Window to Paris

This Russian and French film was made just around the time the Soviet Union was ending and chaotically giving way to a capitalist Russia, and that's reflected over every inch of it. There's a cute premise -- a down-on-his-luck music teacher moves into a new apartment and discovers a literal window to Paris that literally only opens every twenty years.

This leads to some very fun, absurd comedy with Russians and French finding their way through the window and becoming very confused -- as well as a great deal of very self-conscious social commentary on the state of Russia at the time. This leads to some interesting contrasts, with the farcical often set against scenes of unhappy people on filthy streets. This contrast doesn't always sit easily, and i doesn't always increase the humor of what's going on but it does always leave an impression. Perhaps most striking is when Nicole finds herself suddenly in Leningrad/St Petersburg, and after some plain-old-hijinx, is confronted with the difficult-to-process sight of a man completely destroying a public phone booth just because nobody will stop him.

There's a delicate balance, and sometimes it sways far enough into commentary that the humor stops being sharp, or far enough into comedy that the commentary seems out of tune, but overall they are both strong veins that make their mark on the viewer.

Sergey Dontsov is great as a very likable hero for the piece, a shaggy, hard-luck music teacher who scorns the establishment but gets by because he is a pied-piper figure for children. Agnès Soral is very charming as Nicole, but while she works very amusingly as a running-gag neighbor who is constantly infuriated by Russian running through her apartment to get to Paris, she is not really developed enough as a character to make a great impact as a love interest.

But because of the charm of Dontsov and his rapport with the children, there is an emotional pull when he convinces them to come back to St Petersburg through the window. And the film winds up very difficult to forget, for its rather wild combination of the whimsical and the grim.

My first Mamin film, saw it on IFC long ago, and LOVED it. It seemed absolutely artistic, original, fun and hilarious. Not a moment in the film let me down or made me bored, and i was laughing a lot or had a smile on my face. I mean this movie is truly funny. But here's the catch: it's also very artistic and creative - if you don't know Yuri Mamin (probably, sadly, because so many of his GREAT films aren't available here) he has a very original style like no one else's, and for me this isn't even my favorite film of his (right now it's the insane ("Saideburns/Bakenbardy"). Also, i have to say as a Russian, this film is great because you really do see what Russians are like. And this is possible because this is a true Russian film to me, NOT a foreign film trying to be American or trying to appeal; Mamin did not sell out (nor has he since, Gorko (1998) was as good if not better. This is true Russian style filmaking that came out of communist Social realism.

If you liked this film, i think you have a very high chance of loving Mamin's other films, in fact i like quite a few of them more than this one. I guess this one is his most accessible film. A similar film is Fountain, taking place 6 years before during perestroika, it has the same actor in the leading role, and more of Mamin's regulars who you will recognize from Window to Paris; this one has one supernatural twist in the end but is mostly a realistic comedy, a great one. Viva Mamin, hopefully Criterion will hook all of his movies up one day, he's still working, and his catalog is so great! See any of his films if you can.

One unfortunate reality of post-Soviet Russia was that the people's welfare didn't change much from Soviet times. As we see in "Window to Paris", most people are still as depressed as ever, while they are encouraged to go after money.

Then, everything changes for music teacher Nikolai Chizhov (Sergei Dontsov) after he finds a window that leads to Paris. He and his friends are naturally quite amazed at what they find. This movie has one of the funniest discussions of Elvis Presley and Edith Piaf that I've ever heard. So watch this movie. You're sure to love it. It's sort of a precursor to "Being John Malkovich".

I thought that i wrote a comment on this movie before, but i can't find it on here. anyway, i am writing it again. I accidentally found this movie from my college's library collections. It was free to watch, so why not.

I am certainly glad that I watched it. I love this movie. I have seen a few Russian movies before, most of them have serious topics. I am surprised that this was one a good comedy. I had a great laugh while watching it. and this is a movie that i want to buy. this thing is so funny. and they are not just silly funny, those plots were very original, and well thought, so they don't seem to be silly at all. I am surprised that this movie didn't attract many viewers. This is a classic that you can watch it over and over.

those actors were also very authentic, their acting are real, not faked. if you haven't watched it, go get a copy soon! definitely recommended.

A funny and scathing critique of Russian society and culture during the transition from communism, OKNO V PARIZH also shows the west in an unfavorable light. A group of Russians living in St. Petersburg (a.k.a. Peter the Great's "window on the west") find a magic portal that instantly transports them to Paris. Mamin's film is truly hilarious, and just "weird" enough constantly keep even the jaded film viewer on his toes. The songs, the dream sequences, and the deliciously disgusting fringes of society from both cultures mingle to create a memorable and meaningful film. Anyone trying to understand the shift in Russian cultural sentiments since the fall of the USSR should begin here.