maybe Ania could stay with me for a while,
until the situation resolves.
Nonsense. I’m not going anywhere.
This is my house and my mother, and Dad will be back soon.
What?
Nothing.
Nothing at all?
1,200. All paintings are modern,
the wife’s and daughter’s jewelry is not too expensive.
We need to search his dacha.
Certainly.
Nothing, Comrade Captain. I’ve searched the whole lot twice.
Maybe the container is made of thick plastic.
It’s impossible.
It can penetrate even 1-meter-thick concrete.
How about money?
We’ve prodded everything with a probe. Nothing.
Well, he’s not Pinocchio to hide his money in the ground.
He’s smarter than that. OK, wrap it up.
Yes, sir.
Gennady Romanovich, nothing.
Comrade Major, suspect Berkutov was brought on your order.
Thank you. Dismissed.
Yes, sir.
Please sit.
Have a cigarette.
You refused to talk without attorney.
Yes.
That’s farsighted, but not effective. Do you know why?
An attorney will complicate matters
and make it harder for us to come to agreement.
I don’t want any agreements with you.
You’re mistaken. The charges against you are very serious.
Sooner or later we’ll find proofs.
No, you won’t. Wanna know why? There aren’t any.
I’m not going to argue with you. I think time will tell.
It’s trite but true. I want you to understand this.
An attorney can be you friend somewhere in England.
Here he will do you an ill turn.
He’s one of you, right?
And he plays by your rules, doesn’t he?
So he’ll try to save those still at large.
Because they are many, and you’re just one.
He will jump out of his pants to make you say as little as possible
or, even better, nothing at all.
But have in mind that it will bring you the most severe sentence.
He will also report his bosses what you say about them.
And you’ll have to say something.
So you’ll become a traitor both for them and for yourself.
This is my primitive logic. Do you agree with it?
Let’s work together.
If not, your attorney will be here tomorrow.
I can’t agree with you.
Too bad, too bad.
But before we part, I’ll tell you one thing.
Yesterday was Eduard and Vera Anilins’ trial.
Both were sentenced to 15 years.
Why her?
The court convicted her
for misappropriation and concealment of foreign currency
along with her husband.
But she just…
I repeat, the court convicted her.
By the way, 7 of your branch directors were arrested today.
Many are testifying that they gave you big sums.
I have no doubts others will sign these statements, too.
We need names of the people you passed this money to.
Sums, too, of course. Maybe you were forced to it. Tell us!
No attorney will come up with a better defense for you. OK?
No.
I don’t know about you, but I’ll have one more shot.
Me, too.
I had a call from the City Committee.
They want us to call a meeting and expel him from the Party.
Bastards. Did you ask for a visit?
They denied it.
Hi.
So he wants an attorney.
Yes. Here are his contacts.
Eduard Garumov. He’s rather well-known.
He’s helped dozens of those trade thieves to beat the rap.
According to the law, we can’t deny him this right.
What’s this dithering about?
Do you think we should try him by jury?
We don’t have any juries! Never had, never will.
Frigging liberal!
What if he refuses to talk? He’s a tough guy.
And you’re a wimp, right?
No, we can’t let this Garumov near Berkutov.
He’ll ask for help through him; maybe even blackmail someone
so that they put some pressure on us. We’ll wait.
Jail is known to take people down a notch or two.
Don’t you think it’s weird
that nobody has tried to protect him yet?
I thought about it.
What’s this? Brezhnev?
Idiots. They can’t even hold the coffin in its place.
He used to be a nice guy.
Now we are as dead as himself.
Grishin won’t stay in his place for long.
Andropov will swallow him, lock, stock, and barrel.
So Georgy has nobody to count on?
Poor Lidia and Ania.
Don’t you feel sorry for Georgy?
Don’t ask stupid questions.
Nobody can help him, do you understand?
Who are you?
I’m Kostia.
You… You came to see Father? He’s not here.
I know.
You do? The whole Moscow already knows.
So, what do you want from Mom and me?
She’s not here, either.
I don’t want anything, I just…
Can I come in?
Fine.
Why didn’t you call me back then?
I thought you wanted to see me.
I felt that you weren’t happy about my emergence.
Why? Well, Father had another family and a son. It happens.
Why are you standing there like a poor relative? Sit down.
I am a poor relative.
I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it like this.
I understand.
Tea, maybe?
No, thanks. What’s this?
Dad brought it from war.
Can I have a look?
Sure.
That’s amazing.
Dad was very proud of them. He never wore them, though.
You know, you look a lot like him. Funny. My big brother!
I’m a poor relative.
In fact, not so poor.
What’s this?
Money. 20,000. Father…
Georgy Petrovich gave it to me just before…
The arrest? Why can’t you say it? Are you ashamed?
Don’t be like this. Why would I be ashamed? He’s my father.
I’m sorry.
Sometimes I feel so angry with everything and everyone.
He’s a good man. He’s kind! And them…
So you brought this money to us. Do you feel pity for us?
That’s nice.
Why pity? I wanted to help.
You must be going through hard times.
And besides, is it so bad to feel pity?
No.
OK, pity me!
But take the money back. Mom has a job,
and we have some savings, too.
Still, you keep it.
It might come in handy for an attorney or something.
Maybe. Still, you keep it. They won’t get to you.
He’ll come back, right? Right?
Of course he will! Come on. He’ll be home very soon.
Don’t cry. He’ll come back, you’ll see!
That’s better.
Let’s drink to Comrade Andropov, Pavel.
Let him be in sound health and never forget about us.
I’ll be OK then, and you’ll become a Lieut. Col.
Come on!
Sit down.
Enough with these intelligentsia ways of yours.
I’ve always said KGB needs common guys,
not professors’ sons. I’m kidding.
How is our silent man from Yeliseyevsky doing?
Keeps silence. He demands an attorney.
As far as I understand, the heat is off?
The Chief has got ahead of Grishin.
Stupidity and lack of foresight! OK, he won over Grishin.
Who is he going to implement the new policy with?
Brezhnev’s bribe-takers? No, we need new people, Pavel.
Honest and energetic. And these one should retire.
It isn’t easy, though. They are shrewd.
We need solid levers to do this.
Comrade Andropov called.
Just a sip.
OK. He gave me an order to go through with it.
And we will. We’ll give Berkutov an attorney he wants.
Let’s just think it over, how we should prepare him.
I’m waiting for an explanation.
I don’t have to explain anything.
He doesn’t need me anymore, and I’m not going to work for you.
Rats are leaving the ship.
You’re the rat here. Sign it.
You think I want to stay here? I’d become a shop assistant
if it could bring him back. A janitor, a loader!
Nobody compares to him.
You’re right. Why rot here? It’s nothing but torment.
Somehow you’re not going anywhere.
What do you know, silly? Your whole life is ahead of you.
I’ve spent the best years of my life here.
OK. Forgive me if I hurt you.
I wanted to like you but couldn’t.
Does he have a pen here?
Can I have one of his photos?
Why? To hang it on the wall and wallow in self-pity?
It’s counterproductive.
Go ahead while you’re still young and pretty.
Leave him to us. We’ll be waiting for him.
Do you think they’ll let him out soon?
I don’t know. But I’ll be waiting anyway.
Eduard Mikhailovich, I have a client for you.
Are you family?
No.
Who, then, if I may ask?
Pavel Skachko, KGB Major.
Who’s the client you’re talking about?
Berkutov, director of the Yeliseyevsky store.
Usually it’s family who turn to the attorney,
or sometimes the DA. But KGB?
I think the family will turn to you later to talk about your fees and all.
But I need your general consent. Yes or no?
Fighting KGB charges in court is a thankless task.
Especially in the light of the latest developments.
As a lawyer, I’m interested, but there’s a big risk.
I hate losing, to tell you the truth.
I see. Do you know Berkutov?
Yes, but not closely. Moscow is a small town, you know.
We met at banquets, parties, in theaters.
What are the charges against him?
There’s a long list.
Bribe-taking, illegal sales of food surplus,
bribing officials — well, you know what his goal was.
No. I have no idea what his goals were.
This book looks interesting. Can I have a look?
Sure. I don’t even know whether he had any goals.
By the way, I haven’t seen the indictment yet.
Do you have it?
Of course. You will get it if you say yes.
Tell me please, why me?
OK, I’ll tell you. But it’s strictly between you and me.
Obviously.
Berkutov is a crook, but a smart and gifted one.
It had allowed him entering the circle we’re interested in.
Especially now. There are people involved in this case,
whose destructive activities has reflected negatively
on our economy. We need proofs and precedents to…
Get rid of them. Isn’t it what you meant?
You can say so. Berkutov has information we need.
We are asking you to persuade him to…
Rat on these people.
Yes.
Well, the mission looks quite hateful.
But there’s one thing that reconciles me with it.
I also hold a grudge against these people for our,
let’s put it this way, not so easy life. Suppose I say yes.
How would it ease Berkutov’s lot? If he’s my client,
I have to think about him in the first place.
Minimum prison time.
What if you fail to prove his guilt?
We won’t, believe me.
3 years.
At least 5. The charges are too serious.
5 to 15, but, considering his cooperation…
What are the guarantees?
I was given a promise. I can give one to you.
I don’t know why, but I believe you.
Hello.
High, girl.
I can’t stand it. I’ll quit today, and to hell with it.
Zoya Sergeyevna?
In a minute!
I can imagine how you feel, all alone.
I’m not alone. Ania’s Slavik is living with us now.
Did they get married?
No. They’ll do it when Georgy comes back.
When is the baby due?
In May.
God bless her.
I can find a job in a mere vegetables store, I don’t care.
Hello.
Stepan Nikolayevich. Your order is ready.
It’s not what it used to be, but we did our best.
Shall I see you there or you’ll do it yourself?
Thank you, I’ve got it. Bye.
Bye.
Who was that?
I have no idea. Some big shot. Georgy never told me.
But he was always very attentive to him.
Have you understood the offer that was made to you?
I have. But I don’t see why I should not as much accept
as even consider it. The indictment contains no facts,
even less evidence.
OK.
Now I’ll speak as your attorney. I think you are right.
The indictment is barely grounded
and has no proofs behind it. OK, let’s work on it.
So, Berkutov ignored your arguments.
The arguments aren’t mine. They are yours.
Well, he has nothing to confess.
Come on, Garumov.
You’re advice wasn’t very professional.
My advice? Come on.
After you.
I’m sure you’ve heard it all.
Yes, I have.
He keeps silence so far. But if he starts talking,
you’ll be the first to go to jail.
I love this thin dishwater.
After the war it tasted like honey dew.
I’ll go to jail anyway, Andrey.
The campaign is gaining momentum.
And the Trade Administration is a tasty morsel for them.
I think they’ll find both traitors and evidence.
Who do you mean?
I’m totally on your side, Nikolay Ivanovich.
Easy, Andrey, easy. Never try to disprove accusations
before they are even put forward.
I’m just saying what’s on my mind. You’re like father to me.
They know how to break people and make them tell more than they know.
What if we help him… keep silence?
There are ways…
Anfrey, you’re an amazing bastard. Amazing!
And not even ashamed of it. Am I also like this?
Of course not.
You mean I’m even worse, eh?
Don’t joke about this.
I’m not joking, unfortunately. Georgy will be remembered.
We are common thieves and grafters, you and I.
And he is ahead of his time. Guys like him, given power and authority,
would be able to supply our people with food and clothes.
About what you said — forget it. I’ve never been a brave man.
Cunningness is my strong suit. I was always able to get by.
But I don’t want to steep my hands in blood.
There’s no one to beg for protection now…
Grishin, this sly old dog, is holding all-round defense.
And Brezhnev is gone.