This documentary gives a general history of Russia from 1991, the fall of the Soviet Union, through the turbulent 1990's and the rise of the oligarchs, to 2018, after a couple of decades of Vladimir Putin progressively asserting an iron grip over the country. Citizen K is Mikhail Khodorkovsky, one of those oligarchs and a man who came in to direct conflict with Putin when he began looking into politics and espousing democratic ideals. He was shipped off to a remote prison for a decade as a result, and speaks from London where he went after being released. While the documentary skates along and doesn't go incredibly deep, it communicates the events and the dynamic between the two men and those around them reasonably well. Its use of archival footage and interviews is solid, though offset by a soundtrack that's overly dramatic and annoying.

Khodorkovsky was a predatory capitalist and while he ironically became a better person in prison, I think director Alex Gibney should have asked him point blank about his possible involvement in the murder of a local politician in 1998, as well as pointed questions about his vast wealth. For example, Khodorkovsky points out a time when he "had" to force workers to take a 30% pay cut, and another time when he let tens of thousands of them go. The question is not put to him, gee Mikhail, at the time you were worth over $1B and along with six other guys had half of Russia's wealth; if you cared for these people why didn't you take these losses out of your massive profits? Too often we see him get away with smirking through his statements and painting himself in a positive light, even if I am happy that he now leads the Open Russia movement and is a staunch critic of Putin. In the film's defense, the fact that Russia was torn between oligarchs like him and the monster that is Putin, men who combined corruption and violence to preserve wealth and power, does comes through. The dynamics are suitably depressing, particularly when you see the parallels to other countries in the behavior of the ultra-wealthy, or political strongmen who stir up nationalism as one of their methods of attaining power.

In case anyone out there was under the impression Russia and its long-serving leader Vladimir Putin were squeaky clean world players, Citizen K should do a fairly solid job of showcasing why the country and its president have long been one of the shadiest operators around.

Directed by Oscar winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney, Citizen K is not a ground-breaking doco or an exploration of new or jaw-dropping information but its a film that features the usual Gibney polish and editing prowess that has seen him become one of the most respected directors in his field.

Delving into the life and times of one of Russia's most wealthiest businessman turned prison inmate Mikhail Khodorkovsky, who against all the odds became an icon of sorts for the steady follower's of the anti-Putin movement, Citizen K crams a lot of content into its two hour run-time as we explore Mikhail's rise up the ranks in the Russian business community and his up and down relationship with those in charge of his country.

Now in exile in the U.K, Khodorkovsky acts as a cold but intelligent central figure to Gibney's expose, offering up raw and honest insights into his backstory and the current predicament he finds himself in but the film works best when its focused on Putin himself, who while remaining mysterious and hard too read, makes for a fascinating subject as Gibney details his stunning journey to power that has now lasted well over 18 years.

One almost wishes Gibney had chosen to allot more time to Putin's side of this story, as for many outside of Russia it's hard to understand the true sentiment around the polarizing leader and how many of Russia's everyday citizens feel about the man that has pulled them along to become the powerhouse they are today, but at what long-lasting detriment for the future years ahead? The future where Russia and Putin will no longer go hand in hand.

You can almost sense Gibney wrestling with himself throughout Citizen K, understanding Khodorkovsky's story alone wasn't enough to build this feature around, the film at times feels torn in regards to what it wants to achieve, even if its at all times a solidly and thoughtfully put together piece.

Final Say -

As always Gibney delivers a well-made documentary with Citizen K but there's nothing here of a long lasting nature, just further evidence around Russia's shady operations and a want to know more about its mysterious central figure.

3 Blueberry Hill renditions out of 5

As a history lesson on Russia after Communism, Alex Gibney's new documentary is spot on. The story is told, however, through the eyes of a tarnished hero-Mikhail Khodorkovsky, one of the seven oligarchs during the post-Communist period, once dubbed the "richest man in Russia," prior to his fall from grace.

Khodorkovsky sat for days of detailed interviews in London, where he now lives in exile. His rags-to-riches story is marked by quite a bit of candor, especially when he recounts his rise to the top as a young entrepreneur. It's probably best to describe Khodorkovsky as an opportunist, way smarter than his rivals, who viewed acquiring money strictly as a "game."

Khodorkovsky was the first to establish a private bank in Russia and soon accumulated a great deal of wealth by buying up vouchers given to private citizens by the Yeltsin government, to encourage private industry. Khodorkovsky paid cash for these vouchers at bargain basement prices and eventually had enough money to purchase Yukos, which he turned into Russia's number one energy company.

Khodorkovsky was able to purchase Yukos (again at bargain basement prices) after the Yeltsin government was forced to sell off various state enterprises to the oligarchs, as they had run out of cash.

Things begin to get a bit murky at this point as Gibney makes clear that Khodorkovsky was forced to cut employee wages by 30%, with a promise he would pay them back with profits the next year. It appears that the company bounced back but not without incidents of violence in between (Khodorkovsky is still accused of murdering the mayor of the town adjacent to his oil company).

After Vladimir Putin took over from Yeltsin on New Year's Day 2000, Gibney, through excellent use of archival footage (old Russian TV programs and news reports),chronicles how he rose to power and in effect became the country's top oligarch, eventually replacing all the old ones.

In 2003 Khodorkovsky was arrested on charges of tax evasion, convicted and sent to Siberia. This change coincides with the "dark moment" in any second act drama. Through self-discipline, Khodorkovsky maintained his sanity in prison and even had to face a second trial eight years later, in which he was sentenced to an additional ten years imprisonment (all along Putin and his government were conducting an extended disinformation campaign against Khodorkovsky).

Putin eventually pardoned Khodorkovsky as he was trying to curry favor with Western Nations, so they would attend the 2014 Winter Olympics, held in Sochi.

The last third of the film (which goes on a little too long),chronicles Khodorkovsky's effort to lead the anti-Putin, Russian democracy movement, based in London. Khodorkovsky still has millions left, which he ferreted away in western banks prior to his arrest.

The movement's focus appears fragmented, with conflicting actors attempting to push various agendas in and outside Russia. Meanwhile Khodorkovsky appears to be a changed man-no longer motivated solely by materialism but by the love of country and the idea of freedom. While walking freely in London, he faces the threat of being murdered at any time by Russian operatives in that city-Citizen K makes it clear that there have already been a series of high-scale assassinations of Russian dissidents for which none of the perpetrators have been apprehended.

Gibney hits the mark particularly in his exploration of the rise of "gangster capitalism" during the Yeltsin period and the subsequent push back into the authoritarian ways of old by Putin. While there is a good measure of redemption for Khodorkovsky, his subsequent activities as an activist in the film prove to be a bit long-winded and anti-climactic.

One still is left feeling a bit uncomfortable in the thought that Khodorkovsky is still walking around with his millions which he obtained through dubious means. Nonetheless, his determination in exposing Putin's "old wine in a shiny new bottle," gives one hope that even a former rogue can now earn stripes, working for good.