Customer Reviews

Postmark Paradise

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

 

 

After a group of friends order a mail order bride from Russia as a prank, the beautiful Viktoria (Russian pop star Natalie Nazarova in her feature-film debut) arrives in the small town of Paradise, Michigan. Comedy ensues as Viktoria manages to teach the small town residents a valuable lesson about living the American Dream. For those who like thoughtful independent films; the cast of relative unknowns seems genuine.

You might think that Postmark Paradise is another wacky comedy about the trials and travails of a Ukrainian mail order bride.

Despite it's flawed premise of a bunch of guys ordering a mail order bride for a co-worker who is jailed for a DUI, the movie is actually more about responding to change in our lives and situations and how we respond to them.

Although you might think the movie is about Viktoria, the mail order bride, upon reflection I think it is truly the story of Reenie, the bar woman who takes her in when she has nowhere else to go.

Reenie's life has obviously seen better days, she is estranged from her daughter and has never seen her granddaughter. She is the one who really grows in the movie as her experiences with Viktoria give her the courage and desire to move on with her life and begin growing.

The movie is a little slow at times and the ending was a little frustrating, but overall not a bad way to spend an hour and a half.

Cheers!

This is a delightfully funny AND poignant movie set in a comfortable small town in Michigan that could of been ANYWHERE, USA. It's easy to watch, easy to smile with and easy to think about. One of my top five movies of all time.

For obvious economic and social reasons, many Russian women have come to the United States as "mail order brides." In general I have been deeply disappointed with films dealing with this subject because they treat Russian women as sex objects. Not so with this movie...and that is good. In this film, the Russian female Viktoria comes to the United States in response to a misleading invitation by some "good ol' boys" in the middle of nowhere, the town of Paradise in Michigan. She has to fend for herself, restore her self-confidence, learn to be independent in America. She does this through her kindness, understanding, and skill in treating animals. Vikoria's struggles and successes make this a very touching movie.

A very unique movie, it is entertaining. It's definitely easy to tell that it's very low-budget. If you like this, you would probably like "Birthday Girl" and "A Foreign Affair: Two Brothers and a Bride" even more.

Sure, you already know how this is going to turn out even before the first two minutes are up, but you watch it anyway for the performances and the script, which is really not half bad for a low-budget indie. No violence, no gunshots, no murders. Just a romantic comedy of the gentlest kind. Well done.

I really loved this movie, quiet, interesting and lovely. The story has depth, you get to understand why a woman would come to a strange country to try and start a new life, the shallow selfishness of the man who brings her here could have been very cookie cutter but has layers too. I forget I'm watching a movie and enjoyed it as much as any movie ever.