Mimino

After decades, it remains the same. The humor, the seductive plot, the lovely Vakhtang Kikabidze performance. And, sure, the feeling of old world rediscover. Because all is heroic, nice and hopeful like in the time of childhood. The friendship, the ideals, the dialogues and cultural clashes are the good points for one of Soviet films proposing not exactly the picture of a social reality or moralistic lesson but just a simple story about greatness of life.

for Vakhtang Kikabidze performance, one of Soviet cinema legends . for the music. and for the game with national identity details. nostalgic, fresh, warm, it is testimony of a time and proof of a kind of freedom. show of small things, picture of cultural misunderstandings, story of honest man in big city, it is not exactly a comedy but bitter reflection to sense of desire. moral lesson, like many other films of period, it is, today, nostalgic view of self - definition. beautiful images of Georgia, streets of Moscow, silhouette of churches, meetings and troubles, the secondary characters of village, the people of city, the cow in air and the adorable Hachikian in Frunzik Mkrchyan are parts of touching entertainment. In this conditions, Mimino remains a bright face of a period , poetic, childish and really precious.

No movie has ever captured so well the feelings of love and sorrow, pride and fairness as this one. And, mind you, not through the stupid didactics or a trivial calculatable formula. No other movie has such a synergy of fundamental humanity ideas, screenplay, directon, actors performance, music and cinematography.

This movie is a peak for the most of its participants - never again they've achieved such an excellence!

Helicopter pilot from Georgia (the one in the former Soviet Union) goes to Moscow hoping to become an international pilot. There he befriends a guy from Armenia (near Georgia, but not the same!), runs out of money, finds himself in jail, etc. The movie plays out lots of funny differences between Russian (read - European) and Georgian (more Eastern) cultures, provincial vs. big city, and others. And as a golden thread throughout the whole movie - kindness, decency and warm hearts of the heroes. This play on cultural differences evoke "My Big Fat Greek Wedding", which was made thirty years after "Mimino"...

I am not sure if this movie has ever been subtitled in English, but I am sure it would be a delight to American viewers.

To enjoy you must not only know Russian well, but the reality of the USSR in late 70s. The plot is driven by highly unlikely events. However, the two principal characters are believable and recognizable, their irrational actions motivated, the dialog and expressions are trend setting, the actors at their best.