Entertaining from beginning to end, it maintains the spirit of the franchise while establishing it's own seal with a fun cast

an ambitious but ultimately ineffective debut endeavor.

As somebody who had not heard any of this before, it became a curious phenomenon to sit and watch a film and slowly have the realities begin to click into place.

Ok... Let's be honest. It cannot be the best movie but is quite enjoyable. The movie has the potential to develop a great plot for future movies

Yuri Mamin's black comedy "Window to Paris" is about the Russian nation which was completely shattered after the end of communism. It is a good example of social commentary mixed with satire which makes good use of its ingenuous scenario to address issues which are common to both French as well as Russian people. This is one reason why it appeals to viewers from these two great nations who share a unique mutual respect based on admiration and feeling of reciprocity. The Russian segment of this film highlights problems faced by ordinary Russians namely housing concerns and discipline in schools as teachers are being fired on flimsy grounds. Although it touches upon thorny issues, Russian part of this film is absolutely funny as it gives light comical touches to matters of serious concern. The Parisian part of this film is also fun to watch but it can be classified as a different kind of fun. It depicts the manner in which foreigners are perceived in Paris. Much of this segment's action is shown through the character of Nicole, a young Parisian woman for whom all Slavic people come from Poland. French actress Agnès Soral plays this role to perfection. "Window to Paris" is an important film which deserves to be shown to all those who seek to emigrate to other countries without giving much thought to the sad plight of their own country. This is exactly what happens to a Russian man for whom love for Russia is so strong that he sacrifices his comfortable existence in Paris in order to be in his beloved Russia.

I originally saw this movie as a Blockbuster VHS rental. That was quite some time ago, but still remembered it. Blockbuster doesn't have it anymore. Netflix didn't have it and there weren't many copies on the web -- only a few spendy VHS copies. Recently did finally find it available in DVD form on eBay for a reasonable price (in PAL format, but our DVD player will play PAL discs on our NTSC TV).Wife and I both enjoyed it. The style of the movie is a bit strong, and many if not most of the parts are rather strongly over-played as if amateurs were making it(especially the kids), but it's not bothersome. The contrasts of societies are accentuated in the overplay.There is a bit of political preaching in terms of saying that the young in Russia shouldn't try to escape their not-so-great life but instead should at least try to make things better first. But that's not dominant. It's fairly humorous most of the time.Some downplaying of the west commented upon by others isn't that at all IMO, I take it as a comment about expectations of the Russian characters. At least when taken from my western viewpoint. Perhaps it's a downplay of the west from a Russian viewpoint (which it is literally by the characters saying it).I can't say how literally true to the film the English subtitles are, but I can say that the subtitles were done very well, full of English idioms as if done by a native English speaker -- complete with "colorful" language.

I saw this movie in a Russian cinema class, and I knew I would like it as soon as the kids started dancing. The whole thing is very funny - although it has a quirky sense of humor different from what most of us are used to - and if you're willing to take the premise with a grain of salt, you are in for a treat. Another thing - if you were turned off by the trailer or the premise, don't give up on it. I wouldn't have watched the movie except that it was for class. I'm very glad I did, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in Russia, foreign films, something completely different, or simply a good story. And if you like "Window to Paris," I also highly recommend "Black Cat, White Cat," (Kusturica) another excellent quirky Eastern European (Serbia) comedy.

What a marvelous and multi-faceted film! Accurately but humorously portrays Communist Russia's class struggle and communal life. Juxtaposes an educated musician against blue-collar "bloodsucking" neighbors, as well as bleak Leningrad against the colorful splendors of Paris. A wonderful metaphor for the utopia many dream of finding: our chances of reaching it are limited, and when the opportunity presents itself, some throw themselves fearlessly into it, others hesitate until it is too late, while still others fail to recognize that they're already there. One of the few films that can be viewed hundreds of times and never grow old.