User Reviews

I am a big fan of Tim Blake Nelson, and he did not disappoint in this film about a real "mail order bride" service called "A Foreign Affair". In fact, the filmmakers distributed a copy of the catalog this company puts out. Otherwise, this might seem like a fabrication, I suppose. The film was about two mama's boys (actually mama favored the younger boy) whose mama dies and leaves them helpless and unable to take care of themselves. The older one (Nelson) decides they need a wife (singular...sort of a reverse polygamy), and goes to the library to check out the mail order bride industry. (Allyce Beasley has a funny cameo as the librarian). Then he drags his reluctant brother off to Russia in search of a wife for both of them. Several of the company's real life clients appear in the film, interestingly enough. I enjoyed it immensely, and I hope this somehow finds its way into theaters.

This indie arrived without any warning. On the basis of the three principals, we decided to take a look at it. Directed with care by Helmut Schleppi, this is an endearing comedy about how love surprises even the most skeptical types in the wrong places.

If you haven't seen the film, please stop reading now.

Josh and Jake live in the family farm. Their mother seems to dote on Jake, the good for nothing brother that is totally helpless in practical matters. When the mother dies suddenly, Jake realizes a woman is needed in the ranch to help the brothers cope with the household chores. Josh is useless; since he was a "mamma's boy", he is not expected to do anything.

In learning about the possibility of "importing" a bride, Jake decides to take Josh to Russia and marry him off to a woman that would like to emigrate to the United States and help around the farm. Well, Jake is for a rude awakening! Josh suddenly awakens when he has to select a woman among the gorgeous candidates; he discovers sex and fun with the women that are looking for some pampering. Josh ends up spending his money in a radical make over at his brother's expense.

The brothers meet a young woman, who at first they think is another of the women wanting to emigrate. Angela is making a documentary about the phenomenon and ends up translating for the brothers.

Tim Blake Nelson is perfect as Jake, the good brother. He is one of the kindest souls ever seen in the movies. David Arquette is also good as the confused Josh. Emily Mortimer, as Angela, makes a great appearance.

The film is sweet, without being sugary. It will not disappoint.

My wife, Ekaterina, and I met each other in Saint Petersburg, Russia on a tour sponsored by A Foreign Affair, the company that was involved in making this film. The film depicts with accuracy many of the experiences that we went through when we met. I am excited that the film was produced, because it will help people understand what awesome opportunities tours like these offer to people to meet each other. The film is an intelligent, romantic comedy that equals "A Greek Wedding" and "Monsoon Wedding" in portraying family values and relationships. Arquette, Blake Nelson, and Mortimer do wonderful jobs portraying their characters. The film also shows that Saint Petersburg is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe. I highly recommend it and sincerely hope that it becomes successful and popular.

Caught this on cable last night; I had never heard of it before but I always enjoy Nelson and Arquette, and I was pleased to discover a very charming, heart-felt little movie that develops in slow, subtle ways, without ever getting - you know the drill - heavy-handed or contrived.

I'm generally a sucker for movies that start with the characters being one way and having them, through the course of the story, evolve and find themselves, and in this movie, the journey of the two brothers rings poignantly true, and there's a wonderful plot device (having the excellent Emily Mortimer as a journalist doing a documentary on the subject of 'mail-order wives') which is exploited in the best possible and most creative ways.

David Arquette & Tim Blake Nelson & a bevy of attractive ladies enliven this Lil flick. They are 2 none too bright brothers trying to find a bride in St Petersburg Russia. This is a nicely written & well acted minor film (only 82 minutes long).Production values are good with good looking location scenes.

The only compliant I have is that the ending is a bit confusing,I think under its original title "A Foreign Affair" the running time was about 94 minutes.

Do not expect much, just either rent this or watch it on cable like I did, sit back & enjoy.

Rating ** 1/2 out of 4======points 78 out of 100.

My IMDb rating is a 7 because I enjoyed it.

"..what are you looking for... I want to be known very well by somebody." This is a crucial line in this film (and an ultimate if unrealized desire in most people's lives)... and it's a pretty good one. Very well cast, written, and acted (I liked her before, but now I'm locked solid in her corner)... it surprises you just how honest, sincere and well done it is. And it sheds light on a segment of today's world that a majority do not get to glimpse. That's the great part about certain films.. they get to take you to places you would not under ordinary circumstances experience. And when they do it this well it's a rare treat. You've seen these actors before, but here they get material that just lets them loose themselves in the character, and their real life persona is put aside. Truly that's a surprise reward of an enjoyable and unexpected film experience.

Tim Nelson Blake and David Arquette play two asexual brothers, who after the death of their Mother/housekeeper, decide to go on a bachelor tour to Russia to find a replacement.

In Russia, the brothers meet the stereotypical, cardboard cut, vodka swigging Russian characters. The Russians are merely pushed aside in this story as second or even third class citizens while the superior Westerners go about their cherry picking.

After Tim Blake has turned down every advance from gorgeous women and shown no interest in a relationship, you can't understand why he went to Russia in the first place. There are plenty of cheap illegals working as housekeepers in LA. He could have booked a trip on greyhound.

Instead we are treated to a nauseating hour of Blake going through his highlighted list and his "unfunny" attempts of assigning women numbers.

Emily Mortimer appears not as a Russian looking for love and a green card, but as a British investigative reporter doing a story on these tours. Her Russian is quite good and she could have played a Russian love interest. But then again, this film is not about love. It is about finding a maid.

David Arquette's character turns out to be a little more human. He warms up to the Russian ladies and scores with a few. But none of the relationships are serious. It is all tongue and cheek, like a frat party.

Instead of delving into the various reasons why these men and women join these tours, the film makers simply provide the superficial reasons, the American men want sex, and the Russian women want green cards. The real popularity of these tours stem in part because they offer our pill popping generation a quick fix solution for love and poverty.

On the positive side, David Arquette and Emily Mortimer give good performances. Blake is credible, but his character is highly unlikable. Larry Pine does a fantastic job as the greasy tour director. For a low budget film, the cinematography is quite good.

Don't waste your time with this trash. Story is weak and stupid. Offensive to women and Russians everywhere.

A Foreign Affair will open on May 7, 2004 in Los Angeles, Phoenix (where the A Foreign Affair romance tour company is located) and Grand Rapids, Michigan, home of Calvin College, where screenwriter Geert Heetebrij went to school. I'd highly recommend seeing the film that weekend if you live anywhere near one of these cities. The film was made on a shoestring budget and so it depends not on special effects, car chases and elaborate scenes, but simply on good acting, a compelling storyline and beautiful cinematography. The premise of the film is simple: two brothers live with their mother and when she dies they're left alone with no abilities to fend for themselves. They head to Russia on a romance tour to find a "wife." They want someone to cook and clean for them for the two years it would take their "bride" to get her green card. Along the way both brothers discover things about themselves and each other, with unexpected results. A Foreign Affair is a quirky, funny, sometimes sweet and always thoughtful piece of filmmaking. It was produced as an independent film, outside of the Hollywood process, and it shows. Well done.

I had a chance to see "A Foreign Affair" on April 15 at a pre-release screening with over 500 other film-goers and was mightily impressed by this movie! It strikes me as containing the same kind of graceful humor and insight as "Big Fish," "The Station Agent" and even "My Big, Fat Greek Wedding." The film makes important points about family, love and marriage without shouting and resorting to cheap theatrics. I hope people get behind the movie as they did for "Greek Wedding" so that this quiet little gem doesn't get buried under all of the bombastic comic book pictures. The script is delightful and well conveyed on the screen. Actors Nelson, Arquette and Mortimer are perfect in their roles. The interspersing of documentary-style interviews about marriage throughout the movie was a treat, as were the surprising touches at the end of the film --- again, humorous and touching at the same time. General consensus of the 500 folks at the screening: Outstanding!

I saw an advanced screening of A Foreign Affair and I thought it was perfect. A refreshing film that's not only funny but also sweet. wonderful performances by Tim Blake Nelson, and David Arquette. They play two brothers looking for someone to take care of them after their doting mother passes away. After seeing an ad for A Foreign Affair party tours they decide that going to Russia to find themselves a wife is the best way to get a replacement. They're not looking for love, they're looking for a wife, but what follows is funny, touches your heart and lifts your spirits. A thoroughly enjoyable movie. They filmed this movie on location in Russia and it features genuine clients from an actual tour party. If you liked Lost in Translation then you'll love this film. It's original and definitely entertaining.

It's always nice to see a unique story. The aren't many negative reviews of this flick, and they certainly aren't deserved. While the story explores a real part of present day life - internet bride hunting - it manages to bring humanity and subtle but solid humor to the story.

The film neither justifies or explains the social phenomenon, and it doesn't have to. It does portray very realistically the lives of the characters caught in their circumstances. The acting, cinematography and direction are all great. The writing is great: a simple story (with a few fun twists) mated to complex character development. This movie is very entertaining. Certainly the producers, director and writer are all worth watching for.

I was just settling in to see what I had on TIVO when I picked up some of the wry humor in this film. I looked at the details and since it was less than 1/2 hour in progress, went to the beginning and enjoyed it.

I like the ending (which I will not spoil) and it was certainly not expected, despite the wild character arc that the younger brother's character went through.

I kept thinking about "O Brother Where Art Thou" because of Nelson's familiar hangdog look... but his characterization here was a bit uneven, wavering between the bumpkin to a shrewd and sagacious character.

It was also fun seeing an inside look at the often infamous mail order bride industry. I had seen a documentary that completely trashed that industry... based on some guys' bad experiences. Nice to see a different play on the theme.

1st watched 10/4/2004 - 8 out of 10(Dir-Helmut Schleppi): Excellent docu-drama about 2 brothers in search of a foreign wife to take care of them after their mother passes away. This is played out seriously and that's why it works. Both main actors do a great job with acting slightly off-kilter but keeping a straight face in this eccentric and unique story of their attempts to be loved. The older brother engages a foreign purchase-a-wife service disguised as a romantic getaway and their off to Russia in search of that special 'one.' It's obvious that both of these boys haven't been out of the nest much. One takes the search on in a business-like way(of course not attracting many women), and the younger gets a chance to be himself and and sew his wild oats and has a lot more choices because of this. A female reporter becomes involved in the story because she's doing a documentary and soon becomes a part of a triangle-type relationship. This is where the story is able to include documentary style footage that gives it that feel like this could really happen. This is definitely a catch and if you can find it at your local rental store give it a try, you won't be disappointed. And if you're like me, you'll want to watch it a second time just to make sure you 'get' everything that it's giving you.

A Foreign Affair is a well-written, well-acted, well-filmed, well-just about everything you'd want in a movie. This is the clever story of two bumpkins traveling to St. Petersburg to find a Slavic beauty to be their wife (i.e., cook and housekeeper). David Arquette wonderfully plays a selfish oaf whose quest for a wife degenerates into a quest for romance blurred with lust. Tim Blake Nelson is business-like and rational in his search--romance, love and lust are far from his mind. Emily Mortimer is radiant as a reporter disgusted by these so-called romance tours. The film is both story and character driven. Each of the main characters discovers his or her true self. Without revealing the surprising ending(s), the movie is a deep and profound allegory of love. Here's my advice: go and see the movie and take all of your friends.

Two momma's boys searching for a mail order Russian bride not for love or sex but to replace their dead mother as a housekeeper on their isolated southwestern farm, Tim Blake Nelson and David Arquette, go to Russia on a romance tour organized by a company (that really exists) called A Foreign Affair. The portrayal of the romance tour/Russian bride business is satirical, very funny but not unkind, but the real interest of the movie lies in the story of the two brothers discovering their true (and different) selves. The movie features a luminous performance by Emily Mortimer as a documentary filming British journalist who speaks fluent Russian and who encounters Blake Nelson in the course of the trip to St. Petersburg. The movie makes miraculous use of its limited budget and has numerous witty touches.

When I started watching this movie, I assumed it was some low budget movie used to fill space on a second rate cable channel. I was so off... so wrong. This movie is hilarious, sweet, profound, gentle, realistic, and thoughtful. Men, women, girls, and boys alike would this movie.

The journey of the two brothers (who couldn't be more different from each other personality-wise) to Russia to find brides is so funny in a soft, gentle sort of way. I found it didn't trivialize or work with stereotypes regarding this process. The one flaw (if it is that) is that the movie is really from the perspective of the two brothers (until the very end). They are so naive in so many ways, and this perspective highlights it.

Such a wonderful movie. Sometimes sad, but not in a depressing way. More like "ahh... that's just life" kindasorta way.

I'd actually go as far as to say that it is one of the best movies I've seen in months. No joke. (And I watch a lot of movies).

Watch this movie.

I was able to see this movie at the Sundance Film Festival. It was absolutely hilarious, and had some touching parts too. David Arquette and Tim Blake Nelson play brothers who venture off to St. Petersburg on a romance cruise to meet a Russian wife to take care of them. David Arquette was perfect for his role and the chemistry between Nelson and Emily Mortimer was excellent. I also enjoyed the musical score of this film.

Just saw this movie at Sundance festival last night. Well made, engaging, and funny movie about 2 brothers who go to Russia on a find-a-wife junket. The movie mixes dramatic and doccumentary formats in a unique way. The company "A Foreign Affair" really exists- a travel to meet a russian bride outfit. The actors in the movie actually signed up for the real tour, and some of the footage is of actual russian women whom the actors interact with. Very enjoyable.

I've had a lot of experience with women in Russia, and this movie portrays what a lot of them are like. They are very cunning, ruthless, and greedy, as well as highly unfair. From the robotic sex, the hustling for gifts, to the lies and betrayal, I've experienced it all in Russia. And the process of dealing with the big agencies and their commercialism was pretty accurate too. I don't know why A Foreign Affair endorses and recommends this film though.

I know what I'm talking about. And here are my qualifications to prove it: Here are the photojournals of my three trips to Russia in search of a bride. It includes thousands of pics of many hot Russian girls I met, black comedy, scams I was privy to, and the story of my mugging and appearance on Russian national TV.

http://www.happierabroad.com/Photojournals.htm

It's like Reality TV. You will love it. I spent a ton of time putting it together. So check it out. The Russian woman that hustles for that farmer to buy her gifts is a lot like the Julia and Katya in my photojournals.

My 3 bride seeking trips in Russia happen to be very exciting and would sell, so why don't they make a movie out of my bride seeking adventures in Russia?

WuMaster

• I got everything I wanted by going abroad! You can too! http://www.happierabroad.com

When their mother dies, Jake and Josh Adams are left alone to run their farm. They seem capable enough doing the outdoor work and selling their produce, but when they try to do their own cooking, for example, they make a real mess of it. Josh, especially, seems incapable of taking care of himself. They can't find a maid to do the work.

Jake goes to the library to learn how to find a wife. While he was there, I thought he had found a possible candidate. I won't say whether I was right. But he discovers a web site which leads him to a tour for men interested in Russian brides. The librarian sees the name of the web site, and her reaction is funny, because it COULD be porn.

The amazing thing is that in the one scene where a maid turns the boys down, it is because she won't be paid enough. Now I can understand this since it is hard to make money farming. Yet this tour is very expensive; a maid might have been cheaper. Especially when one considers how much work should probably be getting done while they're gone--I'm sure the guy they hired to sell produce didn't do it for free.

Jake takes care to watch how much money is being spent and whether he is getting a good value, and he does everything according to a system. Yet he is not particularly nice, charming or good-looking. Josh is good-looking, popular and fun-loving but not too bright, though women would want to take care of him. These guys are sort of like the Harper brothers of TV's "Two and a Half Men" in reverse--but on that show the take-charge guy is the one who shouldn't be in charge. And, unfortunately for this movie, the prudent arrangement is not necessarily the entertaining one. I think a lot of people will enjoy the movie, though. It's not the laugh-out-loud style I was hoping for, but both male leads give very good performances, and there are some funny situations. My problem with Tim Blake Nelson is that his uptight attitude makes him hard to like. Uptight can be entertaining, as Jon Cryer proves, but it requires a different sort of taste to enjoy Nelson. Though Jake's agonizing over every little detail is still funny. And David Arquette is capable of playing what could be a hick without making him a hick.

One of the best things about the movie is what appears to be a series of interviews for a documentary (especially the parts appearing with the closing credits). Someone in the movie is, in fact, filming a documentary. And that someone is a woman who may be a candidate for the boys' bride. Yes, I said the BOYS' bride. This arrangement actually seems perverted to the father of one of the other candidates, which makes for another funny moment. Emily Mortimer has some impressive scenes in her role as the documentary producer. The reason she is in a lot of scenes is that Jake needs a translator, even though he is reluctant to appear in the film.

One artistic touch is the fish feeder. Josh needs someone to feed his fish while he is gone, and time is measured by each feeding by an automatic fish feeder, which turns sort of like a clock whose hands advance rather than moving continuously.

It was an okay movie. For some, it would be quite a good one.

Tim Blake Nelson and David Arquette are brothers and farmers. When their mother dies, Nelson decides they should go find a wife "for cooking and cleaning but not for sex." They travel to St Petersburg Russia on a "romance" tour to find a wife. There they run into Emily Mortimer who's filming a documentary on these introduction services. The three leads are excellent with particular kudos to Nelson who delivers an honest performance as the older brother desperately trying to find a wife to take back. Arquette makes a nice turn as a mama's boy becoming a lothario and Mortimer is wonderful as the observer who becomes a part of the story. A very pleasant surprise of a movie. The Russian sequences were shot over two weeks during an actual romance tour.

I haven't yet watched the film, as it has not been released in the uk. I have recently been on the tour, that the film was based on and I would recommend it to anyone. I took part in a documentary for local television and it was about the journey of two local guys, looking for love in St Petersburg, Russia. This will be shown on Tyne Tees Television from 21/2/03. To do it for real, was better then to act the part.

This film is a down to earth story about two farm boy brothers who live with their "Old Ma" who does their cooking, cleaning and advising.

The older brother, Jake (Tim Blake Nelson), is a stereotypical farmer: honest, hard working, not at all flashy, the kind of guy most women find boring.

The younger brother, Josh (David Arquette), is every woman's dream: a man who needs to be MOTHERED.

When their "Old Ma" dies, the guys are desperate for someone to keep house and cook for them. They head to Saint-Petersburg, Russia on a romance tour with a real life company known as A Foreign Affair.

The strength of this film is that it is as honest as the character Jake. It depicts the exciting potential of romance across cultures that exist thousands of miles apart. It shows the sincere seekers of love and marriage and family life; but it also shows the gold digging women who are mainly interested in financial gain; and it also shows the lecherous guys who are less suited for a romance tour than they are for a "perverted sex tour" to Bangkok, Thailand.

All in all, a film that is very well done, and genuine. One particular highlight is the character of journalist Angela Beck, excellently played by Emily Mortimer, whom some may recognize as the woman to whom Val Kilmer gives a cross containing a microchip, the newlywed wife whose unfaithful husband already has a girlfriend, in the movie "The Saint." And her name may be familiar to fans of "Rumpole of the Bailey." Emily's father John Mortimer is the author of the Rumpole stories.