Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Intcatinfo A Masterpiece!

Zlatica One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

punishmentpark A moody film about two half-sisters on the run from gangsters. A lot of it is established by the two beautiful young, but almost continuously sad looking sisters, the so(m)ber landscapes and a lot of old and rather monotonous (which is a good thing in this case) Russian poprock ('80s band Kino). There's a lot said with not so many words about the girls, their uncertain futures and also about the situation in their area (Russia).At times the film develops as simple and straight forward as a teen film (a little too much so in my opinion, for instance when the good guys come in at such a convenient time at the end and kill the bad guys), but as implied before, overall not a happy or naive one. There's some intense violence in it, which certainly makes this unsuitable for children, but that also makes it a fairly honest and unflinching portrayal of one of the bleaker parts of the world.The acting is just fine, even though a lot of the time there's no telling what goes on inside their minds - which seems appropriate for the characters.A big 7 out of 10.

jherr I really liked this one. I have been on somewhat of a Russian movie bender for the last 4 or 5 months. Most of the movies I have seen have been unremarkable, basically repackage Hollywood with a Russian veneer. However, there have been a few films that have stuck out as something different, films that could only be made in Russia.I have never been to Russia so I cannot say that the film has any bearing in reality. However, the film seemed real, in the same way that reality can be stranger than fiction. One of the things I loved about this movie is that none of it is filmed in Moscow or St. Petersburg (as far as I could tell). That is pretty rare for a Russia drama that deals solely with the human condition. You get to see a lot of the small town and semi-rural (dascha) parts of Russia in this movie, which is much more interesting than seeing St. Basil's Cathedral for the umteenth millionth time.The soundtrack in this movie is probably my most favorite of any Russian movie I have seen. It actually works with the screen material and reminds me a lot of movies like Brat and Bumer. There are parts of the film that seem a bit unpolished and awkward, but overall, this is definitely one film to check out if you are into Russia films and culture.

tracolimus I think this is a very good movie because it expresses the soul of Russia, the way I'm imagining Russia. There are not very long dialogs in the film, only very short and pointed conversations between people exists. Furthermore people very rarely laugh, the mood seems to be authentic Russian, with a little bit depression in it all the time.The shots Sergej Budrov makes are also excellent, they are very impressive and get you in something like a state of trance. The acting is also good, from the cool Russian Mafia gangster to the two young sisters all actors play their roles convincing and no one is overacting.So if you have about an hour time, go watch this fine Russian movie.In remembrance of Sergej Budrov -

rbreen Directed by gangster movie heartthrob Sergei Bodrov Junior, this might be expected to be a shoot-'em up gangster caper movie. It isn't - in very Russian fashion, it's more about characters and issues than shooting, and while there are a couple of violent incidents, the pace is slow and the tone solemn.The two sisters at the centre of the film - thirteen year old Sveta, poor and abandoned by her father, who longs to go off and be a sniper in the army, and spoilt eight-year old Dina, doted on by her gangster father - represent two very different aspects of modern Russia: the old, poor but moral; the young, cynical and money-obsessed. Sveta lives in a shabby home with her grandmother. Dina gets to live in a lavish apartment with their mother, and goes off to violin lessons. Not surprisingly, there's no love lost between the two.But adversity, in the form of gang rivals on the search of some missing money and with few scruples about how to get their hands on it, throws the two together, plunging them into the Dickensian world of Russia's underground - dangerous and uncertain - and makes them value each other more than they ever have before. A couple of very naturalistic performances from the two makes this a fine, touching film.