It plays out like a fable: the holy fool, sometimes comic, with miraculous powers, who subverts & teases the conventional behaviour and devotions of his "superiors". All this framed in a neat story of guilt and redemption that goes back to a terrible event in World War II. Brilliant performances. The way the camera can linger on inanimate objects is reminiscent of Tarkovsky, and when you see Russian monks it's hard not to think of Andrei Rublev. But here the narrative style generally is much tighter: the plot rules. Which is probably wise - this director has his own less demanding style. Pyotr Mamonov is rightly praised for his stunning performance. It leaves me wanting to see more by this director Pavel Linguine (most commonly listed under the name Pavel Lungin).