Russia

The successful businessman Nikita has now the opportunity to travel into 19th century both due to his friends who organized this great adventure and to his abuse of alcohol. Nikita Petrovych now lives in the large estate and is well away including also the attention of attractive housekeeper.

But owing to the excessive interests of young barin to his new horizons the situation is not going according to the planned scenario. And particularly the film director being at the same time the barin`s steward is disturbed by his serious interest to the countrywoman Zaryana, instead of the planned marriage with the housekeeper.

Personal author`s opinion: Not bad as for the low budget and sad ex facte Russian film. Several times it even causes the smile. And I, personally, liked the Maykov`s acting.

Directed by:

Nikholai Potapov

Cast:

Pavel Maykov, Anna Kuzina, Oxana Filonenko, Ivan Bortnik, Igor Tikhomirov, Andrey Pavlenko, Maxim Konovalov, Yuriy Dubrovin, Sergey Gavrilyuk and others

Production:

PC «Alyaska», Russia, 2007

Feature:

Comedy

Duration:

98 min.

It is one more Russian expensive film made for the last several years. And possibly it could be the most successful one. The film`s budget amounted 20 mln USD, it was seen by the 5,5mln audience. Most of them highly appreciated the work of Andrey Kravchuk.

The film story is based on the real historical events. It is the story of struggle and love of the great admiral Alexander Vasilyevych Kolchak, that became famous at the times of the Russian Empire downfall. Even despite of the some historical inaccuracies “The Admiral” deserves to be called the film of high quality and repaid until the showing in cinemas.

The author`s personal opinion: I`ve heard a lot of various characteristics before the viewing: “boring”, “despondently”, “wimpy” intertwined with inspiring and positive opinions. But, as the saying goes, every man to his own taste. One more time I assured – it is quite true. As for my opinion – I could estimate it as weak 5.

IMDB rating: 7,1/10.

Trailer:

Directed by:

Andrey Kravchuk

Cast:

Konstantin Khabenskiy, Yelizaveta Boyarskaya, Sergey Bezrukov, Vladislav Vetrov, Yegor Beroyev, Anna Kovalchuk

Production:

Film Direction, Russia, 2008

Feature:

Drama, History, War

Duration:

123 min.

Additional information:

International Movie Database

Performing the traditional New Year`s call on the unknown phone number Andrey didn`t even suspected, that just after his return to Moscow, he had bought a magic starting packet of cellular communications operator. Getting through to the deserted in New Year`s eve Alyona, Andrey almost falls in love with her, but there exists a temporal problem. Alyona is celebrating coming 2008 year and Andrey is going to meet 2009.

Trying “to set a contact” with Alyona`s «future variant» he comes to know the terrible truth about the events, that appened in the end of 2008. Now the main goal of Andrey and all his friends – to prevent the awful tragedy and to turn into reality the meeting of Alyona and Andrey.

The author`s personal opinion: This New Year fairy tale couldn`t pretend to be called clever, but as for me its viewing was rather pleasant.

Trailer:

Directed by:

Yevgeniy Bedarev

Cast:

Valeriya Lanskaya, Maxim Matveyev, Yekaterina Malikova, Yevgeniy Slavskiy, Mariya Aronova, Dmitriy Dyuzhev, Myroslava Karpovych, Svetlana Kryuchkova, Mikhail Porechenkov, Roman Polyanskiy

Production:

Profit, Russia, 2008

Feature:

Comedy, Fantasy, Drama

Duration:

83 min.

Discharged from the army provincial Anton Remezov (Alexandr Golubev) comes to Moscow. Anton is going to marry his neighbour from native Altmetyevsk Zinaida. But the Moscow is not so glad to meet him. Zinaida is confused (she merely has send him the photo on the 23rd February occasion), her father “uncle Kolya” doesn`t wants to hire Roman and the cop on the terminal beats him up. So our hero changes his mind and instead of leaving to native Almetyevka and gets a job in the Moscow police. And now he has the opportunity to revenge to everyone: Zinaida, uncle Kolya, his colleagues-cops, deceivers tradesmen.

“Firmness doesn`t mean stupidity” is the motto of the hero passing through the whole film, but sometimes it seems, that he is trying to prove the opposite. If the Remezow were 10 years older and cleverer, he would particularly turn into Danila Bagrov. And the film “Heart of Stone” could be called “The Brother 3”. But Remezov is not a Bagrov, and Mizgirev is not a Balabanov. The key messages of the film are: Moscow is captured by the stupid provincials, cops and gangsters are the same, and all of them produce the narcotic dens on the Moscow outskirts, cheap brothels and kill each other. Aside from that, as usual, there is no love, no withdrawal, no positive heroes. And the viewer doesn`t feel sorry for anyone.

Trailer:

Directed by:

Alexey Mizgirev

Cast:

Alexander Golubev, Karen Badalov, Yevgeniy Antropov, Dmitriy Kulichkov, Anastasiya Bezborodova, Sergey Shekhovtsov

Production:

STV, Russia, 2007

Feature:

Drama

Duration:

82 min.

Roman Shilo is not merely a 35-year –old underworld leader. At first sight he looks like the real “mobster” with no family, no friends and even without the beloved girl. It`s quite natural, that all his lifetime is dedicated to the work. But of a sudden the real triplet falls upon him: two daughters and one son. And only one child of them is his own - the eldest daughter Tanya, others are children of his former wife, whose unfortunate parachute jump caused the situation.

Roman`s life has to be changed. Little by little Roman becomes more and more loyal to the kids. Moreover their life even seems interesting to him. At the same time several things happen: the leading hero falls in love and appear some people, in whose interests there is no place for the Shilo`s children.

Author`s personal opinion: neither good nor bad. Firstly, as for me, this role doesn`t suits to Porechenkov, who looks more showy in the films like “Storm Gates”. And secondly the moments making the viewer`s laugh are to seldom in this “comedy”.

Trailer:

Directed by:

Sergey Bobrov

Cast:

Dmitriy Dedyushko, Yevgeniya Dobrovolskaya, Andjeline Karelina, Mikhail Porechenkov, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Darina Yushkevitch, Sergey Afanasyev, Victor Balabanov, Dmitriy Bobrov

Production:

Rekun-Cinema, Russia, 2008

Feature:

Comedy

Duration:

100 min.

The big time for the famous society lioness Kseniya Sobchak came, for she had acted in one more film to the joy of her few fans. Unlike the “flashing comedy “The Most Funny film” here the actress plays a bigger role, but the amount of positive emotions caused by her acting is still not great.

According to the plot story Arabella is the host of the reality show “No Sex”, which main point is to help the participants to avoid sex with their half. However, the aim of the skilful TV men is to achieve the copulation. And the host is first one, who has to achieve that goal. But in the film there are also the secondary heroes, that are hardly trying to do something. But as for me, it`s difficult to understand, what they want.

Author`s personal opinion: This “brilliant” work deserves 1 of 10. Completely untalented acting of people, that could be hardly called “actors”, the stupid story and the absolute lack of humour – are the raisins of the “film”. I`m sorry for my frank opinion, but the film seems to be great bad taste example. You don`t believe me? See the trailer!

Trailer:

Directed by:

Alexey Gordeyev

Cst:

Kirill Kanahin, Maxim Konovalov, Kseniya Sobchak, Alexander Bashirov

Production:

Central Partnership, Russia, 2008

Feature:

absent

Duration:

95 min.

There is a legendary Soviet press photographer Evgeniy Haldey in the spotlight of this documentary film. He passed through the war from its very first day to the last. On June 21, 1941 he took pictures of confused and frightened people, listening to the loudspeaker about the fascist attack. In May 1945 he photographed the Soviet banner flapping over the Reichstag. The main heroes of his photos became Soviet people, common ones and party leaders, soldiers and nurses, cinema stars and unknown dairymaids. The photographer`s own destiny consisted of ups and downs, at the times Stalin`s persecution of the Jews. In nineties the world-known photographer died in beggary. “Notes to the Past” is attempt to pay memory tribute to the master. It is the excellent documentary film, that makes the viewrs to think about the last 70-years events.

Director and script writer:

Galina Dolmatovskaya

Camera operators:

Victor Ksenofontov, Igor Mordmillovych

Composer:

Andrey Eshpay (the title song is performed by Sergey Shnurov)

Production:

Horosho Production, Russia, 2006

Feature:

Documentary

Duration:

59 min.

Two men travel from Moscow to Koktebel changing their place of place of residence. The reason is: the woman`s death. That woman was the wife for one of them and the mum to another. After the wife`s death the 40-year-old aircraft designer (Igor Chernevych) went on a drinking jag and spent the flat on drink. So he is homeless and moneyless now. The 12-year-old son is a silent dreamy boy. They are to make a one thousand and five hundred kilometres journey, there in Koktebel the other woman is waiting for them being ready to help.

The film is incredibly beautiful. It is as silent dreamy and flapping its eyelashes as one of the main heroes. Two men with their two lonelinesses are walking trough the one road along one country. While our mutual journey we see the country being the sad tired woman watching her sons. She Is the woman waiting for them in Koktebel. The only thing now we can do - to hope for the better…

Directed by:

Boris Khlebnikov, Alexey Popogrebskiy

Cast:

Gleb Puskepalis, Igor Chernevych, Yevgeniy Sytiy, Vladimir Kucherenko, Agripinna Steklova, Alexander Ilyin, Anna Frolovtseva

Production:

PBOUL Borisevich R.U., Russia, 2003

Feature:

Drama

Duration:

100 min.

Additional information:

Internet Movie Database

It is shown the Soviet Union in 1957. In frontier port city there lives a funny simpleton called Konek (Evgeniy Mironov). He is a cook in the restaurant, courts to the waitress Larochka and enjoys his miserable existence. Unexpectedly he meets the mysterious German (Evgeniy Tsyganov), who is confident and single-minded. German speaks about the mysterious politics, swims in ice water and is likely to be preparing to something.

The Alexey Utchitel`s film “Dreaming of Space” was awarded on the Moscow cinema festival in 2005. It`s not a masterpiece, but the competitors participating in the festival were weak enough. Undoubtedly, the film has particular merits: the high class deservings consideration acting of pair Mironov-Tsiganov and the scenario of Mindadze. But the ending of the film seems a bit unfinished. The viewer has to think, what have meant Utchitel by it?

Directed by:

Alexey Utchitel

Cast:

Yevgeniy Mironov, Yevgeniy Tsiganov, Iryna Pegova, Dmitriy Mulyar, Yelena Lyadova, Sergey Katchanov, Mariya Kuznetsova, Yelena Galubina, Igor Shibanov

Production:

Studio Rock, Russia, 2005

Feature:

Drama

Duration:

90 min.

Additional information:

Internet Movie Database

The Second World War is in its full swing. The coal barge sails through the Northern seas. The ship is conned by the captain Tikhon and the sailor Anatoliy. Group of fascists making an ambush force Anatoliy to extradite the hiding captain. Anatoliy is given a difficult choice: whether to be killed or to tell where his captain is. The young sailor chooses the second one.

There have passed thirty years. Anatoliy is living on the island, which gave him shelter some time ago. He is the grey-headed aged man now, being also the local legend. He is given a gift to heal people, but he still prays for forgiveness of his thirty years old sin. He has lost the hope to be forgiven, but…

The film could be called one of the most considerable contemporary art statements. Pavel Lungin has created the surprising and unexpected comparing with his films “Distant relatives” ,“The Oligarch” and “The Wedding”. “The Island” consists of: the graceful redemption story, incredible operator`s work and the stunning Petr Mammonov.

Trailer:

Directed by:

Pavel Lungin

Cast:

Petr Mammonov, Victor Sukhorukov, Dmitriy Dyuzhev, Yuriy Kuznetsov, Victoriya Isakova, Nina Usatova, Yana Yesipovich, Olga Demidova, Timofey Tribuntsev, Alexey Zelenskiy

Production:

TV channel «Rossiya», Pavel Lungin`s studio, Russia, 2006

Feature:

Drama

Duration:

112 min.