Priyatel pokoynika

I watched this movie several times with a few of my friends (both Russian/Ukrainian and English-speaking), and almost everybody liked it. Every time I watch this film, it leaves a good (although, a bit sad) impression.

I think that the story is interesting. Maybe not very original, but not beaten to death either. When I watched it for the first time, I was mostly interested in what would happen to the characters, after which I concentrated more on details. I think that most actors were very good: it's like you watch people living, not acting. Dialogs were funny, although English translation did not do them justice (on the other hand, certain things you simply cannot translate: they only make sense in the cultural context).

While most characters in the movie are pretty much pathetic (and/or miserable), they are somehow likeable. Even Dima, who seems to never get bothered by any moral imperatives, shows a human side (e.g. when he lets a poor old lady not to pay the full price for whatever she was buying).

I also liked the sound, editing, just about everything that made this film. Unless you are a dedicated soap opera or professional wrestling fan, you may find it a treat, too. 9 out of 10.

P.S. It is surprising, but this movie is not well known in either Russia or Ukraine.

"A Friend of the Deceased" starts as an old tale about a despondent man who takes out a contract on his own life and then renegs. The film is a plodding work with little going for it save the curious plot and interesting twists on the hacked storyline. There's plenty of behind the Iron Curtain-rod contempo symbolism; everyone drinks without regard for time of day; beggars everywhere; somber atmospherics; American money in a Ukraine wallet; and a kind of woebegone milieu not to mention one character's personal commentary about the state of the country. A sober and understated work with an anticlimactic conclusion, "A Friend..." does manage some poignancy and will be of most interest to foreign film buffs, especially those into Russian flicks. (C+)

I was going through my box of old VHS films and this one caught my eye again. It's about Ukrainians going through the post Soviet breakup and the adjustments they were making. Since then, Ukraine has continued to go through hardships including war with Russia. These hardships are nothing new. Ukraine has had a tough time for centuries including war with Poland, Catherine the Great and Soviet genocide.

These have left a lasting scar upon the psyche of the country.

The film's plot is contrived and not meant to be taken too realistically. It's about showing the different characters and the stoic, cynical, confused, and random gestures of kindness in their daily lives. The brutal way that the businessmen speak is common. Some people are amazingly spiritual such as the character Marina who almost glows with a light of love and beauty and the assassin who fishes by a lake. Nearly all the characters are fractured and broken but likable in their own way. Even the brutal businessman who pays Anatoli for his translation services and asks for change for a twenty has a rather amusing side to him if you care to look.

With the controversy in Ukraine, this is a dark, somber and thoughtful film for someone to get a glimpse of these amazing people.

This is a pleasant story and an interesting departure from the common fare at the video store. Although not spoken in English and with English subtitles, it is an easy story to follow and one soon forgets that the actors are not speaking English. The plot follows a simple and mostly predictable line, ending in an upbeat situation. My only regret was that I would like to have seen more of the situation on which the story ended. The actress that played the part of Marina, Yelana Korikova, was captivating, and rather than have her appear only near the end of the movie, I would have liked to have seen more of her and for that situation to have been reached sooner and then explored further before the movie ended.

good movie, also very painful for anyone from that region of the world.

i warmly recommend it to americans - try something other than hollywood - it doesn't hurt...