This movie is wonderful if you consider yourself a 'beginner' at Russian culture. It's very organic and flows wonderfully from scene to scene. It doesn't feel like a crime drama, it feels much more light-hearted with certain rebellious qualities, as if to say, 'Yeah, the Mafia is in this movie, but who says I have to slaughter twelve guys as messily as possible?" It's a breath of fresh air. A great deal of the action is conveyed purely through body language, which is especially poignant in a movie about deaf people - try watching it with the subtitles off, you'll see what I mean. One unforeseen benefit this movie offers is to beginning students of the Russian language. It is great because most if not all of the people in the movie speak very loudly and slowly as they are signers speaking in Russian, or at least portraying them.
