Come Look at Me

Hi everybody, I think that film "Prikhodi na menya posmotret'" is certainly one of the traditional Russian films, because it shows a typical Russian family in a typical communal flat. It's humour can be understandable mainly by Russians, because some ideas and misunderstandings (between Igor and an old lady, for example) are caused by the differences in thinking between soviet and post-soviet generations.

The plot of the film is rather typical: lonely lady meets unexpectidly her love, but it is presented in a very humorous way, the film makes you not only laugh, but also believe that there is always hope to live. It is a remarkable Russian film, I believe. With respect, Juberinje

Very good movie. Everyone must see. Very good actors.

This highly preposterous film is a pathetic attempt at recreating the mood and quirckiness of "Ironiya Sudby" (1975). Even the plot is somewhat similar. However, while in "Ironiya Sudby" excellent acting was on par with the intelligent and very tasteful scenario, here, relatively good acting meets a plot that at times seems to have been borrowed from a play written by a 3rd grader. The dialogue appears badly ad-libbed for the most part of the film. The plot-holes are simply astonishing at times (for example, Sofya bequeathing the jewelry to her newly found grand-daughter and NOT to her own daughter with whom she, an invalid, has spent most of her life, or, Sofya sudenly starts walking to no one's awe). I have no idea what effect the directors went for in the slapping scene. I found it shocking and disturbing.

The film's target audience is well-defined, and the main feeling throughout the picture is that of nostalgia. The attempts at symbolism were perhaps the most laughable, of which it will suffice to mention "the boy who lives upstairs" / angel-cupid. The only thing that saves this film from being a total disaster are, perhaps, the three actors. They do a decent job of portraying their implausible characters and Irina Kupchenko is quite charming as Tatyana. Had this film been more thought-out and the plot elaborated on, it would have made a worthy installment into the genres of both romance and comedy of life (i.e. socio-economic Realism); however, standing as it does, it is (ironically) a nostalgic reminiscence of an era of movie-making that has gone by.

A modern fairy tale. seductive for performances, humor and atmosphere. and for nostalgic flavor. love story, idealistic, with large crumbs of fantaisy in the period of Christmas. smart dialogue, clash between diferent perspectives and a film who you know be so familiar, than all seems more than predictable. but the surprises are not less. so, a beautiful romantic film using the Russian recipe.

I would not compare this movie with "Ironiya Sudby". Rather, it looks very much like "Odinokaya zhenshchina zhelayet poznakomitsya" (1986), with the same actress (Irina Kupchenko) playing a similar part 15 years later (and she does look as good in 2001 as she did in 1986).

Like in "Odinokaya zhenshchina" the heroine is a lonely woman taking non-traditional steps and some risks to find a man. There she did it for herself, here she is doing it and more for her "dying" mother who desperately wants to see her daughter to have a family of her own. Well, being older, she takes bolder steps and greater risks.

Now, after the episode with jewelries you should either stop watching the movie in disgust, or re-adjust your understanding of it. Because it is not a more or less realistic story based on common sense like "Odinokaya zhenshchina", but a fantasy based on some noble and naïve ideas of people's response to kindness and good people finding and keeping each other.

If you accept this transformation from realism to fantasy, you can leisurely enjoy theatrical atmosphere the actors provide (the movie is an adaptation of a play), the point the movie is trying to make, and the inevitable "feel good" finale.