Customer Reviews

A Friend of the Deceased [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Having lived in Kyiv, and knowing it's people, I must say this film captures the city in all it's many moods. Despite the fact that the Kyivites speak Russian throughout the scenes, this is a very Ukrainian movie.

This is really a jewel of a movie. It is set in the Kiev of Post Soviet Ukraine - film is in Russian - and a handsome apparently respectable man finds himself at odds with the free foer all capitalist society that has emerged. His beautiful wife leaves him for someone more ambitious and and financially motivated and as he becomes depressed he gets involved with former scecret agents turned bodyguards and contract killers to ultimately bring his own life to an end. The plot seems certainly sad; however there are touching, comical and - as in any Russian story worth its Borscht - plenty of irony. the character development is excellent and we sympathize without question with the disiullusioned intellectual type whop refuses to budge - or is incapable of taking advantage of the new order. There are lots of beautiful people in the film and Kiev is a prime character in the story, it appears to be a really beautiful city. Ias another reviwer wrote, the film may seem slow to develop but the viewer will become ever more involved in the story.

I first saw this film during its USA theater release, and was immediately struck by it - stunned is more like it. It is a Ukrainian film, but the dialogue is in Russian (just about all educated Ukrainians speak fluent Russian). I found it to be a jewel, full of intense dramatic irony and pathos, with a haunting soundtrack that consisted of a flute accompanied by a piano. On my way out of our local art cinema, I bumped into the film critic for the major newspaper in our state - it was his 4th viewing that week, the only week the film was to run. This guy can count on one hand the number of times he has been driven to view a new release more than twice in a week. I could say much more, but I'll close with my recollection that this film, which involves a planned suicide, is about as powerful an affirmation of life as I have seen in cinema.

I first found about this somewhat unknown movie from an academic book about the Ukraine. The plot struck me as hilarious and brilliant and so I decided to check it out. I'd never heard of the director or any of the actors before.

This movie is primarily a comedy, but a comedy with a point. The movie centers around the main character who finds that his work as a translator is no longer relevant or valued in the new era of "democracy" and capitalism. As such, he finds that he can no longer hold onto the affections of his wife, who has ascended this rapidly erected social ladder with more ease than her husband and has found work as an advertising agent. That is all that I will say at this point... read other reviews for more about the plot and don't miss it.

This film will also delight viewers who relish the absurd and anyone else who is interested in societies that are experiencing rapid social and economic change.

I rented this video an was impressed with the quality of the writing and character development.An educated young man finds himself out of sync with the current society in Russia and the effects the change to a totally money oriented society has made to his life. He has difficulty finding work, his wife leaves him and his life seems at an end. Events change in a very unusual way brought on by his desperation.