This film premiered in Chicago at the 2006 Chicago International Film Festival 

“The Spot” is a maddeningly obvious and formulaic movie about prostitution in Russia that is almost completely devoid of original ideas.  

The film was one of the low points of the 2006 Chicago International Film Festival. 

Much of the same territory was covered better in a million other movies including “Whore,” which at least featured an interesting “so- bad-it’s good” performance by Theresa Russell. No one in this film has her charisma or photogenic qualities. 

“The Spot” is the third feature that was directed by Yuri Moroz, who also did the critically acclaimed, “Black Square.” He definitely has some talent but there is not much he can do with the banal script, which he co-authored. 

The main story takes place in 2002, around the time of the World Cup. We see some sadistic but mercifully brief scenes of how each of three women got into the world’s oldest profession. 

Viewers should realize that the film won’t be a walk in the park from the start. The main character, Nina (Darya Moroz), is brutalized by a corrupt cop she is servicing on the very first day of the job. The compassionate Anya takes Nina to her grungy apartment for some rest and relaxation.  The three women bond and they all share troubled pasts. 

Anya ran away from a brother that wants to sleep with her and an abusive stepfather.  Kira ran away from a fascist dad who wanted her to break up with her noble boyfriend. But the boyfriend dies in a war and his Moscow relatives reject her. 

We see a parade of piggish, compassion-less johns in a montage and the film is filled with many scenes of women being disrespected. After twenty minutes viewers may be tempted to yell at the screen, “We get the point!”  

Also, the film’s cheery pop tunes are completely out of place and they make the movie ridiculous. 

Viewers looking for a film that captures the tedium of sex work may find it rewarding, but any one looking for depth or psychological insight into what makes prostitutes tick will feel let down. 

“The Spot” contains too may clichés and stereotypes to sustain interest. It’s not terrible but it’s tired. We’ve seen all this before.