So much average

Simply Perfect

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The movie has rather a loose plot of a perished love as a background for displaying the Moscow life in the 60-s. It's mostly a set of shrewd observations with a clear premonition and question mark at the end.It shows the time of the choice of a future way for the country. In fact the choice was already made in October 1964, when conformist climbers and unprincipled egotists (Volodya) took a lead of the Soviet society and eventually destroyed it. The most charming and human figure of the movie is Alik, played by the famous Russian bard Yuri Vizbor. Alik represents the honest and skeptical part of Soviet society, that didn't have much hope for the bright future and tried to enjoy the life, avoiding ranting and bargaining with the conscience.One of the most brilliant films of the ending Khruschiov's "thaw", reflecting its hopes and vague apprehensions. The vivid scenes of Moscow 60-s intellectuals life are portrayed with a slight irony and melancholy, that makes the movie an enjoyable souvenir for a couple of Soviet generations.