Gentlemen of Fortune

This is my favorite Russian comedy, and although it is 30 years old, people still enjoy it more than most other comedies today. A satiric and witty movie that revolves around an adventurous plot. The plot is basically that a convict (Dotsent) escapes from prison and the militia (Russian police) find the criminal's lookalike, a kindergarten teacher. He goes undercover and pretends to be a criminal to help the militia find the where the real convict has hidden a stolen mask. He makes a phony escape from the prison with two others, who think he is the real Dotsent. He eventually befriends with them and they become attached, but I won't reveal the rest. From my plot review it might seem as a violent movie or something like that, but actually it is good for the entire family. The movie is entertaining throughout and if you want to see a comparison with an American equivalent, it's like a lot like Seinfeld because it's a situational comedy. If you are a fan of Russian cinematography and haven't seen this one, watch it right away because this is a true classic with some of the greatest Russian actors (see cast).

Aleksandr Sery's "Dzhentlmeny udachi" ("Gentlemen of Fortune" in English) is one of those movies whose purpose is to be silly. Yevgeny Leonov plays a kindergarten director who get hired to pose as the leader of a criminal gang to find out the location of a stolen helmet. I understand that Sery had previously been in jail, and so he knew what the jail scenes should look like. But mostly, the movie consists of over-the-top acting and a couple of scenes that made me think "Wait...what?!" Some of the cast members also starred in Leonid Gayday's 1967 comedy "Kidnapping, Caucasian Style" (one of the zaniest movies that I've ever seen). Basically, any one of these movies is a good time. You're sure to love it.

PS: Savely Kramarov (Fedya) eventually moved to the US where he appeared in movies such as "Moscow on the Hudson".

The Soviet prison system might not be high on many people's lists of good starting laces for humor, but this comedy winds up being often very funny nonetheless.

This basis is a classic fish-out-of-water premise, wherein a kindly kindergarten teacher happens to look uncannily like a a notorious criminal who has collaborated in stealing a priceless Macedonian gold helmet. The authorities' plan -- only just past the boundary of realism -- is to give him a wig and some false tattoos, and enlist him to help find the helmet. And this, of course, leads to all sorts of awkward situations, which are played for a deadpan absurdity that sets a great tone.

It's also interesting for its view (through a comedy lens) of the Soviet prison system and criminal life at this time, as well as its central Asian setting. Apparently, a good amount of actual contemporary underworld slang from the time was included (which our hero has to learn like a second language). Through the humor, criminals are nonetheless treated as human characters, who are wistful at having been divorced from a normal life and family, rather than completely villainous reprobates.

A very entertaining picture in all, with both likable cops and largely likable robbers as its characters. Recommended.

As soon as the New Year comes, this film is immediately shown on all TV screens in Russia, and I have a strong association with this holiday. As for the plot, it is very interesting and even a little adventurous. The convicts in this witch are presented not as villains, but as simple and even good people. Of course, such an image would not have been possible without the brilliant performance of the actors playing the main roles. Alexey Leonov, Savely Kramarov and Georgy Vitsin brilliantly coped with their work. So, it's great soviet comedy.

The tradition of watching the best Soviet films on New Year's Eve is still alive. And by the way, the work of Alexander Gray "Gentlemen of Fortune" is the most suitable for the role of a chic movie to watch at the New Year's table. After all, this is not just a comedy. This is a film that makes you think about the difficult fates of the main characters, the events that led them to where they are now. And let the humor not confuse the viewer. "Gentlemen of Fortune" is a movie in which drama is in no way inferior to comedy, but rather even takes over.

The plot is extraordinary. An ordinary kindergarten teacher turns out to be incredibly similar in appearance to a criminal who can not find out where he hid the most important relic - the golden helmet of Alexander the Great himself. And in order to find out, the operatives come up with the idea of replacing a real bandit with an educator. The latter must find out from the accomplices of the criminal where the treasured artifact was hidden.

The situation is initially comical, but the development of the plot and the masterful play of the actors makes you immerse yourself in the whole story. Each phrase in the film is so valuable that it was disassembled into catch phrases back in Soviet times. Today, such words have not lost their relevance and recognition, which, in my opinion, is a sufficient test for time.

The actors' acting is a masterpiece. They don't seem to stand out in any way, they conduct ordinary dialogues, but each character is interesting in his own way and has a certain mystery in his past.

Oblique, he is, Fedya, a bully. He tries to follow the Associate Professor, criticizes everything, thinks about how to fix life for the better. Savely Kramarov masterfully presents us with a hero who is a typical thief with his own problems and troubles.

Hmyr, he is, Gavrila, a man with a sad past who stumbled and went downhill. He seems to have been sucked into a life of thieves, and once he was a good family man, but now he does not see a return to the past.

Ali Baba, he, Vasya, actually got into this tandem by accident, running along with the others. But he is also an excellent personality revealed in the film. A person who once broke the law, and then could not get out of a difficult situation.

Evgeny Leonov plays a key role in this company. More precisely, two at once. In one, he is an exemplary kindergarten worker who is adored by colleagues and children. In another, a ruthless bandit who is ready to go to great lengths, even murder, to get his way. And in each of these roles, he perfectly conveys his characters. I watched this movie for the first time as a child. And I was sure that the Assistant Professor and Troshkin were played by two different actors, twin brothers. They even appeared in the same frame. At that time I didn't understand that cinematographers could do such things with the combination of frames. But something else is more important. The fact that Leonov was able to show both characters in such a way that the child had no doubt that they were two completely different people. I think it perfectly shows the professionalism of the actor, the ability to get used to the role.

The shots that you watch the whole movie are also beautiful. The epoch of its time, the interests of people, the images of policemen, scientists, the life of citizens of the country are perfectly shown.

The title theme is guessed from two notes. This is also a kind of test of the quality of the film. After all, music evokes certain images: a camel, the phrase "I'll tear my mouth", "don't touch anything with my hands" and the rest.

As you get older, you realize that the movie "Gentlemen of Fortune" has become one of your favorite New Year's movies, because the characters are not so comical, they are each struggling with their own problems. In other comedy films, everything is much simpler. You don't understand it as a child. Growing up, on the contrary.

"Gentlemen of Fortune" is a bright representative of the best Soviet cinema, a film that rightfully took its place in the hearts of the audience, broke into catch phrases, showed what it means to be a man.

10 out of 10.