Tierny's script is smart and funny although some of the jokes are likely over the heads of a teen audience, who may not be up on their Russian revolutionary lore.
If Norma Rae and Ferris Bueller's Day Off had a child, you've got to think it would probably be a lot like The Trotsky, a smart - if overlong - indie teen comedy.
There's a solid sense, in its many subversive comical moments, that beyond the private emotional immediacy of Blackberries and Palm Pilots we are all propelled inside this larger, constantly evolving collective force called history, no matter what age.
Baruchal gives a charming performance, full of intellectual wit and good-natured charisma, but also take-charge sex appeal, albeit of the nerd variety.
Handful of gags fall flat and those who can only handle low doses of Barchuel may grow tired of his shtick, but it's a curiously enjoyable experience and educational, too.
