Why so much hype?

Self-important, over-dramatic, uninspired.

Great example of an old-fashioned, pure-at-heart escapist event movie that doesn't pretend to be anything that it's not and has boat loads of fun being its own ludicrous self.

Strong acting helps the film overcome an uncertain premise and create characters that hold our attention absolutely.

Complicated, expressionist, with a bizarre storyline, if there is one. About an immature man that is lost at forty as he was always, living a meaningless life and playing with the ones close to him like a spoiled child. As difficult as a man as he can be, everyone seems to love and like him, even if he is hurting them constantly. All women love this charismatic kind of person, that makes them dream and evade of their own made reality, from the railway worker, to the lonely colleague that was once his lover. I was a bit surprised to see such a realistic portrait of a soviet town with pretty poor infrastructure and living conditions and it was before Gorbaciov. As in almost all russian movies of the time, one can see the alcohol excessive consumption, the enthusiastic nature of the russian soul and the good natured and helping russian citizen.

I first saw this movie back in the 80's when I still was in my teens. Couldn't possibly understand the subject, but something struck me in Oleg Yankovskiy's performance. His Sergey was recognizable. Even familiar. I saw this man somewhere. Probably in my father, who was going through a little midlife crisis of his own at the time. So Yankovskiy's Sergey was genuine - tragic, lonely, selfish (and self-loathing at the same time), lost man. Looking for love while unable to feel love towards others. Even himself. It's not even love he is after, it's reassurance of his worth. On his self-destructive path he ruins not only his life, but few other's close to him. And you despise him, feel for him, pity him and just wish that he (and those hurt by him) would walk away with least damage possible. The movie is slow, but doesn't drag. The way autumn (literally and symbolically) is translated to the screen does make you feel a little cold. The acting is excellent from all involved with a standouts from Yankovskiy and Lyudmila Gurchenko. 9.5/10

On the eve of his fortieth anniversary Sergei Makarov (Oleg Yankovsky), looks back at his life and learns that he has achieved nothing. He was not able to be happy and to bring happiness to the closest people in his life, neither to his long-suffering wife nor young mistress nor friends nor work... It is about the men who never grew up and could not find themselves in the time of stagnation – gifted, charming, but infantile and lost, they never were able to realize themselves...This film became a super-hit in the Soviet Union of the eightieth. The audiences were divided into two camps. Some saw it as a personal insult, others - as a personal victory, as truth about their time and about themselves. When I saw it twenty four years ago, everyone was fascinated by the courage of the movie creators who chose a weak man, an anti-hero as a symbol of his times. When I saw it last night, the main character irritated me most of the time and I simply could not bring myself to sympathize or identify with him. Some of the best Russian actors gave very good performances (Oleg Yankovsky, Oleg Tabakov, Lyudmila Gurchenko and Nikita Mikhalkov in a short but memorable cameo) but the movie belongs to its era and it did not age well...