WeGetIt Reviews

Men and Beasts (1962)

Incredible, sad journey, testing the limits of humanity and hope

[10/10 · 6 December 2009]

I just saw this film and I loved it. From the first few minutes I could tell that this was an especially higher budget, stylishly shot Gerasimov film. It's about a man who fought in WW2, was captured by the Nazis and put into different concentration camps, witnessed much cruelty, after his liberation fate took him to Argentina, to work for a German landowner and his Russian wife, then he goes to live in Germany, working as a chauffeur for a rich family, after becoming disillusioned there he returns home to Russia after about 17 years of being away. The film begins with a mother and daughter meeting him on their drive to visit relatives. Before any of the above happened, the man saved the mother's life during the Leningrad Blockade, he picked her up frozen and unconscious from the snow, took her home and fed her so she wouldn't die. After the blockade ended it took her 5 years to find her daughter. The rest of the film is the trios trip across 1960's beautiful Russia, and the flashbacks of the man's long incredible story. Insanely beautifully shot, filled with emotion. One of Gerasimov's best and most important films. Tells of the importance of saving your humanity. If you liked "Ballad of a Soldier" this film is very similar in it's beauty of human spirit, it's kindness and sadness, it hits all the same emotions. Recommend to absolutely everyone, especially Russian people because it's about a Russian person away from his homeland who holds close to his heart all the values of his birthplace. 10/10

Bez svideteley (1983)

Genius! Absolutely original. Beautiful

[10/10 · 31 October 2009]

I was blown away by this film! The title means "Without Witnesses" The action takes place all in one night, within a few hours. Almost perfectly shot, entirely inside an apartment with just two actors. I wasn't a big Mihalkov fan, my favorite film of his was "Anna: From Six Till Eighteen ", which is a documentary. His other films I always thought were either too unrealistic, goofy or historical pieces. This however, is a story that takes place in then-present day. The look of the film is absolutely beautiful, the colors and art design is gorgeous. The script is perfect. A woman sits alone watching a concert on TV when her ex-husband sneaks quietly in and scares her half to death by blowing a whistle on his keys. They then spend some hours of that night together. At first we don't think anything is up, but a deep complex story unrolls before us little by little, one that the characters are already fully aware of, but not us, we must take every single of their words as clues to what they have been through. This movie is at that level of pure genius that is completely the director's own brilliant vision. This film could not be made in the US now, it is completely unorthodox, but here it is alive, beautiful, perfect. The perfect form has been found for it. It is a funny film but then it is every sad film too. This is now one of my fave films and I now appreciate Nikita Mihalkov waaay more than I did before, I now call myself a fan. I am about to watch "Rodnya" by him, which looks similar, another modern-day story. Another film I like of his because of these same traits is "Five Evenings". The acting is perfect. The woman, Irina Kupchenko I found so beautiful and so sad; there is an American actress that looks exactly like her, but I don't know her name or what movies she was in. Ulyanov is brilliant as always, this and "Tema" by Gleb Panfilov are my favorite of his performances, the characters are so original and brilliantly portrayed.

Lyubit cheloveka (1973)

Beautiful film about a relationship and love

[10/10 · 31 October 2009]

I saw this film twice, not recently though. The title translates literally to "To Love a Person", not "The Love of Mankind". It's about two architects, a man, Tarkovsky's favorite actor Solonitsyn, and a woman. They meet at a party of their old teachers. They slowly start to like each other, strangely enough the man asks the woman to marry him on their first night. Soon they do get married, even though they still don't really know each other. They move into a house that the man designed and built himself in a far away winterly landscape where he is working on new construction projects. I can't wait to see this film again, I remember feeling good while watching it, even thought it has sad moments like when the woman becomes sick for a while. It's in color and the images are wonderful, I'm reminded of "U Ozera/By the Lake", my favorite Gerasimov film (in B&W), but this films tone is lighter, and it's about a couple and their relationship which was a refreshing theme from Gerasimov. The acting is superb, it has long scenes that are simply realistic and fascinating to watch. Gerasimov is the master of long talking scenes that are interesting and wonderfully shot and actually have incredible, realistic conversation. I can't wait to see this film again, I'm sure I'll like it even more the next time. Lyubov Virolainen is so beautiful and acted perfectly, shy, lovely, generous, uncertain. And Solonitsyn - why just to see him act is a gift, but in this role he is wonderful; if you like him in Tarkovsky's films like Stalker and Solaris, check this film out, he's equally great. In short, it's a beautiful film, we get to watch these two strangers meet, fall in love, get married and go through problems, and in the end become closer than before. Serge Gerasimov was a genius director, one of Russia's brightest minds.10/10

U ozera (1970)

One of the best Russian films ever, cult classic for me

[10/10 · 31 October 2009]

This is one of my favorite films, and a film that when i watched it for the first time put me in awe of it. It is about a young girl, Lena, who lives with her father, who is a scientist, at Baikal Lake in Russia, which is a wonder of nature. They have lived there together her whole life and they are very close. But, a new plant is getting built on the lake and they are against it because it will dirty the lake. The genius Vasily Shuckshin is in this film as a worker in that plant, who is somewhat against it himself though feels powerless at first to stop it.

This film is not like other films, the story is told in a very original way. Sometimes the mood is hypnotic and poetic, at other times there is no mood at all and it is like we are truly watching real life, these are my favorite parts of the film. Gerasimov's films have such good scripts and dialog, and this one is perhaps his best, it's my favorite of his. The film is narrated by Lena, sometimes she looks into the camera and talks to us like we've just met. The editing is genius too, it's like we are in the girl's mind as she recalls various memories. Her life is built up for us out of flashbacks while she talks directly to us, but then just as fast her father comes home and she turns away from us and we are no longer in the room with her but have become spectators to their lives. This film has some themes of communism. Lena says to Shuckshin "Communism is beauty and purity, do you at least agree with that", to which he says he does. Though it is not that simple as Shuckshin says later. There is a glorious scene where Lena reads a Blok poem in the library that is made up of books her ancestors have built up. There are many more characters, I can't list them all here.

This film is true beauty with incredible realistic thought running though it. The story is truly an interesting one, there are tons of great scenes and the way it's shot is absolutely original, since it is about man and his enviorment, the camera does just that, it focuses on the people and their surroundings. To me the film is really about the girl's life and secondarily about the problem of Lake Baikal. 10/10, one of my absolute favorite films, see it if you get a chance, it's a cult classic for me for sure.

Moy drug Ivan Lapshin (1985)

Pure perfection

[10/10 · 31 October 2009]

I decided to watch this film after a poster said it was voted best Russian film. I had never heard of it before (I'm Russian and watch many many Russian films). This is now one of my favorite films. To me it is perfect in every way: acting, script, cinematography, music, feel. The film is mostly in black and white, thought it is book-ended by color scenes, and has color scenes multiple times in the middle of the film, always appropriately.

The story is narrated by a grown man who remembers his childhood with his father during Stalinist times. His father is a doctor i believe and they live in an apartment with Lapshin, the police detective, and Okroshkin, another detective i believe, and their landlady. In the middle of the story a play-writer friend comes to live with them while a acting group is in town to do a show. What is the film about, what is it's theme? It's not important, it's a deep film of memories and feeling. Cinematogrpahy-wise this film is genius. The beauty of the images and the story are breathtaking, every scene is a miracle. As i watched the film i wondered "how in the world have i never heard of this film"?? I thought the following reasons: too creative, to free of interpretations, too perfectly shot.. the communist powers must have hated this incredible, deep, film. This film does not make communism look bad or good, that's not at all it's theme I don't think.

If you take cinema seriously, you have to watch this film. 10/10, a perfect film.

Khrustalyov, My Car! (1998)

Complex beautiful film

[10/10 · 31 October 2009]

It's hard to explain or comment on this film. It's cinematography was beautiful, but even as a Russian I found the plot/story/events almost impossible to understand. That, however, did not make me enjoy the movie much less. Granted I would have loved to have understood what i watched, but i honestly think that is what the director wanted, as another poster said, to have you be lost and confused. Why? To make the film better I guess. We watch things we don't understand, or rather we understand what we are seeing but can't put together why it's happening or how it fits into the story. I would have loved to watch this film with subtitles; my Russian is now rusty and this film had a lot of dialogue and people talking over each other.

German's genius masterpiece is of course "My Friend Ivan Lapshin", made in 1984. A movie so perfect and genius that it hurts. Both films are similar, they have the same "voice" narrating - even German's son who became a director would keep using this somber narrator's voice.

Why did I give this film a 10 even though i had no idea what the story was?? A couple of reasons. I already said genius cinematography, not as perfect as "..Lapshin" but somewhat similar and even more busy, even more free and creative. The work and though that went into this film is staggering. It's a film filled with action. A true piece of art I'd say, even though almost impossible to understand. We are given no context, no historical data, no explanations about who the characters are except a couple of words on their work. This movie proves ultimately that you can like a movie without understanding it. They should have sent a poem, I have nothing else to say about this film. A very strange and different film, see it one. But if you see this film definitely see German's masterpiece "My Friend Ivan Lapshin", it's a hundred times better, the story is perfectly clear and geniously artistically told, see it before you watch "Khrustalyov mashinu", because if you watch "Khrustalyov" first you might not want to watch the other if you don't like it, which would be the biggest shame, "Ivan Lapshin" is at the top of best Russian Soviet films.

Posleslovie (1984)

Beautiful, human film. will awake emotions

[10/10 · 23 April 2009]

This film is the second film I see from Marlen Khutsiyev, the other "July Rain"(1967), which is a Soviet New Wave classic, and deserves that place.

I liked this film a lot, though it's not perfect, it is very deep and spiritual, and there is so much intellect and heart in it. The story is simple. A husband's elderly father-in-law comes to visit his daughter and her husband. Unfortunately the wife leaves the city on business for a couple of weeks, and her husband is working on a dissertation at home. The husband is stuck with spending time and hosting the old man. The old man is filled with life, he sings, shouts, and seems to know everything about everything: tobacco, wine. He, basically, never shuts up; but he is kind and friendly. The husband tolerates him, and is happy to make him as comfortable as possible. But the old man starts to really irritate the husband. He always thinks he's right and always goes on and on. He knows 5 languages and has traveled the world, so he has much to say. The story is narrated scarcely by the husband who says the events took place a year ago.

This film is sad, realistic, poetic and at times funny. All the things I'm used to from Soviet films. A lot of the old man's dialogue is funny because he doesn't know how annoying he's being. The old man realizes that he is old and useless; but he tries to stay positive. The husband also sees this in the old man. So much dialogue goes by.. we get inside the heads of these men, and we start to understand who they are really. It's a wonderful movie because it is simply human, in the simplest sense.

The style of the film reminds me of Godard and Tarkovsky. Actually there is a breath-taking war-footage sequence to rival Tarkovsky's in Mirror's and Godard's opening in Notre Musique. Khutsiyev's style always has reminded me mostly of Godard: his combinations of visuals, music and narration.. and switching music and soundtrack at unexpected times; i don't necessarily like that about him. Certain shots in this film really make me think of Notre Musique. Of course he new Tarkovsky (Tarkovsky was an actor in a movie of his "I'm 20 Years Old"), and Tarkovsky fans should sense an influence or a like-mindedness. I'd say it's an artistic movie, and very poetic, I love the intro. Script and acting are perfect, so is the look of the film, the colors. I don't usually praise editing, but I have to on this film: the intro and the war-montage later are enough for me.

For me the message of this film was to pay more attention to the older generation, because we learn from them things we can't figure out fast enough for ourselves. They are reflections of the life we are starting for ourselves. It's also about how your humanity can disappear and how it can be reborn through relationships with people. A very deep movie, but if you're spiritually empty, you probably won't feel a thing and not like it.

Site Specific: Shanghai 04 (2005)

Brilliant. Beautiful. Unique and Important

[10/10 · 27 December 2008]

Just finished watching this 13 minute film. I saw a couple of minutes of the others like Las Vegas and another one that had a beach in it. But The Shanghai was the only one I saw all the way through. I thought it was genius.

I think what the creator did was absolutely genius on so many levels. Most obviously are the incredible shots of the city which very few of us would ever get to experience in our lives. The shots, editing, sound-scape, are all of great beauty and artistry. the shots speak for themselves, anyone can enjoy them and will no doubt find them beautiful.

The most powerful thought I had while watching this film was how the director managed to make a film about whatever the viewer wants to see: either absolutely nothing or everything there is in the world. You might only see the city shots or you might find yourself thinking about the people who live there, government, art, history, effects of man on nature, etc etc. You can see the beauty of human hands molding the earth to their will and conquering the elements. And all this is so far away that it is like we are aliens passing by earth.

The Shanghai film doesn't have any out of focus shots like the other films, i liked that about it. Also it used a Chinese song called "The Orient is Red" very ingeniously, adding a lot to this film.

I just have to say that i think this is a win for the director, he has showed us a new way to look at the world and a new potential (or a lost one) of cinema. Bravo. Like Tarkovsky said "Waht is true is always hard to understand".

Proshu slova (1976)

A deep poetic masterpiece

[10/10 · 8 December 2008]

The title is a Russian expression meaning "I wish to speak". This is one of my three favorite Panfilov films which I consider masterpieces, the other two being "Nachalo" and "Tema"; Panfilov wrote this script by himself it seems. It shows, this film is genius. For me, this is honestly one of the most thought-provoking films of my life. Perfectly written. It is about a family woman who was made the mayor of a town. I am mystified by this film. Not since Tarkovsky have I felt this strange spiritual energy, and that's saying something. This is the last Panfilov film I saw, I've seen five others. The incredible world of the characters is what reminds me of a Tarkovsky movie. This movie is about a family. It could be said to be about a lot of things. But to me this film is about communism. I can't have enough room to write and express all the incredible thoughts and scenes contained in this movie, nor would I want to. But I must say how realistic and natural the script and acting are and how poetic and beautiful yet simple the cinematography is. This films is about the ideals and morals of communism that any human being with a conscience can relate to: want for peace all over the world, a sense of duty to make the world better, love of your country and respect for all men and women. This mayor is still an attractive young woman, but she is stern when she needs to be and she can be rude and takes her job very seriously. But she also spends a lot of time with her family, she was a champion marksman, her husband is a soccer coach, they have two kids, son and daughter. This film uses some real Beatles songs, "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" for instance is played almost in it's entirety in the first 10 minutes, which I still find to be 10 of some the most incredible minutes in film ever, just incredible poetry. This film is definitely not for everyone, but it is a very good film, with an even more important message. It reminds me of an Oliviera film, because of long talking scenes. This film is definitely a nostalgic piece now that communism ended, especially because that is specifically it's topic. Also it paints a very realistic picture of what the feel under communism was for most working normal people, and it wasn't fear but togetherness. If you want a film that isn't propaganda and is very human and shows what a normal individual who is a communist "sees" in it, definitely watch this film, it is the one and only to treat the topic so respectfully and truthfully, the only other one is "U Ozera", IMO. The story is fiction but the ideas are absolutely true, in the end it doesn't matter what the directors/writers stance on anything was, he understood his subject and was inspired by it enough to make this poetic film, and I thank him.

The Beginning (1970)

Panfilov's masterpiece

[10/10 · 8 December 2008]

Perhaps Panfilov's most accessible film, and one of his masterpieces, the others, for me, being his next two films "Proshu Slova" and "Tema", which are in color while this one is in B/W. The story is about a young woman who is a little strange, she's not very confident, and she's not very practiced in the ways of love. She also dreams of being an actress, and she plays Baba Yaga in a local kids theatre play. Two things happen that change her life. First she meets a very nice man who is married with a child but the two are perfect for each other and start going out. The second is she is asked by a director to play Joan of Arc in his film. Panfilov's films are never drivel, the characters are so realistic and well acted in every one of his films. This film is fascinating and unique because it uses the Joan of Arc movie within the film as a device to separate the events of the girl's life. It kind of parallels her life, she must prove herself, she must suffer through something, she must believe in herself, stand her ground. The story is so realistic that a lot of things happen to this young woman, with the man she loves and the film-making. There are troubles in both. I like this film a lot, I'd love to see a good release of it. The script and shooting is absolutely brilliant, so is the editing, and the acting of course by Panfilov's wife is perfect as always, she's funny in this film. The story is genuinely wonderful, realistic, like life, many sad parts, many funny parts. Great all the way through, and I loved the ending, especially the "joke" with the title. A great film about a film being made as well. This is really one of Russia's/USSR's best films, by one of its best directors. Quite a pleasure to watch.

The Theme (1979)

Brilliant.

[10/10 · 12 November 2008]

First time I saw this film a couple of months ago I liked it, but in recent weeks I've watched it over again and have found it outright genius. This films has one of the best scripts ever. I'll say right now that this film will be a love or hate.

I love the mood, atmosphere, and the location. I think there are to songs used throughout the film, very effectively and just at the perfect times, one is a piece by Shubert (so they say in the film) and the other an instrumental/vocal song probably written for the film. I've never liked a film where the character thinks to himself and we hear his thoughts as much as this one. The writer rambles around the old snowy town, thinking, and we hear his thoughts. This is how the film works: his thoughts are never hidden from us, we hear his voice whatever he may be doing.

Incredibly well calculated cinematography. I love the pacing, the shots, so completely natural and perfect for the story. My favorite scene, like I'm sure many other's, is the 20 minute dinner scene. I can't begin to describe it but the dialogue is so well written, acted and shot. This scene has the funniest and saddest moments, and great characters. BTW, this film has absolutely no credits at the beginning of this film, it jumps straight into the story, I love that. Finally, I'd compare this movie, and i don't like to compare movies, to Bressen's "Diary of a Country Priest" and Tarkovsky's "Nostalghia". In all three film we hear the main character's thoughts. it's much closer to "Nostalghia" because the guy's a writer and because his narration is present tense, where as "Diary.." is retro-spective. Visually TEMA (I like using the Russian name because it's spelled the same in English and Russian T-E-M-A) can't be compared to either film though again the deep depressed existentialist mood is closer to Tarkovsky. Again, love or hate. If you like film where the time flows naturally and character's actions are realistic, and the story itself is honest and deep, if you don't mind a lot of excellent dialogue (say Manoel De Oliviera's "Um Filme Falado/A Talking Picture") and an immersive ride for the main character's odyssey you might like this. This film would be best watched very attentively, without distractions, the sound up, dark room, or simply as comfortably as possible, because it has such deep thoughts. Incredible film, purely. I haven't gone into the story much because I can't say much to make explain it's brilliance, one should just take a chance and seek it out.

Dochki-materi (1975)

wonderful analysis of people. simply put

[10/10 · 25 October 2008]

This is one of my favorite Gerasimov films; I've seen four others. This story is about a girl of around 18 who comes from a far away town to the apartment of a woman, a dancing instructor, who she believes to be her mother, and this woman's family: her sick (not seriously) writer husband and two pretty teenage daughters. It is obvious right from the start that they are not related but is a case of mistaken identity, the girl is even unsure about the last name she was given. They talk and get to know each other for a couple of minutes as a result of this awkward situation. Since the girl came from far away to see this woman, she asks if she could stop by her apartment because she doesn't know anyone and the woman tells her she can. She spends the next couple of days with the family observing how they live. She visits the mother's ballet studio, tries to hang out with the daughters, and has dinner with the family and an old friend of theirs who comes to visit and has to run, and this wonderful character is brilliantly played by the director himself. The scene with the father and this old friend where they exchange poems is so powerful for me for some reason.

Most of the film is talking scenes and there is almost no music, except for the beginning credits and dance scenes in the apartment and at the dance studio. The unique Gersimov cinematography, time flow, and choice of material that he chooses reminds me of Manoel De Oliveira's films a little bit, this film does at least, not so much "U Ozera"/"By The Lake" on the other hand though.

The characters are awesome, they are mostly what I remember. The two characters that to me are very fascinating are the main girl and the father of the family. The girl is a typical communist youth, polite, helpful, full of ambition and energy towards work and studies. Though this girl is somewhat naïve, and the viewer will him/herself feeling bad for her, because to the two teenage daughters who are very pretty and cool she is annoying and a square, they don't share any interests with her. She puts on a strong face, and even lies to make her life look fine and herself look well put together, but that's just it, she has to pretend and lie sometimes. There is so much depth to her character. Also, maybe my favorite character is the father. I'd describe him as a little anti-social, or at least liking his privacy and being cynical of a lot of things. He is an artist and likes a simple life. He seems to be sort of bi-polar, not to get too technical, but they mention how he changes his mood fast, and indeed he acts a little childish at times, and just as fast he acts free and whimsical again. He's a fun guy who can be very deep at times; and he could be very kind but also angry.

This film is very recommended to people who love well written plays and excellent realistic characters, whose lives play out in front of you. BUT not only to these people do I recommend this film, but to people who like cinema and artistic unique films. This film, like all Gerasimov's films has parts that are long scenes that are in "real time", the progress naturally in time without editing or lapses in time. I love this about his films, you really get intimate with the lives of the characters, because you come in on them and begin living parallel to them, watching everything they do. That's what I like most about this film, it's detailed analysis and documentation of this story. Again, it's like a play, a good play, where characters are rich and talk a lot and the greatness is in the nature of the dialogue. Great film. 10/10, because I love the style and the story, and the characters.

And just for the movie buffs. The writer of this film Aleksandr Volodin also wrote the play "Five Evening" that Mikhalkov made into a movie a couple of years after this film, it's similar in it's long, real-time scenes. The only film the writer himself directed, and wrote the book, would later be the basis of Georgi Daneliya's film "Nastya". And he was also one of three writers on Daneliya's "Tears Were Falling". Last but not least he was the writer who wrote one of my favorite Daneliya films "Autumn Marathon"! And I just found all this out, awesome.

Adventures of Captain Vrungel (1976–1979)

A perfect sailing adventure!! Classic soviet cartoon!

[10/10 · 25 October 2008]

This is one of the highest quality and most original soviet animations ever. It is about a Captain, Cpn. Vrungel and his crew as they race in an international regatta while a high-profile theft of a priceless statue from a museum is investigated. The depressed card-playing transporter of the statue stumbles onto Vrungel's boat by coincidence and joins their crew, which leads them to be followed by two gangsters who have to steal the statue back for their boss, whose lips are only seen until the last episode when his identity is revealed. The statue, the gangsters are in turn followed by a British secret agent.

This is a show in around a dozen episodes (as IMDb says , 88 mins. in total). The show takes the heroes on insane adventures, from rescuing squirrels from a burning forest and them trying to sell them, to washing ashore in Hawaii. They might go to the pyramids, and in the end the regatta possibly ends in Britain. The classic joke from the start of the show is that their boat is named "PABEDA", which means "victory", but the first two letters get torn off and it says "beda" which now means "misfortune".

The most unique thing about this show is the animation. Imagine South Park type of cut out characters, only imagine the characters MUCH more detailed, their clothes, their faces, their hands, they are just incredibly beautifully drawn and animated! The show also combines live film footage, still photography and other unusual effects to create weird images. For instance the parts when they are sailing on the sees usually have a filmed ocean as a background. The animation alone is a complete treat. It really affords so many new effects and movements and jokes. There is also normal animation used at times. Also with the animation are incredible backgrounds which have a lot of work put into the textures and colors.

The music is great, especially the main theme - what a classic soviet melody! Throughout the show, characters sing their own songs which are really entertaining to watch and they are all very good. The music really adds a lot to the show, from adding a serious tension when necessary, to having a light sunny sea-faring atmosphere when it's smooth sailing. The music of this show gets imprinted into your soul.

One thing I love a lot is the use of different languages and accents and parodies of other cultures. The two gangsters go off on crazy non-sensical Italian rants, so does an American one-legged Captain of another ship who always cracks me up. Another main character is a British secret agent, I think his name is 00X, who is a suave big toothed guy.

This show is absolutely kid-friendly, there's almost no scary or bloody scenes here, except for the comedic mafia chasing them, so there is guns involved. But all little kids in Russia loved this show. Anyone would fall in love with these guy's adventures. The whole show is a very happy one, and very very funny. It has awesome elements of spy, adventure, technology, geography and music, and of course friendship. 10/10, this is beyond classic, this is just a part of every little kid's life who grew up the soviet union. And also it is made with incredible care, love and talent.

Tridtsat tri (1965)

Funny, very Original, super funny actually!!!! Beautiful film, must see

[10/10 · 1 August 2008]

I've seen around 5 of Daneliya's films (I Step Through Moscow, Afonya , Autumn Marathon, Tears Were Falling, Kin-Dza-Dza), and I must say that this on and Kin-Dza-Dza make me laugh out-loud more than any of his other films, so far. I love this director for his range of films, some about sadness and some, like this with a lot of comedy. This film is absolute brilliant comedy. Incredibly written and shot, it reminds me of a French New-wave in some of its cinematography and sets. It's in B/W BTW, I know that's important to some people.

This film is about a man in a small town who works in a beverage making factory and he is the only one that can mix the drinks by taste, knowing the chemicals very well. He is kind and a little childish and has a wife and two sons. He has an insane tooth-ache and the doctor discovers that he has 33 teeth, a first in medical history. Hiss story spreads fast, and soon he is taken to Moscow to be on TV. He meets many new people because of his call to fame. The characters are hilarious, everyone, there are too many to list. This film will surely make you laugh, not a minute goes by without something very funny going on. The main music theme is a happy jazzy-yet-Russian tune which is a gem in itself. The whole film has a happy feeling to it and one can't walk away from it feeling bitter or angry.

This film is easy to watch, it's not boring. It could be shown on IFC and a lot of people would surely love it. It's very imaginative. Towards the end there is hilarious science-fiction elements introduced in a very funny way. Wow, this film is just simply funny is all I can say. All other Daneliya's films I've seen so far half been more serious and less straight-forward comedic, but this is a very, very funny film that is meant to be just that. And it has a wonderful script and story, full of unexpected turns. See it for its many great characters, beautiful cinematography, wonderful story, and the situations and jokes. 10/10, because it's simply flawless.

Slyozy kapali (1983)

Deep, Sad, Spiritual film about one man's incredible sadness

[10/10 · 1 August 2008]

Georgi Daneliya, a brilliant director (I Step Through Moscow, Autumn Marathon, Kin-Dza-Dza). This film is spiritual, deeply.

Like a lot of Daneliya's films, this one has a sub-title which is a "Sad Fairytale". But aside from that this film is about a normal man's life, who has a pretty boring job in city planning (tearing down and planning building projects), a supportive wife, a son who lives with them with his wife and daughter.

The film starts with a narration of fairytale about an evil inventor who made a mirror, "in which everything that was kind and good disappeared, and everything that was bad and obscene was reflected and seemed even worse". The students of the evil professor did a lot of evil with the mirror and finally tried to get it up to heaven, but the mirror fell and shattered into millions of tiny pieces. The person in whose eye fell a piece of the mirror began to see in everything foolishness, and life for him became unbearable". That is my shot at a literal translation, being Russian. Credits roll and then our journey begins.

We pick up the story on our main character's bus ride home. He sits alone, looking content, trying to pass the time. Then, something seems to get in his eye, because he rubs it and then closes the buses window. Something changes about him. He looks around and feels a strange disgust in the bus filled with quiet strangers also trying to get home and minding their own business. Pavel-Ivanovich is so disgusted that he gets off the bus several stops before his home and walks, arriving at dark. From here his story begins, and we go along for his sad ride. From that evening on he sees only sadness and wrong in everything. He can't respond to kindness, and scolds those closest to him. He offends everyone. At his work he tries to go against as many people as possible, and hurt ordinary citizens too. He also feels that everyone is against him. His condition seems to worsen. How will all this end. Sure this can't be the end for Pavel-Ivanovich, a good man somewhere deep inside.

The brilliance of this film lies in the main character's deep state of mind. His suffering. The fact that he hurts everyone around him, feels horrible about it but still does it until he almost loses everything. If you like film's where you feel that you can relate or feel the character's emotions, you might like this film. An incredible pressure is built up throughout the film, and the last scene, for me at least, magically lifts it, if only for a couple of seconds.

This is a strange film, and I don't say that a lot. It is very hard to describe, but the main elements that drive the feel of this film are the main character's state of mind and the music (more than half of the film has incredible original music playing in the background). Daneliya's films have incredible music like in Autumn Marathon, Kin-Dza-Dza, and Thirty-Three. Daneliyaa was into jazz and played drums in a band way back before he started making film so his films are very rich in music. Also this film is sad, but is also a comedy. All these elements mix to make an incredible movie. 10/10

Directed by Andrei Tarkovsky (1988)

WOW! Incredible film!

[10/10 · 24 June 2008]

If you enjoyed Voyage in Time, you might enjoy this film a hundred times more like I did. It doesn't have any of the 2 minute silent shots of trees like Voyage in Time. Instead it just has a LOT of footage of Tarkovsky directing The Sacrifice. It has a LOOOT of footage of just him talking about his views on art and life. His wife is interviewed and she reads from his personal diaries. There is simply SO much valuable behind the scenes footage it's almost hard to believe! You see a lot of Tarkovsky. He is vocal, and unlike I thought he is not at all shy. I'm not even finished with this brilliant film yet, just had to stop and check out it's page, i'm 1:22mins into it and it's 1:41 mins long! This is the only film I know of where you get to see Tarkovsky DIRECTING and working with actors, and putting up sets with decorators, working out shots and scenes. I cannot say enough good things about this film. If you love Tarkovsky or The Sacrifice, or perhaps even any one of his films you'll love this film. If you love cinema or interested in art or film-making, you might enjoy this film a lot as well- it even has a very high chance of changing your whole outlook on art and life. Not only is this film about Tarkovsky, a great subject, but it is simply a wonderfully made film, with it's own poetic rhythm. I forgot to mention that many, many passages of great importance are read from Sculpting in Time, Tarkovsky's book. This is a must see if you are a Tarkovsky fan and you have any interest in watching him actually make the film. This is on The Sacrifice DVD from KINO VIDEO. I rented this disk just to see this documentary and I am blown away right now. Unlike Voyage in Time, there are no boring moments, and there is a lot of diolouge and action. It seems like they show how they shot every scene in The Sacrifice. But this is a long film, filled with Tarkovsky's own words - actually that's what the film is really about for me: Tarkovsky's vision, life, words, theories, and love of film-making. The best of both worlds, the making of a film mixed with the directors views on art, film-making and life. Perfect! See it, please.

Chuchelo (1984)

one of the best, most poetic Soviet films

[9/10 · 21 April 2008]

This movie i thought was about a lot of things. Relationships between kids, students and teachers and kids and parents. It's about a very sweet and kind-hearted girl who is new at school in a small Russian 80's town. The kids tease her but not too badly, it isn't until she makes a mistake of taking someone's blame unto herself that her whole class turns against her. Fascinating developed characters add a lot to this film. All the kids are just really different and fun to watch interacting. Also this film is realistic, there's really not a lot of theatrical acting or cinematography in it. This movie feels honest, and you can actually feel something for the characters because the performances and the script are very good. The way the film is shot is very poetic and not boring, IMO. Good music/soundtrack too. From creepy ambient and instrumentals, to rock-n-roll tunes, and modern Russian songs. The music is used geniously in this film, it means something to the kids, we see them singing and listening to music a lot and some of the important scenes we see them doing something to songs. The theme song, a soviet sounding march (which we see the director of this film conducting) is a beautiful song too. One of my favorite Russian films. You can find so many themes in it and every character is deep. Sadly, i don't think there is a version with English subtitles.

Kindergarten (2001)

One of the best things on TV!

[10/10 · 1 September 2007]

I just started watching this show about a month ago, and I fell in love with it, and I mean totally. This show is so heart-warming. Happy and sad moments happen and these kids learn and experience new things for the first times. The kids are all different, that's what's so great. They are all wonderful though; they have a great teacher, that's why probably. If you like documentaries, kids shows (though I think adults would actually be more interested in this show), or kids, give this show a chance, I doubt you'll regret it. It is sure to bring back memorys for any adult and it's just so fun to watch. The show is mostly footage of the class doing different things but also it is peppered with private interviews with the children, so as we see something happen we might see one kid talk to us about it (like a ...confessional?). This show just makes me be really happy to be alive.

Wedding Kisses (1998)

Another genius Mamin film!!

[10/10 · 17 August 2007]

The film takes place at a wedding, and while the guests wait for the wedding room to be free, different people tell stories about love, very very different story, that take place in different times and places to different people. So the film is a collection of short stories, and after each one ends we go back to the present to the wedding. All the stories are comedic of course cuz this is a Mamin film. The film has a wonderful look to it and is shot beautifully. It has a warm ending. This was my second Mamin film after Window to Paris, and I really loved it, so afterwards Mamin became one of my all time favorite directors (me being Russian, I especially love his style and all his films which are all incredible.) It was wonderful to see a collection of different stories in a Mamin film, I've seen one old Mamin short before. This to me is another perfect film by this great director, a very respectable film also. Like all of his films, it is filled with laughter, beauty, culture, and many more things that you're sure to love. This film has a lot of artistic elements, and for me it is a different film from his other earlier films! A very refreshing film that is different but still has that perfectly crafted Mamin style! I should also say this is the newest Mamin film I've seen. 10

Window to Paris (1993)

creative, funny, genius art. see it!

[10/10 · 17 August 2007]

My first Mamin film, saw it on IFC long ago, and LOVED it. It seemed absolutely artistic, original, fun and hilarious. Not a moment in the film let me down or made me bored, and i was laughing a lot or had a smile on my face. I mean this movie is truly funny. But here's the catch: it's also very artistic and creative - if you don't know Yuri Mamin (probably, sadly, because so many of his GREAT films aren't available here) he has a very original style like no one else's, and for me this isn't even my favorite film of his (right now it's the insane ("Saideburns/Bakenbardy"). Also, i have to say as a Russian, this film is great because you really do see what Russians are like. And this is possible because this is a true Russian film to me, NOT a foreign film trying to be American or trying to appeal; Mamin did not sell out (nor has he since, Gorko (1998) was as good if not better. This is true Russian style filmaking that came out of communist Social realism.

If you liked this film, i think you have a very high chance of loving Mamin's other films, in fact i like quite a few of them more than this one. I guess this one is his most accessible film. A similar film is Fountain, taking place 6 years before during perestroika, it has the same actor in the leading role, and more of Mamin's regulars who you will recognize from Window to Paris; this one has one supernatural twist in the end but is mostly a realistic comedy, a great one. Viva Mamin, hopefully Criterion will hook all of his movies up one day, he's still working, and his catalog is so great! See any of his films if you can.

Bakenbardy (1990)

absurd and hilarious

[10/10 · 17 August 2007]

In the Russian city of Zaborsk, a crazed fun-loving, x-generation youth group/band/gang known as Capella are terrorizing the citizens with heavy metal, simulations of sex acts (and others), having obscene parades, staging pranks, and just pretty much acting like young punks (i think this is hinting at American culture). The rival gang is one of dumb weight lifters, who we only see working out. Two new arrivals come to the town - one returning to his hometown and his mysterious guest, one who brings a plan for the clearing the city of all the punk trash and rescuing mother Russia from her present shamed status to her greatness of intellect, art respect. This he believes can only be done with the help of only one man, Russia's greatest poet Alexander Sergeivich Pushkin, or simply Pushkin. They form their own club with the help of local communist officials, and recruit the gang of weightlifter, teaching them a new ideology and the gentleman way of Pushkin. Their club is ASP, or A.S. Pushkin, Club of Pushkin. This is really where the absurdity begins!! It gets funnier and funnier. A lot of wonderfully recited poetry by Pushkin (ahaha, they even train with their staffs while they recite Pushkin, and later they beat innocent people while chanting the same poem).

This is Mamin's most absurd film, freely braking boundaries of reality and logic. It had me laughing more than any of his films. The main Pushkinite is a hilarious character. This film has a lot of themes that could be drawn: about idol worship, effect of groups on people, youth vs. older generations, feelings of freedom that come with political change. This film also has 4 actors from "Window to Paris" (that I could think of right now), the Mamin film most famous in US.

This film reminded me and a friend of Clockwork orange, probably because our "heros" all dress like Pushkin and carry staffs with which they thrash people, and of course all of the films groups can be looked at as gangs eventually (just remember this is a most crazy, hilarious, absurd, comedy). GREAT film, i've been watching it over and over lately. Truly hilarious and insanely shot, very color full (though my copy isn't very good quality transfer).

Fontan (1988)

really, really funny movie

[9/10 · 4 February 2007]

Just saw this today for the first time and really liked it. It was very funny and original. The story concerns an elderly man (not sure where he's from but I'd guess from around eastern Russia around Asia) who leaves his isolated desert homeland to live with his daughter in a typical Russian city, a place that is bizarre to him, never having known any modern technology. Only his daughter can talk to and understand him. Her husband (who gives the old man a job watching over water pipes in the building basement) and his friend (who is kinda like the superintendent) struggle to keep their old decrepit building from literally falling apart through different escalating disasters that the tenants must deal with. There's also a weird musician who never talks and "flies" now-and-then for inspiration to the dismay of the building intendants from the roof of their building; the scenes where he works on his music are really fun to watch. There is an old lady who can't stop talking about her dead father who was a famous (she makes it seem) poet who lived in the building. Another family is one who grow (I think illegally) flowers (the dad's hobby) in their apartment, and the mother is a struggling actress, and her father (who hates her husband) lives with them and their little daughter. As the film progresses, the building and the tenants start to crack (literally and figuratively) under some sort of stress, and people resort to stranger, funnier and crazier ways of expressing themselves and the dealing with the situation. All the characters go through hilarious situations, some funny, some are sad, but a humor always keeps the viewer hopeful. The story (except the intro of the old man in his home land) i believe takes place in one long day and is divided into 7 parts with different significant names to what is in that part, but the story flows uninterrupted and the parts just serve as a nifty framing device. This movie was incredibly funny. Most of it everyone can laugh at but there were some jokes that I felt i got because I'm Russian, like the granny selling candles to the tenants after the power goes out, this is supposed to remind the viewer of Russian churches where people can buy and light candles, in fact her candles are those same church ones, so that could be her job. There are quite a few hilarious mentions of perestroika (which began the previous year) - my fave is when the superintendent friend lies to the local housing party leaders that the cause of water loss is because the tenants are revolting against perestroika and are conducting an economical "experiment", which pleases the communists there and attracts attention. Lika every Mamin film I see, this one is just as great; filled with great characters, satire, cinematography, et cetera. He is truly an awesome director. This film is recommended to everyone.

Zaveshchaniye professora Douelya (1984)

cult worthy Russian realistic sci-fi

[9/10 · 23 January 2007]

I had pretty low hopes for this film, not knowing at all what to expect, but from the first shot and lines I think I knew that it would at least be very different from anything I've seen and I would enjoy it. It's an 80's Russian realistic sci-fi set on an unnamed then-modern-day tropical island where Prof. Dowell's mansion/laboratory is located. The story is very imaginative and creative, and deals with medical/cognitive sci-fi as well as morality behind playing God. Every scene and shot meld perfectly into each other creating a unified consistent work that is fascinating to watch. The camera work is very unique and can be noticed from the first shot, zooming in and out and logically moving to and following important or interesting things in a given setting. The cinematography is never boring, it uses hand-held cameras quite a lot, and there are many great shots and angles to make this film a treat for the eyes. The story develops very well, the characters are interesting and have very different personalities and the actors are all great and (IMO) perfectly cast. I loved the script, the catchy somewhat silly music, the mood, the style, performances. It left me with a satisfied feeling that I had seen a very original and wonderful film that left me thinking about it after it was over. I also love the serious treatment of this material, probably because socialist-realism was USSR's official art form; nothing is made ridiculous (except for perhaps one of Dowell's creations) or unbelievable, the opposite, the film is made to be a modern-day realistic science fiction story. If not already a cult film at least in Russia, it has potential. It's strange, real, creative, silly and thought provoking. The camera work alone makes it stand out for me. A great film IMO, awesome (Soviet) cinema.