Moscow Never Sleeps

O'Reilly's ambitions notwithstanding, "Moscow" is uneven because of the inescapable nature of such interlocking narratives: some land better than others.

Modeled after "everything's connected" movies like "Short Cuts" and "Magnolia," this slickly produced if somewhat dry multi-character study makes good use of location.

The jumble of storylines inevitably results in narrative confusion, and the relationships linking them, some of which are only revealed late in the proceedings, don't resonate strongly.

While the tone is novel, at least by stateside art-house standards, dramatically "Moscow Never Sleeps" is resolutely familiar, even trite.

"Moscow Never Sleeps" is engaging, but there are only a few occasions when it feels genuinely inspired.

Moscow Never Sleeps is ambitious to a fault.

Writer/director Johnny O'Reilly manages to string together his characters and their stories in such a way that their connections reveal themselves in due time... fitting together as if they were die-cast to precise measurements.

The picture resembles the recent 100 Streets, though it could have used some of that film's unabashed soapiness.

Beyond the novelty, and beneath the surface dazzle, the human stories, while solidly acted, deliver little emotional impact. Moscow may never sleep, but the waking lives depicted in movies like this need to truly affect us.

Moscow Never Sleeps, but viewers probably will.