Sergeant Joe Sokoloff from the Calgary Police is also a rodeo cowboy in his spare time. We also learn (from office talk) that he is fond of taking vacations in exotic places. His grandparents were Kuban Cossacks emigrated to Canada after the Russian Revolution (the western provinces of Canada became home to large groups of Ukrainian and Russians immigrants during the 19th and 20th centuries). Sokoloff was raised by his grandmother and is fluent in Russian. His next vacation takes him to the Kuban, a region of Southern Russia east of the Crimea across the Kerch Straits.
After a somewhat traumatic train trip he finds himself in the (real or imaginary) village of Nikolskaya, minus his luggage, money and credit cards. What follows is a comedy/romance (sometimes bordering the fairy tale) with humorous touches involving the clash of cultures.
I found this movie impossible to dislike; characters have warm human traits (sometimes hidden under prickly exteriors) and Sokoloff's good nature is irrepressible. A good part of the movie's charm is due to the charisma of the actors, both the leads and those in supporting roles. As a bonus, we get to listen to some haunting Cossack songs and dances. A not-to-miss-film.
After a somewhat traumatic train trip he finds himself in the (real or imaginary) village of Nikolskaya, minus his luggage, money and credit cards. What follows is a comedy/romance (sometimes bordering the fairy tale) with humorous touches involving the clash of cultures.
I found this movie impossible to dislike; characters have warm human traits (sometimes hidden under prickly exteriors) and Sokoloff's good nature is irrepressible. A good part of the movie's charm is due to the charisma of the actors, both the leads and those in supporting roles. As a bonus, we get to listen to some haunting Cossack songs and dances. A not-to-miss-film.
