Change Your Image
michaelk-18
Reviews
Okno v Parizh (1993)
Good movie with comedy and sorrow
I originally saw this movie as a Blockbuster VHS rental. That was quite some time ago, but still remembered it. Blockbuster doesn't have it anymore. Netflix didn't have it and there weren't many copies on the web -- only a few spendy VHS copies. Recently did finally find it available in DVD form on eBay for a reasonable price (in PAL format, but our DVD player will play PAL discs on our NTSC TV).
Wife and I both enjoyed it. The style of the movie is a bit strong, and many if not most of the parts are rather strongly over-played as if amateurs were making it(especially the kids), but it's not bothersome. The contrasts of societies are accentuated in the overplay.
There is a bit of political preaching in terms of saying that the young in Russia shouldn't try to escape their not-so-great life but instead should at least try to make things better first. But that's not dominant. It's fairly humorous most of the time.
Some downplaying of the west commented upon by others isn't that at all IMO, I take it as a comment about expectations of the Russian characters. At least when taken from my western viewpoint. Perhaps it's a downplay of the west from a Russian viewpoint (which it is literally by the characters saying it).
I can't say how literally true to the film the English subtitles are, but I can say that the subtitles were done very well, full of English idioms as if done by a native English speaker -- complete with "colorful" language.
Music and Lyrics (2007)
Fluff but well done
Movie is somewhat of a formula based one. One has a general idea of what will happen from the start. But it doesn't matter. It's done very well and is very enjoyable to watch. Including the "-13" part of the movie's rating -- which undoubtedly is the dancing of "Cora".
Hugh Grant's part has a bit of the same character he played in another of his movies where he lived off his father's hit song from the past.
This movie probably could be watched several times and still like it. Not literature, but certainly a first class pulp novel.
P.S. - Grant's voice changed whenever singing started, so maybe that was dubbed.