The Fourth State (4 Stars)

People aren't interested in the truth. All they care about is the future.

The English posters for this film compare it with the Jason Bourne films. False advertising. It's closer to "A most wanted man" in its plot and style. Jason Bourne is an action hero, a highly skilled secret agent. The main character in this film is a naive young journalist who blunders from one situation into another, remaining alive by luck despite his lack of common sense.

It's 2011. Paul Jensen is a German journalist who is hired by the illustrated magazine "Moscow Match" to write articles about celebrities. He speaks no Russian, but his fame in exposing the scandals of German models has got him the job. He is standing in front of a Moscow subway station when a bomb explodes, and he's arrested as a terrorist. He discovers a plot by the Russian secret service to liquidate its enemies, disguising the actions as Chechnyan terrorist attacks in order to justify tougher anti-terror laws.

This film, although fictional, could very well be true. It shows many things that people suspect about Russia but are unable to prove: the corruption and misuse of power in high places, and the brainwashing of the populace by false media stories. As long as the Russian people have food on the table they support Vladimir Putin and believe whatever lies he tells them.