everything you have heard about this movie is true.

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

The first must-see film of the year.

Mostly, the movie is committed to the value of a good time.

I am going to agree with one of the users here who wrote earlier:"In regards to the portrayal of pre-revolutionary Russia, and the ideas expressed in the movie, it is utterly silly, fake and pretentious. In fact, it is fake and pretentious to the point of being ridiculous."Couldn't have said it better myself! Pretentious and vain would be the right adjectives to describe Mikhalkov and his work in the past couple of decades. Yes, this piece is simply like an illustration from a coloured book for foreigners: vodka, bears, mysterious Russian soul etc. Simply appalling. And the worst thing is, it was all(still is!) being presented as a "serious piece of art". Menshikov as a cadet at 38 made me cringe throughout the whole movie. And I've never thought of him other than a comedian. He does great in those but his serious roles suck. Just my 2 cents.

The second time I saw this film I could see why people had said it was sentimental, overly staged. However I thought it was worth seeing a second time...Because the first time I saw it, one woman in the group of friends I went with was an international expert on Russian literature and Dostoyevsky in particular. She said she thought the film got to the nub of a Russian preoccupation... this woman wrestling with her identity. (OK she happens to be an American woman). If such an intellectual heavyweight thought it worth her 3 hours, it can't be that bad.The comments in other threads about the film not getting enough coverage don't tell us anything about the intrinsic value of the film. If anything they simply tell us that markets everywhere are different (a triumph of anti-globalism?) AND/OR that many many good films are made which we never hear about. Many good books are written and never published. Many beautiful people never make it to Hollywood...

Although I rated it 3 out of 10, I have to be fair and mention that there are certain enjoyable aspects to this movie; perhaps I was too harsh. Let me start therefore by mentioning those positive aspects: it is a very well crafted movie (Mikhalkov sure has no lack of skill), with gorgeous cinematography, and plenty of wonderful visuals. The bad side is, there is nothing else about it that I can recommend. In regards to the portrayal of pre-revolutionary Russia, and the ideas expressed in the movie, it is utterly silly, fake and pretentious. In fact, it is fake and pretentious to the point of being ridiculous.The idealization of tsarist Russia is so unabashed, it will make every Russian in his/her right senses laugh hysterically. Another laughable aspect is that the movie's director (the eminent Nikita Mikhalkov) has chosen to cast himself as H.M. the Russian Tsar Himself. A less laughable (but telling) aspect is that Mikhalkov's monarch of choice is Alexander III, one of the more tyrannical and abhorrent Russian tsars (he succeeded the much more progressive and educated Alexander II, who, alas, was killed by leftist terrorists). The main ideological theme of the movie is very familiar to every Russian: it's the idea of the "Russian soul", too complicated to be grasped by primitive soul-less westerners (especially the uncouth American characters in the movie). The national monopoly on human sentiment implied by the "Russian soul" idea is laughable, and it is deeply ironic that this idea is identical to the purely American notion of American national superiority (here I should mention that I live mostly in U.S. but am Russian by blood, birth and up-bringing - grew up in Moscow - so I know what I am talking about).In short, this movie is candy for your eyes, and renting it may not be a total waste; it has some simple entertainment value. However, the best use for this movie is to select a particularly stunning scene, and press the "pause" button; it makes for a wonderful decoration. -- Victor

I guess I'm an odd one for using the word "fun" to describe this movie but it's the only word I could think of after viewing the Barber of Siberia. BOS isn't the typical period piece, it's not stuffy like the English ones and it's not heavy handed like in your standard Russian flicks. It has something that a lot of period films lack, HUMOR! The movie doesn't take itself too seriously and it goes along at a very brisk pace. Julia Ormond is one of the most beautiful and talented actresses of all time and this is an excellent vehicle for her. I will say this isn't the movie for serious film snobs, it's very light and audience pleasing. I would recommend Barber of Siberia to anyone looking for something different.