The journals eventually become more than evidence against the state. In the process, the once-stoic Rodchenkov becomes more isolated, slowly losing his identity in the physical sense - dyeing his curls and altering his facial hair - and in the personal realm as well, as he watches news reports of his former friends’ and colleagues’ assassinations. ![]() And while Rodchenkov believes the light at the end of the tunnel is near, his wife’s hope has evaporated like a puddle in July. Rodchenkov hasn’t seen his wife Veronika and children since 2015, and their separation especially lays a heavy burden on Veronika, who’s more than a little angry that her family is now torn apart. Similar to “Icarus,” however, the diaries begin with one purpose, only to gain richer meaning and better usage later. Especially because Fogel, who featured himself so heavily in “Icarus,” is mostly unseen for half of “Aftermath.” That kinetic pacing, and cinematographer Jake Swantko’s visceral guerilla-style filmmaking, cannot keep up with the nothingburger these journals seem to be. Lauren Brinkman and Wyatt Rogowski’s editing takes on a frenetic pace, instilling the infiltration of Russia during the World Cup in 2018 to retrieve Rodchenkov’s stashed diaries back to America with the verve of an espionage thriller. They force us on a treadmill of watching a stoic Rodchenkov living in exile, combing through a barrage of clips where Putin tries to discredit the scientist to the world, and a stream of examples of Russia assassinating political enemies and purported traitors. In “Aftermath,” these diaries prove to be, at least initially, a frustrating red herring. ![]() In “Icarus,” Rodchenkov’s meticulous journals - which outlined his daily routine, plus nefarious meetings and strategies in which he participated with his government’s approval - proved indispensable in carving a case against Russia, so it makes sense for them to take center stage again here. In “Aftermath,” Rodchenkov’s hidden diaries, which he left in Russia before he arrived in America in 2015, become a focal point of Fogel’s desire for earth-shattering news. That established knowledge can give “Aftermath” a repetitive quality, especially as Fogel tries to recapture the enrapturing fact-finding glamour of his previous film. ![]() So, unlike “Icarus,” there are few opportunities for Fogel to unearth shocking secrets. We are also aware how the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) attempted to hold Vladimir Putin’s government accountable for the decades-long, state-backed corruption of their own testing program. Having lived the last five years, we know that in the following month and years after “Icarus,” the International Olympic Committee (IOC) banned Russia from competing but not their athletes. It’s why no one would blame you if you walked into the follow-up to Fogel’s “Icarus” with mocking disapproval.īut Fogel achieves the miraculous, because “ Icarus: The Aftermath” isn’t just a marked improvement over “Icarus.” Instead, through following Rodchenkov’s journey to attain asylum in America, “The Aftermath” reconfigures our understanding of investigative documentaries by disclosing the difficult plight whistleblowers must endure once the cameras depart.įogel’s sequel initially takes place in the immediate dust of “Icarus.” With the assistance of a security team, and a lone cameraman following him, Rodchenkov moves from hotel to hotel, remote cabin to remote cabin, as he watches Russia deal with the consequences of their doping scandal whose ramifications turn out to be surprisingly light. ![]() And when they do - in films like “Fahrenheit 11/9,” “Powaqqatsi,” “Super Size Me 2: Holy Chicken!” - they struggle to match the splendor and wit of their predecessor. ‘The Sacrifice Game’ Review: Holiday Home Invasion Meets Demonic Hide-and-Seek in Grab Bag HorrorĮven in a cinematic landscape proliferated by sequels, documentaries rarely return with a part two.
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