A fascinating if raw glimpse of the New Russia a decade after the collapse of the Soviet Union and years before the New Russia began to succumb to the political repression reminiscent, alas, of the old USSR. Especially affecting are the scenes in which anxious parents deal with the Russian military, and the friends and family of a dying young man clash and come together. The director takes us into grimy apartments where young people drink themselves to death and older pensioners try to adjust (with varying degrees of success) to the new realities. As a viewer, I was simultaneously riveted by scenes that brought these new realities into sharp focus, and relieved that I was safely distant from them.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews