Charodei

Yes, the movie is not at all faithful to the book. Yes, it has a cheesy plot, low-budget cinematography and 19th century special effects. But none of these things can take away from the charm of this picture. The acting is simple and the actors are adorable (young Abdulov rocks!). Many of the lines from the movie have since become everyday phrases (eg: "Nu ktozh tak stroit!") and several of the songs immortal ("Pesenka pro kostyumchik," "Tri Belix Konya"). And the sentimental value of the good ol' Soviet rudeness and bureaucracy is immeasurable.

If you understand Russian, have spent any time in USSR, and love fairy tales for adults, you'll love this movie.

This is a movie loosely based on the novel written by the Strugatsky brothers "Monday Begins on Saturday". It`s pretty far from the original text and that`s why all Russian SF fans are not happy with. But the script is also written by the Strugatskys, so I think it`s fair to write a new story rather than use the existed one. If one can "forget" about the book while watching this movie it is fairly witty, funny and kind love story. The songs became hits back in 1982. The cast is wonderful, basically every face you see in this movie is a famous actor or actress. Most of the cast are brilliant dramatic or character actor/actress. There are also lots of Soviet lifestyle in-jokes, which you understand only if you are a Russian over 15 years old (the younger ones don`t remember the Soviet reality). The movie is worthy a watch.

This movie is a modern fairy tale. The story happens in an institute of magic during Christmas time. the girl (Alena) is supposed to marry to Ivan. However, an envious person makes to think to her boss that Alena is in love with the boy friend of the boss in question, who decides to bewitch Alena. The only way to save her is to be kissed by Ivan. I liked this movie because of the humorous way of presenting the intrigue. It is amusing and refreshing. The dialogs and expressions are funny.

Even if you are not Russian yourself, or speak little of it, you might find yourself captivated by Charodei. Being on a roll watching Russian cinema, especially fantasy, and also studying Russian as part of my vocal studies music degree, Charodei certainly was captivating for this viewer. It looks beautiful, especially the snowy scenery in the second half of the film, and the mix of Russian fantasy elements and the modern world were intriguingly and lovingly juxtaposed. The music is nice and quirky, fitting well with the tone of the film, while the songs are catchy and very Russian(I for one love Russian songs). Particularly good is the song about the three horses, apparently the songs were hits back in 1982 and if so for very good reason. The dialogue is snappy and quotable, with subtitles for the non-Russian viewer it's easier to understand but the facial expressions and the acting give you an indication of what is being said. You have got to love the surnames of the characters too, very clever. The story is told in a very charming way. As well as having great mystical fantasy elements, Charodei works wonders too as a romantic comedy. The romance is sweet without being cloying, and the comedy is genuinely very funny. The characters are endearing, and the acting showcases actors that are as comfortable at comedy as they are in drama as well. Overall, beautiful, funny and very clever film. If you wish to see Charodei if you haven't already the whole film's on Youtube but under the Russian-phonetics-alphabet title. 10/10 Bethany Cox

I love this movie for the fact that they treat all ancient Russian fairy tale elements in a modern context. A great pun is made in the last names of the characters---all are variations on terms and names of the magical and the mystical. Also it is a great romantic comedy. Many of the quotes from this film stay with you for a lifetime. I especially love the song in the film about the three white beautiful horses named December, January and February that carry your sled off into the beauty of Her Majesty Winter. You can put it on the shelf for the classic Soviet New Year's Eve romantic comedies, such as "Ironiya sud'by ili "s legkim parom!"" and "Karnaval'naya noch'". I was also pleasantly surprised when I found out that it was made by the Odessa Film Studios---my city of birth.